RadioRA2 and hai or elk, any working installs?

[Esbelectric]

Just completed B.L.A.S.T. training and got the radiora2 software, parts are on the way. I am really excited about this retrofit buisness opportunity, especially with the release of the ipad. I am now trying to decide between hai and elk to replace my security system and provide ha control as well as an interface with my ipad. I was wondering if anyone had already tied radiora2 in with either of these panels and could provide any feedback about functionality, status reporting, etc.

 

[Neurorad]

Ask Elk when RA2 connectivity will be available.

HAI announced it, not sure if it's available right now or in the near future.

I think both will work fairly well with RA2 - I don't think lighting control will figure much into your decision of Elk vs. HAI.

Member Steve has made some great observations on Elk v HAI, in a recent thread. If your current alarm sensor contacts have a resistor, find out what it is. If they don't have any resistor at the contacts (EOLRs), you should use Elk.

Read up on/search for 'EOLR', end of line resistor.

 

[Neurorad]

Where did you buy your hardware, esb?

 

[Steve]

My understanding is Ra2 is currently functional on the Omni with firmware 3.4. I am running 3.4 and I can confirm that Ra2 is an option under the lighting choices so I assume it will work as advertised.

Member Steve has made some great observations on Elk v HAI, in a recent thread. If your current alarm sensor contacts have a resistor, find out what it is. If they don't have any resistor at the contacts (EOLRs), you should use Elk.

I want to be careful not to make any blanket statements like If EOL then use HAI, else no EOL then use Elk. That's not what I was trying to express at all. I was simply saying Elk was more flexible allowing you to configure each zone with EOL or not so if you had existing sensors without and then you needed to add one zone that did then you needed to go back and add them to all. I also said that adding an open contact vs closed would mean having to add EOLs. In another thread, Fred from HAI said that was not the case and you could in fact use an open contact without an EOL its just that the logic in the 'rules' would be backwards. I have not tried or confirmed any of that yet but I see no reason it wouldn't work as stated. While in theory I still like the fact you can specify the zone type and rules will works 'normally', there may be some advantage to the simplicity of not hard coding it. I can touch on that more when I finish the conversion and do a full writeup.

I don't know the status of Ra2 with Elk but if you need to do something now HAI is compatible and is a very good system.

 

[Neurorad]

Sorry, Steve - didn't mean to put words in your mouth.

I should have taken the time to explain what you said, and I should have said 'in my opinion, Elk would be a better option if you don't have EOLRs installed, since you'll have to add them for an HAI controller, for each zone, if you want to use resistors for any of the zones such as for smoke detectors'.

I wanted to give you credit for stating very clearly one of the limitations of HAI. And I should have referenced this thread where Steve compares HAI and Elk.

Steve is in a pretty unique position here - he's used both HAI and Elk, and is an authority on the topic.

 

[Esbelectric]

thanks for the responses guys.

Neurorad - i bought the hardware from a local supply house that has been trained in ra2 and keeps some stock, and actually has a pretty nice demo set up with several rooms and numerous scenes. I guess you are suggesting that i post in the elk forum asking for info on ra2 support, dont know why i didnt think of that.

Steve - i am curious if you have used the iphone app to control your hai system, and if so i was wondering if you (or anyone else reading this thread) could comment on how smooth the lighting interface it and if changes made on the radiora keypads show up on the hai system, i really like the idea of being able to keep an ipad on a bedside table and view the status of all my lights, security zones, browse the web, etc. , i am leaning heavily towards hai, i just wish their keypads looked a little nicer, though i have read that pics online dont really do them justice

again thank you for taking the time to read and reply to my post

 

[premiernic]

Just completed B.L.A.S.T. training and got the radiora2 software, parts are on the way. I am really excited about this retrofit buisness opportunity, especially with the release of the ipad. I am now trying to decide between hai and elk to replace my security system and provide ha control as well as an interface with my ipad. I was wondering if anyone had already tied radiora2 in with either of these panels and could provide any feedback about functionality, status reporting, etc.

When programing the HAI system the EOLR's are not always neccessary, I only use them on NO curcuits. Smokes and CO detectors. For everything else you can select the option in programming to not use the end of lines
I prefer the HAI, and I have looked at RA2, yet have not done so yet. The possibility of Blind control excites me...

 

[Steve]

I should have taken the time to explain what you said, and I should have said 'in my opinion, Elk would be a better option if you don't have EOLRs installed, since you'll have to add them for an HAI controller, for each zone, if you want to use resistors for any of the zones such as for smoke detectors'.

Thanks for the kind words Neurorad but I am far from an authority, lots of intelligent and experienced people here. Just again to be clear, I learned that EOLs are NOT necessary even on NO circuits, just the programming of rules may be a little different. And 99% of the stuff you have is NC anyway. So this really is not a huge thing.

Steve - i am curious if you have used the iphone app to control your hai system, and if so i was wondering if you (or anyone else reading this thread) could comment on how smooth the lighting interface it and if changes made on the radiora keypads show up on the hai system, i really like the idea of being able to keep an ipad on a bedside table and view the status of all my lights, security zones, browse the web, etc. , i am leaning heavily towards hai, i just wish their keypads looked a little nicer, though i have read that pics online dont really do them justice

I have not tried the HAI iPhone apps, only the free H@me app. I actually find the H@me app a little slow. But I use CQC and I have a few CQC screens for the major stuff. Ultimately I will most likely use my CQC screens for everything. Just tonight I was at a party and was showing a guest some stuff. The babysitter did not leave the small nightlight on in kids bedroom so I used H@me to turn on the light and then showed him the camera. The update via the H@me app was kinda slow but I don't have anything to compare to right now. I may try the new HAI iPhone app at some point. But I have a combination of UPB and Jetstream, no Ra2 at all.

 

[Fiasco]

I use commandfusion to talk to my RA system via iPhone/Pad/Touch and wrote a plugin for event ghost for RA. The protocol is fairly straightforward.

 

[htguruwannab]

Anyone get RA2 integrated with an HAI panel yet?

 

[mlaz]

I installed the RA2 on my omnipro 2 this weekend. I'm very pleased so far. I have a couple of line of code written to do some custom stuff and it all appears to be working great. If your Lutron installer was to create a intergration report from the RA2 system it would be simple to intergrate it to HAI yourself.

 

[fabriziojoe]

I installed the RA2 on my omnipro 2 this weekend. I'm very pleased so far. I have a couple of line of code written to do some custom stuff and it all appears to be working great. If your Lutron installer was to create a intergration report from the RA2 system it would be simple to intergrate it to HAI yourself.

Hello,
I am currently working on a RA2 install and interfacing with an OmniPro II. I am using the serial connectivity kit and have the lighting code set to Radio RA2 in PC access, serial port 3.
The DB9 to serial adapter is connected to the Main Repeater and I have and RJ25 on pins 2345 via cat 5 (approximately 30 feet from omni to repeater). The pairs are as follows: white/blue, blue, orange, white orange. On the opposite end the pairs are white orange, orange, blue, white blue. I used the cable that was provided with the HAI serial kit as a guide to the pinout. However, I cannot get the Omni to control the lights. The device IDs are entered into PC access so I do not know where I am going wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Brian Yokum]

Have you written the configuration from PC Access to the controller? Did you set the desired units to RadioRA2? When you send a command do you see the LEDs on the controller flicker? Have you tried using the cable supplied with the serial connectivity kit?

 

[fabriziojoe]

Hi Brian,
Yes, I have written the file back to the controller. The led associated with serial port 3, D13 is blinking on a control command from both a keypad and iphone.
All units are set to the Radio Ra2 option. I cannot use the supplied cable as the main repeater is about 30' from the omni panel. should i be using a rj11 instead to make by cable?

 

[Brian Yokum]

Make sure the serial port jumper is in the 232 position. Make sure the connector on your wiring is oriented correctly so that the wiring is not reversed. Perhaps use Windows terminal to monitor the commands from the controller or to control the main repeater directly.