SmartHome announces INSTEON In-LineLinc Relay (Non-Dimming) w/ Sense (2475S2)

[electron]

Looks like SmartHome is on a roll. They just announced the In-LineLinc Relay. It's basically an In-Line INSTEON module, with the ability to turn on the connected device (and linked devices) if it detects 120V on the Sense wire. This will make it really easy to automate your floodlight fixtures, while you will be able to interface the floodlight's motion sensor with your home automation setup. As with other INSTEON devices, it supports X10.

It can now be pre-ordered for $49.99 and will be in stock 06/30/2009

 

[gatchel]

SO Looking at the specs...You could use existing switches, 3-way, and 4 way....WHY didn't they come out with this sooner. You can use simple off the shelf light switches with this device and forget about the tact switch issues, and the center off togglelincs.


The only question is if the sense wire is active (light switch on) and you send an Insteon off to the module does it ignore the sense wire until it changes state again....Hmmmmm any one else follow me?

 

[electron]

That's an interesting question. Would love to know this answer as well.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

The wiring would be more problematic as you would need another box (this units dimensions are 2.75" H x 1.75" W x 0.88" D). Also, keep in mind this device does not support dimming.

 

[gatchel]

Looking at the pic there is:

Bare-Ground
White-Neutral
Black-Line
Red-Load

Orange and Yellow- Only one of these would need to be the sense wire, what's the other for...

I tried looking for manuals and QS guides but none exist. I even tried clicking on a Manual for another product and changing the URL part Number but no luck.

We sure could use some Smarthome representation in this post...(hint hint... SteveL where are you...)

 

[gatchel]

The wiring would be more problematic as you would need another box (this units dimensions are 2.75" H x 1.75" W x 0.88" D). Also, keep in mind this device does not support dimming.

No dimming is OK for me in most of my applications.

As far as the wiring goes, for me it would be acceptable due to the better end result of having mostly standard $3.00 commercial switches as controllers.

 

[gatchel]

I figured out the the extra wire after reading this from an email about the product:


Independent load wires allow you
to control devices of any voltage up
to 120V


The red and orange are probably a N.O. dry contact or some combination thereof.

 

[SteveL]

Correct, The red wires ca be used to control anything from 120V on down. You can use it for low voltage control also. Now before you think no you can't because you can mix low voltage and high voltage in the same box and the answer is you can as long as the low voltage wire is rated at 600V.

Putting it behind a standard 3-way switch is not the best application for it but it will be nice to make an exist 120V motion detector INSTEON enabled or a Photo Cell control other devices. Some guys are using then for gate openers.

SteveL

 

[upstatemike]

I have a lot of pull chain fixtures that this will be perfect for.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Putting it behind a standard 3-way switch is not the best application for it but it will be nice to make an exist 120V motion detector INSTEON enabled or a Photo Cell control other devices.

So this will fit behind a switch? It seemed a little large given the dimensions.

 

[upstatemike]

Putting it behind a standard 3-way switch is not the best application for it but it will be nice to make an exist 120V motion detector INSTEON enabled or a Photo Cell control other devices.

So this will fit behind a switch? It seemed a little large given the dimensions.

No. This is a fixture module with some additional features for local voltage sensing. You can put it into a fixture with a pull chain and still be able to use the pull chain to control the light (or fan) in addition to Insteon control. You can also take a standard motion sensor, such as Heath/Zenith, and put this into the outdoor fixture box. The motion sensor triggers the local sense wire but you also have full Insteon control of the light as well.

It will not fit behind a standard toggle switch to "Insteon enable" it unless you have some very unusual sort of box there.

Mixing standard switches with automated switches (regardless of technology) is a spectacularly bad idea.

Using wired slave switces in automation installations instead of using full switches and defining "logical" multi-way switching configurations is also a poor option. I understand that with some protocols the cost of the full switch is so high that using them in slave locations is brutally expensive but it might be better to reconsider your choice of protocol rather than compromise on slave switches that have limited capabilities or a different "look and feel" from your master switches. Unless you are the person who wired them you should never be able to tell which switch is the master!

***EDIT***

In thinking about it, if the point is to Insteon enable an existing installation of standardard toggle switches, you could put this module in the fixture. The feed from the existing toggles would go into the module and the module would wire to the light. Essentially the entire group of toggle switches serve the same role as a pull chain switch in that scenario. This way you are using your old multi-way switches but now the light is also controllable via Insteon. You still don't put the module in the switch box though and you have the added problem of sometimes having to flip the switch twice to get it to work.

(The module switches On when power is applied to the sense wire and Off when it is removed. If the fixture is ON due to power being applied to the sense wire and later the fixture is turned Off by an Insteon command, you would have to flip the switch twice to turn the light back on... Once to remove the power from the sense wire and again to put power back on the sense wire and trigger to module On.)

 

[gatchel]

Given the "fisher price" feel of an Togglelinc, I would rather have a $3.00 standard looking toggle than a bunch of togglelincs. This module could easily be adapted to respond to a simple state change on the sense wire instead of on=on and off=off. I really don't care what direction the toggle is in as there are already 3-ways next to standard switches. It would even be worth to me to have to add an extra box near the fixture to accomplish this.

I was really just thinking out loud anyway. I would wait until they are out for a while and others beta test them before even considering purchasing a demo to try out. Insteon in my house is on hold until smarthome changes their ways. I'm not going to get into it. There are plenty of other threads for that. Did you see my thread about HL2 not working out of the box?

As far as the next guy that comes along, I could care less. As long my work meets code, an extra box near a fixture accessible from an attic or other location wouldn't make a difference.

OMHO, if Smartlabs would have put a little more time and thought into designing the togglelincs so that they throw end to end and have a better feel I wouldn't even be having these thoughts. Even at a few pennies more for a thicker toggle and a heavier spring, It would be worth it for me.

It's still better than the old X-10 push button crap, at least.

 

[upstatemike]

Given the "fisher price" feel of an Togglelinc, I would rather have a $3.00 standard looking toggle than a bunch of togglelincs. This module could easily be adapted to respond to a simple state change on the sense wire instead of on=on and off=off. I really don't care what direction the toggle is in as there are already 3-ways next to standard switches. It would even be worth to me to have to add an extra box near the fixture to accomplish this.

I was really just thinking out loud anyway. I would wait until they are out for a while and others beta test them before even considering purchasing a demo to try out. Insteon in my house is on hold until smarthome changes their ways. I'm not going to get into it. There are plenty of other threads for that. Did you see my thread about HL2 not working out of the box?

As far as the next guy that comes along, I could care less. As long my work meets code, an extra box near a fixture accessible from an attic or other location wouldn't make a difference.

OMHO, if Smartlabs would have put a little more time and thought into designing the togglelincs so that they throw end to end and have a better feel I wouldn't even be having these thoughts. Even at a few pennies more for a thicker toggle and a heavier spring, It would be worth it for me.

It's still better than the old X-10 push button crap, at least.

I agree that it would be nice to have a couple of options on the sense wire:

-One to toggle on state change as you suggest
-A second to toggle in response to a momentary application of power (similiar to how the old X-10 3-ways with the push button slaves workedbut could be used special applications)

 

[Lagerhead]

You can also take a standard motion sensor, such as Heath/Zenith, and put this into the outdoor fixture box.

Would be nice, I have two potential outdoor applications. But, it is specified only for indoor use, 40F-132F. Around here we can have three winter months where the temperature never even reaches 40F.

 

[upstatemike]

You can also take a standard motion sensor, such as Heath/Zenith, and put this into the outdoor fixture box.

Would be nice, I have two potential outdoor applications. But, it is specified only for indoor use, 40F-132F. Around here we can have three winter months where the temperature never even reaches 40F.

It will be interesting to see if they change that spec since the outdoor Insteon motion sensor they are releasing is just exactly that... A Heath/Zenith motion sensor pre-wired to an In-LineLinc w/ Sense.