UPB first impressions
- Thread starter DeLicious
- Start date
AutomatedOutlet
Senior Member
Sure there are keypads for Z-Wave, just very portable and wireless...For Insteon, not so much...
Keypads for Zwave? I'd sure like to see them. Please provide a link.
Wow, a lot of good information! Several times you said you had not added the phase coupler because it wasn't needed. Most of the problems you mentioned would probably go away if you add the phase coupler.
When you do a signal strength test from Upstart what numbers do you get? What size house is this in?
The UPB signal can travel thousands of feet, out to the transformer on the pole and come back. With the phase coupler the signal take the shortcut and is much stronger.
About 3 months ago I installed over 80 UPB devices in an 8,000sqft home with very great success. The owners are thrilled with local (by room) and global (whole house) scenes, all work every time (no call backs)
There are many programming options in Upstart that may not be obvious at first. Just because it doesn't work right away, It probably is a missed setting in the UPstart programming. There is a learning curve there.
In reference to the light requiring 2 button presses... If you have set the control button to a toggle it will send an on, on the first press and an off on the second press and an on, on the third, etc. If you turned the light on with the button and then off with an "all off" or other scene, the "toggle" button will not know that and you will need to press it twice.
I decided to use "link activate" or "link deactivate" on the control panels and make each button a "scene" , That way you will get what you want every time you press the button. I would only use a toggle if that were the only button controlling the device or link.
I installed SA 1 rocker 4 button switches in every major room for local scene control and an 8 button at every major entrance to the home and in the kitchen and master bedroom. As an example at the entrance from the garage I programmed the buttons as follows. Buttons 1-4 control outside functions; Garage lights on, Driveway lights on, Gate open(single press)Gate close(double tap), Garden lights on. Buttons 5-8 control inside scenes; Party scene, Evening scene, Pathway to the master bedroom/with kitchen, and All off.
As mentioned above you could purchase the HAI control switches and assign the button indicators to scenes(links) and they would indicate what scene you had activated from other locations.
By the way the house operates without a main controller, I added a PCS timer module for various timers.
If you have questions on UPB call Simply Automated or Powerline Control Systems(PCS)
Dave
When you do a signal strength test from Upstart what numbers do you get? What size house is this in?
The UPB signal can travel thousands of feet, out to the transformer on the pole and come back. With the phase coupler the signal take the shortcut and is much stronger.
About 3 months ago I installed over 80 UPB devices in an 8,000sqft home with very great success. The owners are thrilled with local (by room) and global (whole house) scenes, all work every time (no call backs)
There are many programming options in Upstart that may not be obvious at first. Just because it doesn't work right away, It probably is a missed setting in the UPstart programming. There is a learning curve there.
In reference to the light requiring 2 button presses... If you have set the control button to a toggle it will send an on, on the first press and an off on the second press and an on, on the third, etc. If you turned the light on with the button and then off with an "all off" or other scene, the "toggle" button will not know that and you will need to press it twice.
I decided to use "link activate" or "link deactivate" on the control panels and make each button a "scene" , That way you will get what you want every time you press the button. I would only use a toggle if that were the only button controlling the device or link.
I installed SA 1 rocker 4 button switches in every major room for local scene control and an 8 button at every major entrance to the home and in the kitchen and master bedroom. As an example at the entrance from the garage I programmed the buttons as follows. Buttons 1-4 control outside functions; Garage lights on, Driveway lights on, Gate open(single press)Gate close(double tap), Garden lights on. Buttons 5-8 control inside scenes; Party scene, Evening scene, Pathway to the master bedroom/with kitchen, and All off.
As mentioned above you could purchase the HAI control switches and assign the button indicators to scenes(links) and they would indicate what scene you had activated from other locations.
By the way the house operates without a main controller, I added a PCS timer module for various timers.
If you have questions on UPB call Simply Automated or Powerline Control Systems(PCS)
Dave
Event5 said:
The numbers that UPStart was getting for signal strength were around 40 (excellent range). I don't see how the phase coupler would help the problems I was having considering that there is little to no signal degredation (and likely they were on the same phase anyway... need to check the circuit breaker box on that). It is a 3300 sq ft house.
Event5 said:
This is exactly the problem... I will change it as soon as I get home.
Event5 said:
This is actually not a bad idea... by basically assigning each button a particular scene, I can set one tap to be activate link and double tap as deactivate link. That way, I wouldn't necessarily NEED to know the status of the living room lights, I could simply double tap the appropriate button to deactivate the link and not worry about whether I just turned them back on! I'll try that as soon as I get home too...
Thanks for the great ideas!
When you do a communication test look for the phase indication. If it says "same" try to find something on the other phase or move a lamp module around until it shows up on the other phase. If the signal is good on the other phase, Great. By the way I have been told the signal begins to fail below 9 on the scale, so if you are in the teens or above you should be fine,
Dave
Dave
If you go into the transmit section of the switch program in Upstart you can assign button 7 to activate link 241. Link 241 is the default link between a button on all switches and the load of that switch. You can assign any button to this link.
I discovered this the hardway, but a call to Simply Automated did the trick.
Dave
If you have space in the ceiling box or inside the fan body you can control the light and the fan separately with inline modules from Simply Automated. PCS says they will have theirs available by early Sept. ( It looks smaller ) Each device could be part of various scenes or be individually linked/controlled from buttons on a controller.
You could leave the wall switch a standard toggle that could disable or enable the circuit or eliminate the wall switch and wire nut the hot to the load in the box and use the space on the wall for something else.
By the way if you are using a no contact AC tester you can test which wire is the hot wire before disconnecting from the switch. You will have to pull the switch out of the box somewhat. With the switch in the off position carefully approach one of the wires with the probe trying to stay away from the other wire as much as possible. (again with the switch off) Approach each wire that way. One should report hot and one should report not hot. Obviously the not hot is the load and should report hot when the switch is turned on.
One more thought, You didn't ask for this but...
I used a SA IO module UMI-32 http://www.simply-automated.com/products/index.html
I used it to control the driveway gates. The obvious way to use it was to assign a button some where to send a UPB signal to the module to open the gate.
In addition to that I added a magnetic reed switch to the gate. When the gate opens the device sends a link to turn on the driveway lights, other outside lights and the garage lights.
I also used the other output on the um1-32 in a link I call Sunset. The timer turns on Sunset at.... Sunset and off...you get the idea.
I then routed the signal from the reed switch through the N/O output connected to the Sunset link and then to the input that send the link to turn on lights.
The results; The lights are turned on only at night and not during the day. I also set it up that nothing happens when the gate is closed so those lights do not turn off while the owner is in there garage. The scene turns off when the garage door sends a closed signal with another UMI-32
I am using 3 features of the same UMI-32. This works as long as you only use one at a time.
I used a SA IO module UMI-32 http://www.simply-automated.com/products/index.html
I used it to control the driveway gates. The obvious way to use it was to assign a button some where to send a UPB signal to the module to open the gate.
In addition to that I added a magnetic reed switch to the gate. When the gate opens the device sends a link to turn on the driveway lights, other outside lights and the garage lights.
I also used the other output on the um1-32 in a link I call Sunset. The timer turns on Sunset at.... Sunset and off...you get the idea.
I then routed the signal from the reed switch through the N/O output connected to the Sunset link and then to the input that send the link to turn on lights.
The results; The lights are turned on only at night and not during the day. I also set it up that nothing happens when the gate is closed so those lights do not turn off while the owner is in there garage. The scene turns off when the garage door sends a closed signal with another UMI-32
I am using 3 features of the same UMI-32. This works as long as you only use one at a time.
WayneW
Senior Member
One drawback to the no contact testers (at least mine) is that it may pick up the stray induced voltage on a 3way traveler and report it as being "hot". I have had to use a contact voltmeter sometimes to determine the true state of a wire. So if things just "don't seem right" using the no contact tester, don't pull your hair out.
Well, this is much better. I've reprogrammed the buttons on my 8-button faceplate to be multi-buttons, i.e., one press activates the link and double tap deactivates the link. This fixed the problem I was having in the bedroom with the toggle switches that made me have to press the buttons twice after an All Off event. I'm much happier with it now, and I'm sure my wife will be as well (once she gets home!).
This way, I can send a deactivate signal to my living room from the bedroom and be sure that the lights are off... very nice. Thanks for all your help Event5.
I'll try to drop by AO sometime this week to pick up the tabletop pedestal and install my last universal transceiver in there, and my starter kit will be complete (except the phase coupler, which still is unneeded at this point!).
This way, I can send a deactivate signal to my living room from the bedroom and be sure that the lights are off... very nice. Thanks for all your help Event5.
I'll try to drop by AO sometime this week to pick up the tabletop pedestal and install my last universal transceiver in there, and my starter kit will be complete (except the phase coupler, which still is unneeded at this point!).
