Light Status

[cubedweller]

Dumb question of the day:

Let's say I leave the house in the morning and the kitchen light is off.
I look at the homeseer web status when I get to work and see that yes, the light is off.
During the day my wife turns the kitchen light on at the switch.
If I go back the homseer web interface, will it show the light is on?
If not, how do I enable this? Is it worth it?


Thanks in advance.

[Rupp]

There are no dumb questions here only the ones not asked. Inexpensive X10 light switches do not report their status so there really is no reliable way to fix this without buying the 2 way X10 switches. They start at about $40 and up. You have to ask yourself does it really matter about the light status. If it's important then you need a 2-way if it's not then a 1-way works fine. I have 4 -5 2 way switches and truthfully I never look at the statuses of the switches.

[mwaite]

If your light switch is 2-way (communicates back to HS it's status as well as receive signals from HS) then when the light turns on HS will update. If the light switch is only 1-way then HS will never know when the switch is turned on locally. 2-way switches are, in my opinion, the only way to go - for the reason you mention.

[markwill]

If your light switch is 2-way (communicates back to HS it's status as well as receive signals from HS) then when the light turns on HS will update. If the light switch is only 1-way then HS will never know when the switch is turned on locally. 2-way switches are, in my opinion, the only way to go - for the reason you mention.

I'm buying 2 way basically "just because". I am just getting into X10 (and enjoying it). It seems to me that the earlier statement about the 2 ways costing $40 and above needs qualification. Yes, that's the cost for SWITCHES but a bunch of lights I have use modules. I have a few SmartHome Lamp modules and got them for $20 each, which strikes me as reasonable. So, I guess it depends on the lights you want to manage (through a switch or a module).

So (mwaite), although I have been buying 2 way switches, I would be interested to know why you believe it's the "only way to go". What specific scenarios are of interest to you that require you to know the state of the light? Not being funny here - just honestly curious about how you use it. I "like" the feature but if a light is already on and I unnecessarily turn it on - it's still on :-)

I suspect there are script-related reasons. Love to hear you thoughts on this...

Thanks.

Mark

[mwaite]

Mark,

Since I am away from home a lot, I depend on the status of HS via the web. With one way devices I'm not assurred of their actual condition. Here's a good example... if I'm expecting someone at my house sometimes I'll manually turn the front porch light on (my motion detector will only turn off the porch light if it turned it on - that way it remains on when I want it to). Since it is difficult to tell when the light is on from inside the house I find I can forget it's on. With a one-way switch it would still show as off if I turned it on locally, with a two-way switch I always see the correct status.

[anogee]

Two way switches do report status, but they are also more expensive, suck added X-10 signals which can cause problems with several in one box, and do create much added network traffic on your powerline. They are not "the only way to go" unless you have lots of money and are willing to tolerate their problems.

Instead you should use 2-way switches where you need them, and 1-way switches other places. The real question is, do I really care the status of that switch remotely? If the answer is no, save yourself the hassle and install 1-way.

In the future, when technologies like UPB are more popular, all switches will be 2-way, but X-10 is just not a robust protocol that is good when you have lots of signals traveling on the powerline.

[Rupp]

I installed Z-Wave switches where I needed to know the status of the switches. They are much more affordable than the X10 2 ways and do not cause any powerline traffic. I use them in the bathrooms to control the exhaust fans. This way when they are turned on I can turn them off 45 minutes later.

[mwaite]

I installed Z-Wave switches where I needed to know the status of the switches. They are much more affordable than the X10 2 ways and do not cause any powerline traffic. I use them in the bathrooms to control the exhaust fans. This way when they are turned on I can turn them off 45 minutes later.

I guess 45 minutes would take care of the {worst case} scenario!!

[Rupp]

Mike,
It's the shower humidity I'm controlling.

[markwill]

I installed Z-Wave switches where I needed to know the status of the switches. They are much more affordable than the X10 2 ways and do not cause any powerline traffic. I use them in the bathrooms to control the exhaust fans. This way when they are turned on I can turn them off 45 minutes later.

Hi Rupp,
Do you have a pointer to these Z-Wave switches? I struggled to find anthing on the SmartHome site that wasn't part of a kit and the only thing I found elsewhere was above $60. I suspect I am looking in the wrong place.

Thanks.

Mark

[johnwpb]

Zwave Wall Switches

Here is a link to a Zwave wall switch over at Automated Outlet. Martin, a member of this board, and fellow HS user, runs Automated Outlet. You will be very hard pressed to beat his prices anywhere on the net, and he does price matching as well in the unlikely event you find a product cheaper somewhere else.

[Rupp]

Sorry Mark didn't see the followup question. Martin is a very good dealer and you will be hard pressed to beat his prices. Don't forget that HS also has a store as well. http://www.homeseer.com/products/har...e_hardware.htm