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RedRock
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| Posted: December 17 2007 at 12:18 | IP Logged
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First - this software is so much better than HouseLinc. Thank you!
Meanwhile, I've got a 50-some device Insteon network and I've just added a RemoteLinc. First I did some taptap linking just to check it out. Okay, worked fine. Then after having problems with HouseLinc, not least of which is that it doesn't support RemoteLinc, I installed PowerHome. Added all my devices to it. PowerHome has been working fine.
The overall setup was this: the top three RemoteLinc buttons controlled some LampLinc modules. Then I added 12 devices to the bottom right button on the RemoteLinc. Got everything running great. Then decided that I really didn't want one button controlling two rooms at once (living room and kitchen). Here's where the trouble started.
I changed the group number on the kitchen devices which happened to be 6 of them. I told PowerHome to rebuild the RemoteLinc. When it was "done," the top three buttons still worked and the bottom right button worked as I had asked (i.e. the 6 living room devices were working as desired). But the 6 kitchen devices weren't responding on the RemoteLinc. When looking at the RemoteLinc as current device in the Insteon Explorer Links tab, it says that the group 5 (kitchen) devices in the Responders window have a Ctlr Link Status of FLAGGED CREATE (rather than VERIFIED, which is what all the other buttons said).
After a few more tries at rebuilding, I got the same results. FWIW, in some of those tries I put the RemoteLinc into linking mode by holding down Bright and Dim until the LED started blinking, but that didn't seem to help. And again FWIW, I successfully previously programmed the RemoteLinc from PowerHome without putting it into linking mode. Another try was deleting all of group 5 (kitchen) by dragging them over to the device list and hitting Rebuild again. That successfully removed them. I then tried putting them back in, but even with Rebuilding, the devices showed up in the Responders window but the RemoteLinc could not control the kitchen devices.
So, after looking at various issues on these forums, I figured I'd try some of the solutions that seemed to work for people, even if I wasn't sure why and what. I tried unplugging the PLC, waiting a bit and plugging it back in. I reset the RemoteLinc per the instructions by removing the batteries, waiting 10 sec, holding Bright, putting the batteries in and holding Bright for another 10 seconds till it was done beeping, etc. Then I went back to the Links tab, selected the RemoteLinc and told it to rebuild again. Now, all of the devices are FLAGGED CREATE in Ctlr Link Status.
I'm not sure how I screwed it up so badly, but any help will be greatly appreciated.
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jbbtex
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Joined: February 15 2007
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| Posted: December 17 2007 at 14:17 | IP Logged
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Try a factory reset again on the RemoteLinc and then let PH rebuild the links.
Remember to put it to linking mode manually.
Edited by jbbtex - December 17 2007 at 14:22
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Brady
"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - Gen. George S. Patton
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RedRock
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| Posted: December 17 2007 at 14:26 | IP Logged
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Thank you for your suggestion.
When you say "let PH rebuild the links" do you mean click the rebuild link in Insteon Explorer? Or is there some other way?
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dhoward
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| Posted: December 17 2007 at 21:57 | IP Logged
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RedRock,
Welcome to PowerHome!
Appreciate the comments and glad you like the program.
To fix your problem, check your "Devices" tab in the Insteon Explorer and look at your RemoteLinc device (press the Save/Refresh button if necessary to view the most recent data). I think you'll find that the RemoteLinc will have a reddish background in the "Clear Failed" column indicating that PowerHome has given up trying to communicate with the RemoteLinc. If you place a check in this column to "Clear" the failure and press the Save/Refresh button, I think you'll see the link commands appear in the "Pending Operations" window in just a few moments.
Not sure how you were able to do it initially, but the RemoteLinc needs to be in "Link" mode in order for PowerHome to communicate with or program link commands to it. The RemoteLinc does not normally "listen" for Insteon commands directed to it because it would take too much battery power to do so. This is most likely why PowerHome failed the device in the first place because it would have periodically tried to retrieve status and after 5 failures would have given up and flagged the device so it would not waste anymore time communicating with it.
Below is a blurb that I just recently emailed a user concerning RemoteLinc usage that I think will benefit all:
The RemoteLinc can be programmed (links created) from within PowerHome. Keep in mind, that in order for PowerHome to do this, the RemoteLinc *must* first be placed into "Link" mode manually (this is presumably to save battery life...the RemoteLinc isnt *listening* for communications *unless* it's in Link mode). The proper way to setup a RemoteLinc is first add it to the Devices tab. It sounds as if you've autodiscovered it so it should already be there. Since this device *only* listens to the Insteon network when it's in Link mode, place a check in the "Disabled" field on the Devices tab and Save. This will keep PowerHome from trying to communicate with the RemoteLinc and eventually flagging it as COMM failed. Next, create all of your various links to the RemoteLinc and your other devices. The RemoteLinc is *only* a controller...it cannot be set as a responder so the RemoteLinc should *never* appear in the "Responders" window of the Links tab. The "Responders" window is the only window that has the "Button" column. See my notes in 5 above concerning the button value. Watch the "Pending Operations" window. When all other links are created and the window is empty or only has "Poll" type events, place the RemoteLinc into Link mode, uncheck the "Disabled" flag in the Devices tab and Save. You'll see all of the RemoteLinc creation links appear in the "Pending Operations" window and it should get programmed. The reason to do it this way is that the RemoteLinc *only* stays in Link mode for 4 minutes or as long as it's constantly communicated with. By letting all the other links get created first, you'll ensure that the communications with the RemoteLinc will be quick and constant. When the RemoteLinc is through being programmed, re-check the "Disabled" column and save.
Hope this helps, welcome to PowerHome, and let me know if you have any other questions or problems.
Dave.
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RedRock
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| Posted: December 17 2007 at 23:58 | IP Logged
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Dave,
I tried your suggestion with a slight modification. I still can't get anything going. Ctrl Link Status is still FLAGGED CREATE. Here's what I did:
In Devices tab, marked RemoteLinc as disabled, then saved.
In Links tab, dragged all RemoteLinc responders to the device list, then Saved.
Put RemoteLinc into linking mode (Dim/Bright pressed/held until the LED blinks)
In Devices tab, enabled RemoteLinc, then saved.
PH queued up the requests and ran them. The RemoteLinc ended up empty, as intended.
In Devices tab, marked RemoteLinc disabled, then saved.
In Links tab, added 1 link and saved.
Put RemoteLinc into linking mode.
In Devices, enable RemoteLinc, then save.
After all the "stuff" went by in the operations windows, Ctlr Link Status was still FLAGGED CREATE.
Maybe this is a clue: I went back to Devices tab, marked RL as disabled. Went back to Links, looked around a bit, scratched my head, went back to Devices and noticed that the RL had red in the Clear Failed column. I checked the Clear Failed box, saved again.
I notice also that at this point if I hit the Rebuild button in the Links tab, it doesn't queue up anything in Pending Operations, whether or not the RL is disabled in Devices and whether or not the RL is in linking mode.
Am I failing to understand the correct procedure?
This is slightly driving me haywire. I'm usually pretty good at technology.
Further help is appreciated.
PS: Your reply said "See my notes in 5 above concerning the button value." I'd sure like to see your notes in 5 above because I'd really like to know more about the button values on the RL. For instance, once I get the PH/RL thing working again, can PH add additional stuff to the All On and/or All Off buttons?
Edited by RedRock - December 18 2007 at 00:00
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RedRock
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| Posted: December 18 2007 at 01:02 | IP Logged
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Okay, I've got some other kind of problem and the above is not relevant. For whatever reason, the RL is apparently not communicating with the network. I now can't get it to link via taptap linking. Is it likely that the unit has gone bad? Or more likely that I have it in some weird state? I tried resetting it (remove battery 10 secs, hold Bright button while inserting battery again, keep holding until 2 beeps) and then taptap linking to 2 different controllers. Didn't work.
Suggestions?
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RedRock
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| Posted: December 18 2007 at 01:40 | IP Logged
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More:
I have another RL that I had not yet taken out of the box. I stuck some batteries in it and it works fine.
Does this mean the first one died?
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RedRock
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| Posted: December 21 2007 at 13:27 | IP Logged
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Final note:
The first RL came back to life after leaving a battery out overnight, then restarting with a reset (insert battery while holding Bright until double-beep). That RL works fine now and accepts programming again.
I realize I made an error using PH to make changes on the RL. I wish PH was smart enough to do what I told it to do, but alas it is not. What I did was change the group number on 6 of 12 entries assigned to a group. When I told PH to save the change to the RL, that's when things got weird. The proper way to do it would have been to delete the 6 entries first, then save. Then re-create the 6 entries with a new group number.
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judetf
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| Posted: August 30 2009 at 10:08 | IP Logged
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Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but I just got my first RemoteLinc and found this thread to be very helpful in setting it up.
I have a question, however: right now I have the RL configured just to control some Insteon devices, which is okay. But I would love to be able to use it to trigger PH actions (macros, etc). However, I'm not seeing RL commands pass through PH in any way. Is there a way to configure things so that PH can "see" the RL and issue its own set of actions based on RL button presses?
Thanks,
jtf
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grif091
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| Posted: August 30 2009 at 10:22 | IP Logged
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The RemoteLinc button(s) must have the PowerHome PLM linked as a responder for PH to see the Group commands issued when an RL button(s) is pressed.
Remember to put the RL into linking mode when creating the links. Otherwise it will be asleep and not see the commands to establish the links.
Also the Devices Clear Failed column is often red shaded because the RL sleeps most of the time. Check this column to reestablish communication if red shaded.
Edited by grif091 - August 30 2009 at 10:28
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BeachBum
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| Posted: August 30 2009 at 10:28 | IP Logged
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If you have the Insteon Motion Detector link it the same way and then setup the triggers. It works just fine once you do what Lee suggested.
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Topic: RemoteLinc problem
