Z-wave devices

[Giuseppe]

Hello all

I have a question about z-wave devices. As you can see from my signature I have a Logitech 890 remote. I was wondering if anyone knows where to buy the on/off lights that can be controlled by the 890. I live in Manitoba, Canada so if there is a retailer near to where I live even better. The only place I have found that sells them so far is ebay.

Thanks

 

[Giuseppe]

With all these experts here no one has any experience with this technology?

 

[nuance]

i know Home depot sells a dimmer switch with a remote. Not sure if it works for the harmony remotes though. I think its a round 60 bucks and only works for incandecent bulbs ( regular bulbs)

 

[MDS]

I know it's a shock but some people haven't heard of or used every device under the sun.

If you could provide a link to more info about z-wave devices I'd be interested in checking them out.

If the z-wave is just a light controller (like X-10) but can accept IR commands then any good programmable remote can learn the codes, assuming the z-wave's remote uses a known IR protocol and a frequency in the range supported by the remote.

The dimmer Nuance is talking about is the Lutron Maestro and any remote can learn the commands from the Maestro remote. It's on my list of things to buy in the very near future.

 

[Giuseppe]

Thanks for the response guys. Here is a link to what I am talking about. I will also check Homedepot for what you suggested. I think these are pretty cheap. I am pretty sure that the remote can control these switches. Let me know what you think.

http://shopping.msn.com/specs/shp/?itemId=703036377

 

[skriefal]

I bought a Z-Wave kit (controller + 2 plug-in light modules) earlier this year from www.outpost.com... but it seems that they no longer sell it. Looks like SmartHome still carries them: http://www.smarthome.com/1189.html.

 

[MDS]

The description for the z-wave light controller says it is Radio Frequency. Many ceiling fans are similar.

You will not be able to use a programmable remote to control it as no remote can learn RF commands.

If you're looking for a dimmer that uses IR so a programmable remote can learn its commands then the Lutron Maestro is probably your only choice; at least I haven't seen any others that are IR controllable.

 

[skriefal]

One of the Logitech Harmony models -- think it's the 890 -- does include an RF transmitter with limited support for Z-Wave. IIRC it can act only as a "slave" controller; you'll still need to have a master Z-Wave controller (such as the one in that kit) to program the devices, set timers, etc.

 

[MDS]

One of the Logitech Harmony models -- think it's the 890 -- does include an RF transmitter with limited support for Z-Wave. IIRC it can act only as a "slave" controller; you'll still need to have a master Z-Wave controller (such as the one in that kit) to program the devices, set timers, etc.

I'd need to see the manual and just what this 'support' amounts to. I don't doubt it has some limited support but just because a remote has RF capabilities does not mean that it can learn RF commands.

There are no remotes that can learn RF directly. A remote with RF capability transmits the command via RF to a base station that turns around and re-transmits the equivalent command using IR. Remote control codes are nothing but numbers - transmitted using some protocol (most common - NEC1/2) over an IR carrier frequency.

Just for fun the 'code' to turn the volume up on an Onkyo receiver is the number 181. Onkyo receivers however, only recognize NEC1 or NEC2 as the protocol and only over IR at a frequency of 43 kHz.

 

[Giuseppe]

Thanks guys. You probably saved me money by going out and buying those RF switches. I will look into buying some Lutron Maestro units.

 

[mtrycrafts]

The dimmer Nuance is talking about is the Lutron Maestro and any remote can learn the commands from the Maestro remote. It's on my list of things to buy in the very near future.

Now that you mention this, I have one and works great with the learning remote. And, it doesn't turn on after a power outage like some older units from another company.

 

[skriefal]

I'd need to see the manual and just what this 'support' amounts to. I don't doubt it has some limited support but just because a remote has RF capabilities does not mean that it can learn RF commands.

I'm not entirely sure how it works -- I've never used this particular remote -- but I believe it's safe to assume that Logitech has provided for some means of programming the remote to operate the Z-Wave devices. It'd be pointless to offer Z-Wave support if there was no way to program the remote to use that functionality... either through use of a built-in RF receiver in the remote, or via the Harmony software and the remote's USB port.

 

[skriefal]

Now that you mention this, I have one and works great with the learning remote. And, it doesn't turn on after a power outage like some older units from another company.

I have one of these too. The only negative is that the Lutron remote's IR commands often force my Slim Devices Squeezebox to unexpectedly turn on/off/etc. None of my other remotes do this. It's possible that this is an issue with the Squeezebox or its Slimserver software, but it's still an annoyance.

 

[MDS]

I have one of these too. The only negative is that the Lutron remote's IR commands often force my Slim Devices Squeezebox to unexpectedly turn on/off/etc. None of my other remotes do this. It's possible that this is an issue with the Squeezebox or its Slimserver software, but it's still an annoyance.

What it means is that the Squeezebox is using the same device and sub-device code as the Lutron Maestro and the same number to mean on/off toggle (assuming they both use the NEC1/2 protocol, which is almost a sure bet as the vast majority of devices do).

The docs for the Squeezebox say that you can use any remote that can send JVC vcr commands. So, likewise, any JVC remote will do the same thing. It's the same issue as having multiple cable boxes that all respond to the same code. They all see the command and think 'hey, that's for me'.

 

[skriefal]

Not exactly. I didn't fully describe the Squeezebox behavior in my prior post since it's off topic, but I'll add a bit more here since there appear to be some interest. What actually happens is that pressing a button (any button) on the Lutron remote results in the Squeezebox repeating the last command that it received from its own remote. If the last command from the Squeezebox remote was the power button, then using the Lutron remote will toggle the Squeezebox on/off. If the last command fromo the Squeezebox remote was the down arrow, then using the Lutron remote will cause the Squeezebox to 'move ahead' to the next item in the list. Etc. The Lutron remote is either sending some non-standard or badly-formed IR commands, or there's a bug in Slimserver's IR parsing routines that causes it to fail when parsing the Lutron IR command and then repeat the last command in its buffer. I'm a software architect, but I haven't taken the time to investigate this further than I've described.

 

[mikeo1313]

I can't post links yet, due to my amount of posts... but you can copy and paste these and they might help you out with peculiarities relating to z wave devices...

Basically you shouldn't have a problem with either a 890 or avl 300 to control z wave devices... the thread below speaks of some difficulty a person has encountered with either of the 2 remotes in regards to z wave control.

avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11038587#post11038587

This link is a review of the avl 300 remote... it states how the 890 aquired its z wave capability from monster and share the same software platform.

remoteshoppe.com/index.php?itemid=308