"SmartLabs Partners With Leading Electronic Home Control Software Companies to Add INSTEON to Home Control Software"
"SmartLabs Introduces the ICON Line of Affordable Home Control Lighting Products"
"SmartLabs Announces First in a Family of INSTEON Chips"
I'm glad to see that they're doing these things. After playing with Insteon for the last week or so, I'm encouraged by its performance so I've decided to go further with it and have ordered more components as well as the Developer's Kit. The system isn't perfect though although it may get better as more components are added. I've had a couple of modules turn themselves on in response to unrelated X10 OFF signals. It's not consistent nor easily repeatable so I don't know why it's happening.
From:kelbelle25 snipped-for-privacy@olearypr.com
For the benefit of those who tuned in late you should periodically note that your installation is atypical, employing a (beta?) X10-to-Insteon translator. I doubt you would see many mystery events in an Insteon-only installation (although Insteon may be vulnerable to spikes and brownouts).
My brief testing was not nearly as extensive as what you'll be able to do but it did convince me that the Insteon technology was very promising. The $20 ICON switches and $1.60 chip (to be available online with no minimum order) have to be bad news for UPB and Z-Wave. The low cost chip and the speed of the Insteon protocol probably mean we will start to see things like plug-in sensors for temperature, humidity, current, etc. The $2.90 RF chip probably will likely appear soon in handheld remotes. I'll certainly take a look at using the RF chip with something like a Pronto TS1000.
As those who've been around CHA for a few years know, my primary interest in HA is its applicability for those with disabilities and I think Insteon shows a lot of promise in this area, both in terms of high reliability and low cost.
Now if >I'm glad to see that they're doing these things. After playing with
I agree with you wholeheartedly - the translator is clearly a beta and I expect some anomolies as it gets fine tuned. In looking at the competing technologies Insteon does seem to be doing things right in terms of getting this to mass market levels and replacing X10 as the defacto standard. I wouldn't be surprised if X10 and/or Leviton licenced the technology themselves and added it to their product lines. I also agree that the best way to eliminate X10 conflicts is to limit the "migration" time to as brief a period as one can afford.
With my order for additional units I will have enough to replace about a third of my X10 stuff which will cover my critical lighting needs. As they warn in their documentation, the addition of Insteon modules can create X10 problems too as they act as little signal suckers themselves! I'm seeing this already so I'm motivated to complete the changeout as fast as I practically can.
Once those are installed I'm planning a little experiment. I'm going to plug the TW523 into the translator and plug the translator and an RF repeater into an isolated power strip so as to keep all X10 signals off the powerline. Translated signals will reach the powerline via RF to another nearby RF unit plugged into the powerline directly. While my remaining X10 stuff won't work from the controller during this time I should be able to create a "pure" Insteon environment to evaluate it without the complication of competing X10 signals while still allowing my X10 controller to run most things.
I took another look at the Development Kit's licence and I see what you mean about discussing Insteon. While I think it's a bit restrictive, the way I read it the first time is that I'd only be prohibited from discussing things related to use of the kit itself. IOW, if I develop something great (unlikely) or find a fatal flaw through my use of the kit I cannot go public with that info. However, I don't see that it would apply to reporting on my use of the products publically available as long as that use hasn't been affected by my use or the results of my use of the kit. After reading it in the light that you cast I would agree that it might be construed to cover ANY use of ANY Insteon product but I don't think that's their intent or even enforceable. I will ask about it though!
From:Dave Houston snipped-for-privacy@whocares.com
Insteon has published a rather thorough (and only slightly biased) comparison of Insteon with most of the other HA (and potential HA) technologies.
I'm not sure I agree with their dismissal of HomePlug and TCP/IP as HA technologies although it's unlikely that either will ever be competitive with $20 IC>I agree with you wholeheartedly - the translator is clearly a beta and I
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