DLite

We currently have a mix of DropCams and Nest Cams for indoor and outdoor video. While the video quality is meh, the whole family loves the convenience of the Nest app: it is ridiculously simple and reliable to see a real-time feed or watch historical footage from any web browser or phone. I'm wondering if there are other brands that would provide similar ease of access with better image quality and with the C4 integration that we don't currently have. Another requirement is wifi connectivity, as we can't run ethernet to a number of the current camera locations. Finally, this is less critical, but I'd prefer to rely on cloud storage only, without having to set up and maintain an NVR. I was looking at Amcrest. It seems to have good wifi camera options and Control4 drivers, and "Amcrest Cloud" looks like it should give us the same kind of real-time and historical access via their app or via a browser and without needing an NVR. Does anyone have thoughts on the ease of access/viewing, C4 compatibility, or other factors related to the Amcrest gear? Thanks!

Done! Thanks for the confirmation. The interesting thing is that I had two other engraved switches that were delivered just a month earlier, and they were perfectly fine and absolutely identical to all the other engraved switches in the house. I'm wondering if I just got a bad batch.

The new, right hand one is set up as a 2-button keypad, while the older one is not. I have no idea why that would make a difference though. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No, it's new. To be clear, the one on the right is a brand-new (non-dimming) switch with a newly engraved faceplate. The one on the left is an old non-dimming switch with an old, engraved faceplate.

Good to know. I will not mess with that then. I did finally find a photo angle that illustrates the issue I'm seeing in real life. Check out this photo, and note that the new switch is on the right and the old one is on the left. Notice that the status LED is brighter on the newer (righthand) switch, but the backlit lettering is really crummy looking. This is in spite of the right switch following the ambient sensor on the left, and both switches using the same LED/backlight profile. Is something defective here, or am I overlooking a configuration element? I'm seeing the same thing across the board with this crop of new switches and engraved faceplates -- about 10 of them -- so I am wondering if I am just misconfiguring them.

I notice that the new engraved switches have a white plastic piece that sits behind the engraved label, in the rear of the switch -- see the attached picture. I don't remember this being present on the old engraved switches, and I'm wondering if it cuts out some of the backlighting from flowing through to the engraved label. Is this piece part of a new design feature, or has it always been like this? And, if it is new, is it possible to remove this piece without damaging the switch?

I'll answer my own question, in case it helps someone else. I had to set the keypad LEDs to "programmed" instead of of "follow connection." And I then had to control the LED behavior programmatically. It was cumbersome but not difficult. I created variables to track the power state of the relevant lights and then change the LEDs when those variables change. I'm glad I only had 3 lighting loads to program, but otherwise it works fine.

I'm having trouble programming the LED colors on a 2-button keypad. The background is that I have a dimmer switch configured as a 2-button keypad. It is bound to the top button of a 5-button keypad, which in turn controls the lighting load at that keypad. The 2-button keypad is configured to have its LEDs follow the connection, and the top button of the 5-button keypad is configured to have its LED follow the load. The LEDs work as intended: when the lighting load turns on, the keypad LED moves to the on position, and vice-versa. However, I want to switch the 2-button keypad LED color to red when the security system is armed, but I can't figure out how to control the LED colors on the 2-button keypad. I gather that my inability to change the LED color has something to do with the fact that the 5-button keypad LED follows the load, and the 2-button keypad follows its connection. But, I'm no sure what I would need to change in order to get control over the color. Would I need to change the LED behavior to "programmed" and then write code to manage the LEDs somehow? I'm not entirely sure how to proceed here. Any advice would be welcome. Thanks a lot.

I recently had a dozen switch rockers re-engraved with different labels. Compared side by side to my older engraved switches, they look identical when the backlight is off. But, I swear that the new engravings looks worse than the old ones when backlights are on. I copied the same backlight and LED settings from the old switches to, but that didn't help. It's almost as if the engraving on the new switches didn't go all the way through for some portions of the letters. Weirdly, when I take pictures of the backlit switches side by side, the photos look identical, even though to my naked eye, the difference is clear. I'm wondering if this was installation error by my electrician, a bad batch, or just my imagination. As far as installation error goes, the engraved switches didn't come with any installation instructions, and my electrician seemed to think the installation process was obvious, but I'm wondering if he failed to take off some kind of a protective coating or something? Has anybody else experienced this issue with newer engravings? Or, maybe I am just going crazy....

Very cool. Will any DPDT relay module -- say, on Amazon -- do the trick here, or are there specific ones I should be looking at?

Sorry for the confusion. Yes, the motor is at the window itself, which is a good 25-30 feet off the floor -- hence, I wasn't able to snap a picture. I should have a full set of pictures later this summer, at which point we are scheduled to have the windows removed and reinstalled (for reasons unrelated to the motors). Thanks very much for all the advice here. Hopefully I can prevail upon the good folks in this forum to take a look at the details this summer and help me think through a smarter way to design the motorization and integration.

Thanks, @Cyknight. Just to be clear, this is for windows, not blinds. The two windows in question are awning windows that are hinged at the top and opens out from the bottom. Each window has a DC motor installed, with wiring running about 15 feet from that motor to the window itself and wiring running about 5 feet from the motor to a wall switch. If I am understanding you correctly, we would need input sensors so that manual switch activation results in C4 controlling the window. And, effectively, the actual control of the window would be exclusively through C4. Am I right though that all these issues go away if I get rid of the manual switch and maybe replace it with a C4 keypad that is bound to the Shelly relay? Or are there additional complexities still to navigate?

I am not averse to replacing the motors. Is there an option that would integrate more easily?

Ok, that sounds concerning. What would be an alternative switch that I could use that would run through C4? Would a C4 low-voltage switch work?

They are controlled by separate switches, one for each motor, and one for each window. So, I think I get it: I need two Shelly Plus 2pm devices, which get installed behind the two switches. Thanks!

Thanks a lot. Just to be clear, there are two different motors, one for each window. So, does that mean I would need two Shelly plus 2pm devices, one for each motor/window?

Thanks, all. Attached is the picture of the switch. The grey-sleeved pair of wires from the left do indeed run down to the switch. And, @booch, you are right that the switch has three positions. The "up" position causes the window to open. The "middle" position has no effect. The "down" position causes the window to close. @Elvis, if I understand your question correctly, the switch operates more like a light switch. E.g., if you put the switch in the up position, the window will start to open, but if you put it back into neutral before it is done opening, the window will stop moving.

I can’t tell exactly, because the wires run inside the wall. However, they seem to be headed towards the wall-mounted switch, rather than the window. Would that make sense?

Hmmm. I may not be smart enough to answer that question accurately. The motor itself is this model: https://www.meanwell-web.com/en-gb/ac-dc-enclosed-power-supply-output-24vdc-at-6-3a-sp--150--24. And, I've attached a picture of the back panel of the motor, where everything connects. Does this help answer the voltage question, or do I need to get more information?

We have a couple of awning windows mounted very high in a hallway. As a result of their position, they are opened and closed via two small motors, each of which are directly connected to wall-mounted paddle switches. I'd love to be able to integrate them into C4, if possible. E.g., it would be nice to have them close automatically when we arm the security system, etc. What might be our options for integration? Thanks

The alternative is to start (or restart) a 15-minute timer and then turn the lights off when the timer expires.

Looking for one NYCE door/window contact sensor -- either new or used.

We have a CardAccess relay and sensor integrated with our garage door and LiftMaster motor. It was installed about 6 years ago, and it's worked fine ever since. Recently, the LiftMaster motor died. We are getting a new motor installed this week -- a Marantec. I am wondering if the wiring from the existing CardAccess Z2IO is simple enough that I could just have the garage door installer connect it to the new Marantec motor, without an additional visit from my dealer. It looked like the Z2IO was just connected to the same positive and negative terminals on the garage door motor as the LiftMaster wall remote. So, I was thinking it would be pretty simple to remove them from the old LiftMaster motor and just connect them to the Marantec. Am I crazy and/or missing a more complex step in reconnecting to a new motor? Thanks!

What is the best way to assign Zigbee channels, if I have more than one mesh? We have three Wifi AP's, using channels 1, 6, and 11 on 2.4Ghz. Given that fact, what is the best-practice for assigning Zigbee channels to two different mesh controllers? Currently, I use a single Zigbee mesh that currently has around 90 devices. It's run by an EA5. Subjectively, I don't perceive any issues with Zigbee, but I'm wondering if it makes sense to split into two mesh networks. I have an EA1 online that could be used for the other mesh.

Ok, I can't resist. Our ice maker has a "max ice" mode. Every time we have a party, I have to remember to turn on the "max ice" mode so that we can keep up with demand during the party. If only our ice maker were "smart," I could schedule times for the "max ice" mode to turn on and off. Or, I could just link it to the party mode variable in C4. The possibilities are endless!