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Don Cohen

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  1. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to msgreenf in Alexa "x device is not responding"   
    There are changes to voice services as part of 3.3
  2. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to South Africa C4 user in Water monitoring: Flo by Moen vs LeakSmart   
    As far as I know, yes it would although I suspect that as you use it, you may find yourself monitoring other things (depending on the size of your system).  I started with just monitoring a couple of thermostats and now (a couple of years later), I monitor (quite literally) hundreds of items including my Flo meters.
  3. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to dinom in Alexa "x device is not responding"   
    I feel your frustration. It was solved for like 1 week then came back. I too don’t know if it’s a Alexa or C4 issues. Nor do I know if this is widespread or just some based on the few responses on this thread. 
  4. Upvote
    Don Cohen got a reaction from ashwinmj in Dam-it, Moen Flo, other?   
    You are correct - the Moen Flo monitors your water usage and pressure, developing a 'model' over the first couple of weeks of use. After that, it is then able to detect unusual patterns indicating a small or large leak. You can configure the Moen Flo App itself to do what you want, including automatic turn-off. It's actually pretty slick.
    My wife took a shower a bit longer than usual, and I received the alert on the app, and I also have it configured to call my cell. I have it set to auto turn-off, but I can override this either in the app, or via the phone call. Same thing happened when Stanly Steemer was here cleaning the rugs, and using a fair amount of water. I received the alert and phone call, and was able to over-ride the auto turn-off that would otherwise have occurred.
    It does a nightly check as well, and alerted me to a slow leak. I then discovered an outside faucet that had a slow leak, and which needed to be replaced. No alerts after that.
    And it works well with Control4. I have a 'Vacation' experience button which when activated, includes turning the valve off (along with other programming for HVAC, lights, etc.). And when we return a simple tap opens it up, and restores everything to normal.
    I do have a few external sensors (refrigerator, kitchen sink area, washer), for a little added protection. But these are optional, and the primary functionality described above does not require them.
    So you could say I'm extremely happy with the Moen Flo.
  5. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to THE L1ZARD KING in Alexa "x device is not responding"   
    This is what I am experiencing. Prior to the AWS us-east-1 outage I would get it occasionally for various devices, but now I get it 100% of the time for room specific commands. The commands work, but am told the device is not responding, and always after the command is executed. 
  6. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to dinom in Alexa "x device is not responding"   
    Mine will actually carry out the command first and then she will announce the not responding thing. Annoying to say the least. 
  7. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to Neo1738 in OS3.2.4   
    So far nothing like that for me. Things seem to be running smoother honestly. 
  8. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to South Africa C4 user in OS3.2.4   
    I have seen the lighting Control from a Touchscreen not working perfectly… may be related.
  9. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to eddy.trochez in Chime VDB: Doorbell Press results in loss of Luma 510 NVR Videofeed   
    Live3.sdp is the Substream and that is the one freezing. Set both the main and sub streams in the NVR to live.sdp which is the mainstream. 
  10. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to eddy.trochez in Chime VDB: Doorbell Press results in loss of Luma 510 NVR Videofeed   
    How are you integrating the Chime to your NVR? Onvif? There is a bug where the RTSP stream will freeze when the button is pressed. I reported this to Control4, but it wasn’t even acknowledged. There no reference number that I’m aware of. The only way to fix this is to use the RTSP URL directly and not the Onvif profile. Also, you need to use the main stream for recording, since the issue is in the Substream. 
    Also, in my NVR I use the main stream URL for both the main stream and the Substream. 
  11. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to ChrisHenderson in New iOS "combined" app not receiving incoming calls from DoorStation   
    There is someone from the Android team as well. We can't guarantee we'll see every post, but we try to help where we can. I just shared a link to your post with him.
  12. Like
    Don Cohen got a reaction from Vipul in Seeking customer review before installation.   
    I've had a Control4 system for about 2 1/2 years now.  Before that I was mainly a DIY guy with Harmony, Alexa, Google, etc.  It was a retro-fit in my home, installed as part of my employment with a Control4 Dealer. 
    We now use it to control Lights, HVAC, Door Locks, Garage Doors, Security Panel, AV Gear (including a fairly complex Home Theater, with a motorized curtain on the screen), a Moen Flo Water shutoff Valve, a few Security Cameras (with NVR), along with a DS2 Mini Door Station and most recently a Chime Video Doorbell.
    Overall I am extremely pleased with the stability, reliability, and especially the integration of all these systems.  For the most part, it just works.  I do like the multiple ways of accessing the system: a 10" T3, Android Phone Apps, SR-260 Universal Remote, and voice integration with both Google Assistant and Alexa.  (Alexa is perhaps 80-90% reliable, so does occasionally glitch, but I don't know that I can fault Control4 for that.)
    The main area where I have been disappointed is with the DS2 Mini, Chime Doorbell, and (Luma) NVR.  Perhaps it has to do with having Android Phones, but the Intercom function is just not quick and reliable enough to be depended on.  And the quality of audio communication (mainly the DS2 Mini) is just not what it should be for the money spent.
    I like to have the feeds from our Luma external cameras on my 2nd computer monitor, and IE until very recently was the only option.  And out of nowhere, even though the NVR worked, the Luma App on our phones worked, I couldn't get the camera feeds visible in IE. I had to do a partial reset of the NVR to get things going again.  Also, the NVR will spontaneously reboot every now and then.  Edge can now be used, with some tweaking of settings, but I still can't get the Luma cameras loaded when using Chrome.
    All things considered, and given what I've learned over the last few years, I'd definitely still go with Control4.  But I might consider some other options regarding Video Doorbells and Intercom function, and likely a different brand of NVR and/or Cameras.
  13. Upvote
    Don Cohen got a reaction from TundraSonic in How to delete attachments ?   
    I went through this not too long ago, and the only way I found to delete them was to go to the individual posts where they were attached, and delete them there.  If there's a better way, I'd like to know as well.
  14. Like
    Don Cohen got a reaction from Neo1738 in How to use Control4 Doorbell correctly   
    I have an Araknis Router (AN-310-RT-4L2W).  I know some here don't care for Araknis, but it is the go-to for the company I'm working with, and it seems to work well for them.
    On the iPhone vs Android issue, I'm a bit puzzled.  While this is a broad generalization, Apple is often more 'restrictive' while Android tends to be more 'open'.  So I would have thought that having an Intercom Call come into the phone the same way a telephone call does (which apparently is the case with iPhone) would be possible with Android, using whatever tools would be required.
    So it isn't clear to me if this is an Android limitation, a Control4 limitation, or something else entirely.  It would be a huge boost in functionality if it could work this way with Android phones.
  15. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to lippavisual in Luma 510 NVR: No Camera Feeds or Names   
    If the NAS is out in the open, it's practically near silent.  if it goes in a cabinet, it could be running faster and a touch louder.  The NAS has different options for the fans too.
    Plus, you can use it as a NAS too.  Much better performance and all around better buy than a manufacturers NVR.  It's all I've installed for the last 5-6 years now and haven't looked back (other than dealing with older clients and their systems).
  16. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to chopedogg88 in Chime - not calling phones, no snapshot command?   
    Yes its possible, like I said that's how I always program it for my clients.
  17. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to South Africa C4 user in Chime - not calling phones, no snapshot command?   
    Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.  Sorry, I don’t have a chime so can’t chip in. Hopefully someone else can.  I seem to recall that @chopedogg88and @jfh bought Chimes early on but I may be wrong.  If I am right,  one of them may be able to assist.
  18. Like
    Don Cohen got a reaction from South Africa C4 user in Intercom Options in Composer: DS2 vs Chime   
    No worries - I was beginning to question my sanity!  At least now I have fewer questions 😉
    Good to know - thanks.  I have a separate thread on the Audio issue, where another Dealer reported the identical problem in their own showroom, as well as some clients.  I've never gotten an answer there, and thought that this might somehow relate.  Oh well....
  19. Like
    Don Cohen got a reaction from msgreenf in Odd Glitch - Camera HTTP Port Changes Spontaneously   
    Yes, I'm aware.  In fact, one of the reasons I wanted to upgrade the firmware is that one of the improvements is the ability to use Chrome to access Luma devices, and not have to rely on IE.  So basically I was in a Catch 22 situation - I needed to use IE to update the firmware in order to even have the option to use another browser.
    Interestingly, I can now access the camera's video using Chrome, but only by navigating to the individual camera's IP address (e.g. 192.168.254.2).  If I go to the Luma NVR (also 510 series), which does have the most current firmware, the video feed from these cameras does not show up.  It accesses them differently (e.g. 192.168.104.100:65001).  I've asked SnapAV about this, but they haven't replied yet.  It's the same with Edge.  So unless I have something misconfigured (which is possible), I still need IE to show all the cameras in one Window.
  20. Like
    Don Cohen got a reaction from Dueport in Dam-it, Moen Flo, other?   
    I appreciate the good ideas on programming.
    The TP-Link powerline devices came in this morning, and I was able to get everything set up and secured, with the WiFi piece in my crawlspace.  Flo App shows a solid 4 bars, and with my phone shows 25mbps bandwidth, so I think I should be good to go here.  I don't know if the somewhat more humid conditions under there, with more temperature fluctuations than within the house, will prematurely age it, but hopefully it should last a while.  It's a cheap fix if it needs to be replaced down the road.  Got both pieces for $80.
    The Flo is still in "learning" phase, but it will be interesting to see its analysis once it has enough data.  Overall I'm pretty happy with this addition.
  21. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to Dueport in Dam-it, Moen Flo, other?   
    I’m in the same boat
    Integration with alarm system leak sensors (Flo, Honeywell system will both be integrated with C4).  Automatic shutoff of Flo alerts when the pool is being filled (Hayward OmniHub, Flo will both be integrated with C4).  Announcement over speakers if the water is shutoff by Flo.  View of Flo status on TS.  That’s the current plan - probably will find more uses….
  22. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to South Africa C4 user in Dam-it, Moen Flo, other?   
    I’ve quoted my main uses further up in the thread. One other significant use for me is that I have linked the Cinegration driver to the Janus Technology BMS driver which gives me a separate dashboard on my iPad or via a URL on my Touchscreens which combines water reporting graphs, electricity reporting graphs, aircon reporting, underfloor heating reporting, pool pump reporting, temperature reporting and various  other adhoc graphs (e.g. when garage doors were open and closed throughout the day)…
  23. Like
    Don Cohen got a reaction from South Africa C4 user in Dam-it, Moen Flo, other?   
    Just to follow-up here, my plumber installed the Moen Flo yesterday, I installed and configured the Flo App, and everything seems to be working well.  I added the Cinegration Driver, which also seems to be working just fine.  I also placed the 3 sensors I had in appropriate locations around the house.
    The only problem I'm having is getting enough of a WiFi signal to the Flo, which is in my crawlspace.  I repositioned a WAP to a closer location, which helped, but I'm still getting 2 bars, sometimes 3.  For this type of device I want a more solid signal for reliability, so I just ordered a TP-Link Powerline Kit, where the 2nd device will generate a WiFi signal.  I can plug that into the light socket in the crawl space where the Flo adapter gets its power, and hopefully this will get me a really strong signal and connection.  I realize the Powerline doesn't support particularly high bandwidth, but since this will only be used for the Flo, and since I can't imagine it needs a big data pipe, I think this should work well.
    I created some programming for when we're on vacation, and my wife wants the drip irrigator she has in our yard to work, to turn the water on for the hour or so she wants, morning and night, and then turn off again.
    I appreciate the recommendations and information here, as it looks like this should work out well, and meet my needs.
  24. Upvote
    Don Cohen got a reaction from Cinegration in Dam-it, Moen Flo, other?   
    DAM-it confirmed that the Valve itself is not 'smart' and their system relies on the external sensors to detect leaks.  I lost interest after discovering that.  I have an email in to LeakSmart, but no reply yet.
    Wanting to get this done, I happened to find the Moen Flo on sale at Crutchfield yesterday, so picked up the Valve and a set of 3 Sensors for $450.  Should be here in a couple of days.  I'm now looking for a Plumber to get everything installed.
    And I'm glad the Cinegration C4 Driver is now up and running, so look forward to having all this in place shortly.
  25. Upvote
    Don Cohen reacted to Cinegration in Dam-it, Moen Flo, other?   
    We spec the Flo by Moen because of the UI experience, analytics and detection capabilities.  Turning off water via sensors is easy and there are many products that do this on the market...   What Flo offers is analytics of usage... The others can monitor flow rate/pressure, I just haven't seen the level of detail that an installed Flo can provide by another company.  In my house, Flo has helped me refine my usage of water which is a layer of the smart home that was in desperate need of an update.  I get a weekly water report of how many gallons of water my sprinklers vs my house use.  This data can help you decide future updates because you now have a baseline of water usage in the home.  
    On the sensors. What I've found most interesting is the Flo is too sensitive at first and takes some dialing in...  For more discrete protection the Flo has their own brand of sensors that connect via wifi.  You can also use any Control4 connected water sensor as well and program 'when water detected'... turn off water.  We used to do dammit/c&s and switched to Flo.  We still spec 10 water sensors from Dammit as added protection.  Note: Make sure to use the battery agent with those Dammit water sensors.  They go fast.
    On Control4 integration.  Dammit is a zigbee device so that's a nice feature and is purely local.  I believe leaksmart is local IP.  Flo is CLOUD.  This does have it's disadvantages, however, I was told by Flo that the unit will still shut off the water if it detects a leak even without the cloud connected.  A cool feature of Control4 integration is the ability to change the modes, location based or device based, from Home/Away/Sleep.  Sleep is a mute state where the unit logs data but will not shut off water or notify.  Using Control4 homeowners using ComposerHome or dealers can craft Sleep times if the unit is alerting incorrectly. The earlier example of Rachio tells C4 sprinklers running... Flo set device (Sprinkler Shutoff) to Sleep is a perfect example of this.  Changing the mode is what really brings to life the detection in Flo too.  A surge of 6 gallons for example when nobody is there would be enough for the unit to respond/take action?  
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