I have been trying to get the Leviton VRCS4 Scene Controller to working for several days now. I have read everything I can find here on the forums but nothing has worked. I do at times get my Vera2 to start including a device called “Local Load 1” and I can see a new unknown device appear on my device list. As soon as the inclusion process ends the device disappears from the list.
After reading a few posts I have tried starting the inclusion process on the Vera2 first and also on the Controller first and it reacts the same both ways. This involves pressing and holding buttons 1 and 3 on the controller to put it into programming mode. Typically it will start including one device which is the scene controller. That inclusion goes well and the 4_Button Scene Controller Device is configured. Promptly following the completion of including the Controller Vera2 reports finding a 2nd device called “Local Load 1”. This is where the device seems to configure but than disappears.
I followed another person’s advise which is also on the MCV Wiki page. This involves starting a 2nd inclusion on Vera2 and holding the 2nd and 4th buttons on the Controller. When I do this Vera2 reports that is has found an existing node and than begins to configure the “Local Load 1” device. Once again after the process finishes I the device disappears.
I should also mention that during any of the above procedures I sometime get the dreaded “Failed to go into learn mode”. When this happens it retry’s and than moves on to find the device and than the device disappears.
If anyone has any experience at this point I would greatly appreciate any knowledge you have to share.
Mmm. It should be as simple as holding down buttons 1 + 3 until blinking amber LEDs, then start the inclusion on Vera. They should find each other, which will result in the inclusion of the scene controller, automatically followed by the inclusion of the local load.
This has worked for me many times. And I’ve done the separate inclusion (buttons 2 + 4) a few times as well.
Are Vera and the controller close to each other?
Did you try a full-power inclusion?
Have you tried excluding, then a factory reset of the controller (buttons 1+3 until red LEDs), then including?
What Vera firmware and Z-Wave firmware are giving you issues? (.1338 + 3.20?)
[quote=“oTi@, post:2, topic:169076”]Mmm. It should be as simple as holding down buttons 1 + 3 until blinking amber LEDs, then start the inclusion on Vera. They should find each other, which will result in the inclusion of the scene controller, automatically followed by the inclusion of the local load.
This has worked for me many times. And I’ve done the separate inclusion (buttons 2 + 4) a few times as well.
Are Vera and the controller close to each other?
Did you try a full-power inclusion?
Have you tried excluding, then a factory reset of the controller (buttons 1+3 until red LEDs), then including?
What Vera firmware and Z-Wave firmware are giving you issues? (.1338 + 3.20?)[/quote]
Hi and thanks for the reply.
I have tried doing an inclusion with the Vera held within a foot and doing a full power inclusion. The results were the same.
I have done a exclusion, then factory reset of the controller many times before trying to include it again.
This is the exact same issue I have with all my Leviton in wall controllers. I got one to connect and set it up once then lost it when I did a “heal” to the network. I now have 3 in my walls and NONE of them work. It’s super frustrating.
I got fed up trying to figure it out. I contacted MCV support and all they really told me was to follow the documentation. I decided to say the hell with it and use it as a scene controller only. I replaced my single gang wall box with a 2 gang and am now using a z wave dimmer switch to control the local load.
I guess we don’t have the same issue then. I can use them as on/off switches but can’t get them to join the network, so no scene control at all.[/quote]
I have several of both the scene and zone controllers…
I have found that fixing is a multi stage thing. Heal, then configure then heal. I am running 1.1.1338 and using 3.2 zwave. I occasionally have had them break as well and found that the dimmer switch (the 5th button) was stuck in dim mode which caused the unit to no want to talk on the network. moving this switch back to the middle solved my problem.
I have gotten them to join, but they never work reliably for long as triggers for Vera scenes. They certainly fail the spouse test for response time, if they respond at all. LEDs sometimes work, sometimes don’t.
They work fine as standalones for other Leviton devices, but as a controller for Vera it just doesn’t cut it for me. I’ve given up.
The only other thing you might look at is the quality of your network. I have found these to be a bit finicky on a strong network. I have put in several plug in modules to extend my network to make these work reliably. They do today.
The Leviton Zone as well as Scene controllers work flawlessly when programed with a Leviton Remote and are programed to work by association. By doing this the controllers talk directly to the dimmers. I have been using them without a Vera …response time is perfect and zero downtime. The weak link to what you are doing is the Vera. IMHO of course.
Tim
[quote=“TimAlls, post:10, topic:169076”]The Leviton Zone as well as Scene controllers work flawlessly when programed with a Leviton Remote and are programed to work by association. By doing this the controllers talk directly to the dimmers. I have been using them without a Vera …response time is perfect and zero downtime. The weak link to what you are doing is the Vera. IMHO of course.
Tim[/quote]
The downside is that you need all leviton gear. For me I have the cheap GE dimmers and they do not support the leviton associations. (right?)
With respect to how the scene is operated, I’d say the Leviton controllers get programmed the same way with the remote or with Vera, when used with Leviton gear; with the exception that Vera is added into the mix when you program with Vera, so she knows when you pushed a button.
Vera needs to be up and running, so as not to (potentially) hold things up. But under normal conditions, the response should be instant.
For gear that doesn’t support scenes (and associations), like the GE’s, Vera has to run the scene by sequencing the commands for each device. Naturally, it will be a tad slower, but still is pretty quick. Should be no different from triggering the scene by a motion or door sensor.
[quote=“oTi@, post:12, topic:169076”]With respect to how the scene is operated, I’d say the Leviton controllers get programmed the same way with the remote or with Vera, when used with Leviton gear; with the exception that Vera is added into the mix when you program with Vera, so she knows when you pushed a button.
Vera needs to be up and running, so as not to (potentially) hold things up. But under normal conditions, the response should be instant.
For gear that doesn’t support scenes (and associations), like the GE’s, Vera has to run the scene by sequencing the commands for each device. Naturally, it will be a tad slower, but still is pretty quick. Should be no different from triggering the scene by a motion or door sensor.[/quote]
The only thing I have found is that it depends on how close Vera is to the actual devices if we have to travers several hops to trigger a scene, it can be seconds.
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