I’ve been using the Smarthome USB Insteon modem to interface Vera with an insteon IOLinc unit, and I’d like to have it control the operation of the garage door. If my assumptions are correct ‘_IOLinc Relay’ device on vera should operate the door when it is invoked. According to Vera, the signal is sent several times before it fails.
Pressing the button on the side of the unit operates the garage door correctly, as expected. I just can’t get it to work through Vera.
The IOLinc unit currently monitors a magnetic sensor attached to the garage door and relays its status back to Vera. It works perfectly for this, but also being able to control the garage door would be a huge plus.
Well I just got this working, and thought I would share my experiences with anyone who is looking to do the same.
I am now able to open and close the garage door as well as monitor its status. I’m using the Insteon 2450 USB modem, which communicates with an IOLinc device in my detached garage. There have been no problems communicating between the buildings. The IOLinc device is attached to a standard (cheap) magnetic door sensor that monitors the door’s status. I also ran wire from the IOLinc to the garage door motor itself.
Both devices are showing up in Vera. I configured the IOLinc contact closure to operate in momentary mode, but Vera would report it as being permanently closed. I configured Vera to open it after 5 seconds for good measure, even though the switch was truly already open. This took care of any status discrepancies.
I’m being pretty cautious right now. I may end up disconnecting it until next weekend when Im around to babysit it again. I suppose to be truly confident I should get a camera. In any case, its pretty cool to be able to open and close the door with my phone and not have to go scrounging around for the opener.
I went through numerous problems setting up the Insteon network as Vera would not recognize it. I imagine this is because I added it and removed it a several times and probably messed a few things up in the process. Who knows. ??? For most I imagine it should be pretty straight forward.
I ordered the same unit, and it sat in box for months until I finally installed it last weekend. It worked fine during testing, but inexplicably, I woke up the next morning to find my garage door half-way UP! I have no idea how that happened, but needless to say I ripped the door control wires out, and haven’t put them back. The garage door was not in any scenes, so it shouldn’t have received any instruction from the Vera at all…
I’m thinking out rigging a scene that monitors the door after 11PM, and if it goes up for any reason, it will turn on my bedroom light, or something like that. Until I get the previous bug completely sorted out, though, I will NOT be allowing the Insteon unit to have an electrical connection to the door controller, that’s for sure.
Well, after hearing that story I went out and cut the wires. Now I can sleep soundly tonight! I haven’t had any problems so far, but the benefit for having this functionality is quickly starting to pale in comparison to the risks. I’ll just keep it to notifications for now. Before I hook it up permanently I’ll probably get a camera as well as a way to wake me if it goes up.
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