Yeah, reading the specs on the 45631 “controller”. Wow, what a miss on GE’s part. Why make a product that’s kinda a scene controller… And kinda a device controller…
Anyway, may bite the bullet and run some wire for the Leviton wall mount controller. It’s the best looking one in the bunch anyhow. just want a few wall plates around that control stuff. Amazing as it seems, getting out the iPhone, launching Automator, just too damn inconvenient! Haha. How far we’ve come.
It think it’s an alternate approach, an enclosure for whatever wired controller that fits; presuming you have an outlet near your bed.
I came across the GE 45631
Anyone using one of these?
Well, my impression is that at least people have them, but they are only partially usable (locally programmed groups), or even not usable at all (nodeID limitation). There are some fairly recent threads on that topic.[/quote]
GE #45631 Wall Controller
If you are JUST NOW SETTING UP a home network, you can use this wall contoller.
The short fall is, if you have over 32 NODE I.D.s already or are approaching 32, forget it.
I have found that some the lights that I want to control, are just one or two NODE ID’s over the limit and since you can’t recover lost NODE ID’s (not that I know), you will run into being unable to do what you want.
As far as the SCENES, you can add what transcribes as a SCENE. You must first have a GE HandHeld controller, #45601 or the 45608. Set it up, then add it to Vera, then transfer the information from the handheld remote, to the wall contrioller. The handheld remote will add the first four GROUPS and SCENES to the wall controller. You can then delete what GROUPS and SCENES you don’t want and then re-add the GROUPS you want --Here is the rub for those who have a well established network–
The devices you want to add, must have a NODE ID’s, lower than 32. Oterwise, you will have to start a new Netwok to accomplish lower NODE ID’s, to get the devices you want to control with this wall controller!
As far as SCENEs go You just add the device according to GE’s information book, BUT the SCENES will only do preset lighting levels!! In other words, you can’t ramp up or down lights then turn them off.
I have two of the GE #45631’s and I don’t let VERA run them because of the time lag. I just set them up and use them as WALL REMOTES ;D
If I have mistated any thing please let me know.
Regarding the GE#45631, I also am experiencing the same difficulties as many in this thread and others. I have tried including and excluding it many times and have never been able to get a vera scene to trigger from a button push on the GE. Very frustrating, especially considering that I can get the GE successfully included into the network – that is, it shows up as a device in vera and I see items fly by in the vera logs when I push a button.
Others have asked and let me ask again for help from any experts:
IS THERE ANY WAY TO WRITE A LUUP/LUA SCRIPT FOR VERA THAT WOULD DETECT A BUTTON PUSH FROM A SECONDARY CONTROLLER LIKE THE GE45631 AND THEN ACTIVATE A SCENE OR CONTROL OTHER DEVICES IN THE SYSTEM?
For what it is worth, Micasaverde has not been helpful or particularly responsive in helping me work through this problem with their product. Overall, it has been a very long and disappointing experience in partial home automation with vera.
[quote=“anthonyris, post:16, topic:168606”]Hm. Does anyone know if there are decent battery powered wall-mount scene/zone controllers? Searching but not seeing anything.
Would be great to be able to put these in the wall wherever I’d like (next to the bed) without having to have wiring in the wall.[/quote]
Check if the Cooper Aspire RF9500 will work for you. It’s expensive, but cheap relative to the labor involved in having to install a new gang box. ASI Home may give a discount too.
i have also been trying to get the GE 45631 to work. i have followed he advice in the various threads and been a couple rounds with MCV tech support, who is still trying to help sort this out.
one thing notice is if i setup a scene and assign it to “a scene is activated” for scene #0, then all the off buttons on the controller activate that scene (yup, i have double-checked and the event is setup for “activated”). setting events for scenes 1, 2, 3 or 4 result in nothing.
very odd… am adding this info to this thread in case anyone has had a similar experience and knows of a solution. thanks.
I just sent two of these remotes back to Amazon where I purchased them from. I’ve been fairly successful with everything I’ve done thus far so far as setting up the Vera 2 and Z-Wave devices. (These GE devices were a nightmare!) I’ve deferred to the SQ Remote app on the iPad (and the SQ Remote builder app). We have a few iPad’s throughout the house on docks which now allow us to control lighting, music and view our security cameras.
