Re: Smarthome Insteon Defective Switchlinc Replacement Program (Re: I think they've done it again)

["BruceR" <br@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hmmm, You've given me an idea, Marc. One of the lights that
occassionally flickers is a string of low voltage bulbs (four 12 volt
"cable" lights) that are powered by a 250 watt magnetic transformer that
is dimmed with an ICON. I wonder if swapping it to a V2 would help?
  BTW, although they say they don't, the ICON dimmers can be programmed
with a variable ramp rate just like the V2s. Just dim the load to
indicate the ramp rate (the dimmer you set the light the slower the ramp
rate will be and then QUICKLY double press the setup tab. If you don't
do it fast enough you will only set the dim level. The double press take
a little practice and is best done with the tip of a small screwdriver.
 Also, the V2 color change kits can be used on the ICONs as well
although the colors will be a bit different because of the color of the
base LED.

 Marc_F_Hult wrote:
> On Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:33:05 GMT, nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)
> wrote in message  <44d31fa6.1467518703@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
>
>> I agree with Bruce that since this was not a safety issue, expecting
>> a product recall is a bit much. SmartHome has always had a very good
>> (and lenient) return policy. I would not expect them to offer
>> compensation for the time and expense of replacing the switches.
>> With any relatively new product line (especially in the consumer
>> electronics area) the phrase caveat emptor should apply.
>>
>> I started the thread because I knew a lot of people were trying
>> Insteon because of my earlier review (even some who trashed my
>> review and have a 6-7 year history of trashing anything I post) and
>> because it looked like SH was ignoring the problem - there was a
>> growing rumble of customer discontent. Soon thereafter they
>> announced they had been able to duplicate the flickering and were
>> working it. And now they've announced they are even reworking
>> existing stock. All in all I think their response has been
>> reasonably good - I did commend them for reworking existing stock. I
>> doubt they would have incurred that expense had they not thought the
>> problem serious. (It will be interesting to see whether they also
>> change the triac at some future date.)
>>
>> I suspect that there were far more people who tried Insteon as a
>> result of the promotion it received in other forums, where SmartHome
>> press releases were the main fare, than as a result of anything
>> posted to CHA.
>
> [most of 498(!) lines deleted for brevity and clarity ]
>
> Useful summary, Dave. In my case, though, the decision to try INSTEON
> had next to nothing to do with any posts in comp.home.automation or
> anywhere else, and everything to do with 1) availability of HA
> software/firmware support and 2) price.
>
> (FWIW,  I think some folks have an inflated view of the impact of
> comp.home.automation. This is jist my impression because I don't
> actually have any data. I am particularly skeptical of _post hoc ergo
> propter hoc_ causal relations that I often read about in this
> newsgroup. This not a personal attack, although my continuing
> experience has been that this statement will be mischaracterized as
> such by some regardless of what I actually say or do.)
>
> 1) Software: Elk (firmware) and HomeSeer (software) -- both of which
> I use -- both support INSTEON. Without software, HA hardware is
> typically useless. It verges on mantra for me to repeat that X-10
> problems aside, most HA problems are software and programming
> problems in my experience (which is admittedly atypical).
>
> 2) Price: INSTEON has, as best I know, offered at less than $20,
> 300-watt ICON dimmers continuously since their introduction. (I
> bought some more today.) The ICON pcb and at least most components
> including case (but not front-piece) and heat sinks appear to me to
> be identical to those of the 600-watt V2 dimmers that are twice as
> expensive. Absent the availability of the $20 INSTEONS, I would not
> have purchased INSTEON.
>
> There is no other X10 alternative that comes anywhere _close_ to
> being as inexpensive to purchase as INSTEON. That, and
> software/firmware availability -- not reviews by or tea leaves of
> others --  was the second necessary and overriding consideration (for
> me). (No attack; jist the facts.)
>
> The observation that purchasing/buy-in decisions are and were made on
> the basis of availability of inexpensive ICON dimmers relates
> directly to the seriousness of the "flicker" debacle  because it
> relates to how many non-ICON (V2) dimmers have been sold. None of us
> have that data, but SmartHome does.
>
> ICON dimmers are rated at 300 watts. And I avoid using electronic
> devices at 100% of rated load [add favorite EE dictum here].
>
> [Therefore?] I have no problem with any ICON dimmer, nor, apparently,
> will anyone else who adheres to an 80% rule, because 80% of 300 watts
> is 240 watts  which is < 250 watts and I have not seen any credible
> reports of "flicker" below 250 watts. For us, there is no actual
> performance issue for ICON dimmers.
>
> So, FWIW, and in my opinion, and with the proviso that there are no
> associated safety issues (which appears to be the case), INSTEON is
> fully within its  proper rights to tell anyone who has an ICON dimmer
> who claims that it flickers at 301 watts to go fly a kite. And ICONS
> may be the vast majority of INSTEON dimmers out there. (There's that
> pesky data v. speculation problem again.) So the problem may be much
> smaller in terms of the total number of dimmers affected than the
> discussions here would lead one to believe.
>
> Mis dos centimos ... Marc
> Marc_F_Hult
> www.ECONtrol.org