Z-Wave 5-Button Scene Controller + Dimmer Switch | Project Limitless

So Hot Right Now Projects & Roadmaps
#465

@DeltaNu1142 , @DragonKing +1 on the Zen32 for this use case. Zooz is my 2nd choice for switches when Inovelli doesn’t have something or is out. The other option for physical control would potentially be a Zen34 Remote Switch to create a switch for that thing that doesn’t have a switch. Add it next to the other switches and buy a bigger plate, it’ll be seamless.

My wife is very much the same, she likes it when its convenient or makes life easier but the double and triple taps are for me (with a few exceptions like the switches at the top or bottom of stairs to turn off everything on that floor). The answer tends to be to add sensors or detect changes to trigger actions rather than requiring manual input. Its not always perfect, but it keeps her from having to trigger a scene by double or triple clicking, or even just remembering to do it at all.

1 Like
#467

My Zen32 arrives Friday! :smiley:

#468

I’m mostly happy with the Zen32, though i miss Inovelli’s customization options.

#469

@Eric_Inovelli any updates on this project?

3 Likes
#470

I was literally thinking the same yesterday

#471

Quoting @Eric_Inovelli

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#472

Yeah, so long story short, as you know this project has been a rollercoaster with mostly large falls. We are working on a new version of this that is, in my opinion, way better than the version listed here in that it will not just be a 5-Button, but you can customize it to any combination you want (2-Button, 4-Button, 5-Button, all the way up to 8-Button, etc).

EDIT: Those that have pre-ordered the switch prior will be price locked into this new version as the price will likely go up. This means that if you want to buy more when the time comes, we will honor the price you paid originally. It’s the least we can do.

I’ll share some quick concepts below:

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Disclaimer: These are concepts with the hopes that it will turn out this way.

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There will be a couple of options – the traditional LED Bar and a more, “Backlit” design that allows etching + LED’s to shine through the back.

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As @rohan mentioned, we are piloting the Crowdfunding model with the mmWave switch and depending on it’s success, we may or may not use it with this one. I don’t plan on waiting until the mmWave one is completed to start this, I just want to get some sort of litmus test on how it performs so I can gauge how this one will as they’re both very niche switches.

Quick math (that I outlined more in the mmWave thread) has this at likely a 5k unit minimum to break even and given this is probably more niche than the mmWave, it makes me slightly nervous. But, I guess at this time I’ve accepted the fact that we need to do something.

In addition, the same B2B company that is funding/ordering our 800 Series Z-Wave 2-1 has been asking about this project for a long time and has just never really put any sort of order in (it was more of a, “when you guys make it, we’ll order some”). Now their sales team is pressuring them to find a Z-Wave remote so they are waiting for us to give them a price (we are waiting on a few RFP’s) and then discuss it with their CEO.

4 Likes
#473

Take more of my money, please!!! :drooling_face:

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#474

My strong preference is for the led backlighting design. The goal should be to enable any person to intuitively activate a scene, which you cannot do with the led bar without some sort of label.

Also, what sort of pharmaceutical activities are you proposing we would use this scene label for? :laughing:

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#475

Don’t forget to take your daily meds! :grinning:

1 Like
#476

We won’t ask where your money comes from lol.

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#477

Push button for daily med delivery? Drone delivered of course.

#478

So the main issue here is going to be customization for the buttons. Lutron offers it, at absurd pricing. Unless you want to do yourself, instead, I’d think either that the buttons need to be cheap enough that one could try several times with a laser engraver to get the hang of it, or offer STL files that could be easily customized (using OpenSCAD?) to print your own buttons. Hopefully this is popular enough that folks on Etsy would start offering customized buttons for those without 3d printers or lasers.

#479

The backlighting requires the buttons to be custom engraved with the symbol / text though. The LED bar buttons could be designed for use with labels or a slide-in tag - custom order tags from Inovelli for something perfect, from Etsy for something pretty close, or use a clear strip on a labelmaker for something budget-friendly.

2 Likes
#480

Today’s update just prompted this lurker to sign up for an account.

I have 8 Insteon KeypadLincs in my house. OK, up to last week I had 8. One died, and I had no real alternative but to replace it with a Zen32. I’m looking forward to the prospect of something better from Inovelli.

An idea regarding labels: Insteon offered custom printed buttons (not engraved on the back, just printed on the front). BUT they also offered clear button caps. Printing & cutting out a paper label to fit inside the clear button works remarkably well for decent-looking but inexpensive custom label. The paper diffuses the LED behind and it looks pretty good.

The Zen32 is the indicator style, just a small pinpoint of light. Not a attractive as the Inovelli bar indicators, and can only be 1 of 3 colors (plus white and off). Not really flexible for color-coding. Having button backlights addressable for color and brightness would be a pretty cool feature for a scene controller. In some scenarios the backlight could just be another member of the scene. This was never really doable for me with Insteon due to speed and flakiness.

2 Likes
#481

I just see @Eric_Inovelli horizontal screw plates here.

#482

I’m still waiting to see tiny e-paper displays used as user-customizable switch/button/keyboard labels…

3 Likes
#483

Oh my…
My guess that ETA won’t be in 2023. It will be Z-wave or both Z-wave
and Zigbee option?

#484

I had 4 of the Insteon 8 button switches and it makes me very happy that this could be a very similar product when it finally makes it to production. Even if it stays at the original 5 button design I’d be happy with that option too.

To go along with what @dougl said, I used Insteon’s 50 pack of preprinted buttons. They weren’t cheap but it was much better than doing custom labels.

2 Likes
#485

I think this is the option I was advocating for above, I just couldn’t figure out exactly how it would work as I haven’t seen the Insteon controller up close.