ControlThink Forums

This is pretty hot news, so I thought I'd break it here first :)

We just received the new HA14C (rocker) and HA20C (toggle) dimmers in stock (from Intermatic's HomeSettings line).

Three big pieces of news:

1. Intermatic has changed the "off-white" color of the original HA06s to a standard "white" color which matches white wallplates.  They are also using the same white on all their new switches, so all of them match.

2. The HA14C is the white HA06C, but with extras: 600W instead of 300W, wireless linking (associations), and a traveler wire for wired 3-way circuits.  We're offering it at the same price as the HA06C for a limited time ($39.95).

3. The HA20C is identical to the new HA14C, except it is toggle-style instead of rocker-style.  This matches the "default" setup in many homes, so you don't need to mix rocker switches with existing switches.  The toggle "centers" in the middle, and you push it up or down to turn on/off/dim the light.

Both the new 600W dimmers are available now through our Accessories store for just $39.95.  Please be aware that we only have a limited quantity and it may be a few weeks before we get more in.

Accessory Store:
http://www.controlthink.com/amazon/

Chris

P.S.

It looks like it'll take Amazon a few minutes to sync up our storefront with the new items, so here are direct links in the meantime.  Make sure to click on "2 used & new" and then click the "Add to Cart" button next to the ControlThink logo.

HA14C (600W 3-way rocker):
http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-Settings-Wireless-Three-Way-HA14C/dp/B000WS4SIK

HA20C (600W 3-way toggle):
http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-Settings-Three-Way-Dimmer-HA20C/dp/B000WS4SJ4

Chris

Couple of questions,  ( I couldn't find any specifications anywhere ).

Do they still have the 3 second ramp rate ( very disliked in my house ) ?

Does it have a Neutral wire ?

What is the minimum wattage needed ?

No neutral wire.  They're 100% retrofit-ready for incandescent lighting.

Minimum wattage: 40W

I believe they have the same ramp rate.  That's one of the differentiating features between retail ($40-ish) and designer ($70-ish) switches...

Chris

This just in...  Intermatic has put out a $20 rebate on any _one_ HomeSettings product.  I've attached the rebate form, and these new dimmers qualify.

[See PDF attachment for details.]

Chris

Can you describe the wireless linking feature a bit more?  Do they have similar firmware to Vizia RF in that they support room names and/or two way notifications and scenes?

gphb,

It's standard Z-Wave linking ("associations").  So basically:

1. You can link switch A to switch B
2. When you turn on/off switch A, it will turn on/off switch B

You could also link them both ways, creating a virtual 3-way circuit.  And with the SDK, you can link the PC with the switch, and you'll get a ZWaveController.LevelChanged event from the switch when you turn it on/off.  Or you could link a few devices in, and create a "zone" of lights that turn on/off together.  I think the limit is five devices.

As far as room names go, I don't believe the devices support that.  That's usually a feature in the higher-end devices.  But you can still "name" them in ThinkEssentials 2.0, and it'll store the name locally.

Chris

Do these need a slave switch when used in a three way or do you have buy 2 of the three way switches?

Sting,

I think they use a standard 3-way slave, but I'm not totally sure.  But they do support "virtual 3-ways" through linking (associations), so you can certainly do the 3-way via Z-Wave using two of them.

Chris

The ramp rate is the same as the HA06.

The HA14, 18, and 20 are all designed to use standard single-pole wall switches as their slave switch. They support wiring runs to the slave switch of up to 200 ft. The slave switch serves as a toggle on/off for the main device.

One more difference you should notice with these wall switches is that when you turn on the dimmers using the manual controls (rocker or toggle), the light will turn on to full brightness instead of to the last know light level. In other words, you can dim the wall switch down to, say, 50%, then turn the light switch off, and the next time you turn the switch ON using the manual controls, the light switch will turn on to 100%.

I've installed the 3-way switch in my kitchen which is a dual pole switch.  The "slave" switch can turn the lights off, but it has to be on for the ha20c to turn the lights on.  the slave switch cannot turn the lights on at all.

 Is this the right behavior?  If I install another ha20c switch, and both switches turn the lights on and off?  I don't really care about the dimming, I just want the slave switch to be able to turn the lights on and not prevent the ha20c from turning them on if the slave is turned off.

 Hopefully this makes sense.

 Many thanks!

flatblack,

I don't think they're supposed to work that way.  I believe that the master should work whether or not the slave is on or off.  I think you may need to use a single-pole switch on the slave end of the equation...

Chris

The behavior quoted could be a simple miswiring. If you swap the black wires on one of the switches that's what you could get. I've done that with plain 3-way switches -- no dimmers required. It's easy to do, especially with crowded boxes.

Well - I've tried everything under the sun. I'm about two seconds away from throwing in the towel!

No matter which way I configure the switches, if the "slave" switch isnt switched to "on", the the HA20 won't work.

In both boxes, I have two black wires, one red wire, two white wires and one ground wire. It looks like one of the black wires is grouped with a white wire and a ground wire (going out of the electrical box) with the other group being a black with a red and white wire.

In the other box. the only difference is that one of the black wires is shared with another switch (it's a single pole switch that controls different lights, so I imagine it's the hot wire that connects between the two). I had the HA20c and a 3-way switch in the beginning, and then I switched the 3-way to a single pole switch (and didnt plug in the red wires on either side) - that still didnt do the trick. If the one switch wasnt turned on, then the HA20c wouldnt work.

After going back through the diagram, it appears as though I should be able to use the HA20c with another single pole OR 3way switch in a 3way application. It seems as though one of the wires is left out of the 3way switch when doing that. In my simple mind, I'd assume that "missing" wire would be the hot wire so the HA20 is the only one with hot power running in?

Sorry for the rambling.. If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Thanks!

flatblack,

Have you called Intermatic's support #?

Chris