ControlThink Forums

Hi there,

I have a weird problem with feedback between Vizia RF+ switch and Vizia RF+ dimmer.
I’m wondering if anybody is familiar with that sort of thing and maybe could give me some advice.
Here is my setup:

 

• Vizia RF+ 1 zone Dimming Controller (VRCZ1-1LZ) – aka “the switch”
• Vizia RF+ Scene Capable Plug-In Module (VRP03-1LW) – aka “the dimmer”
• ThinkEssentials 2.4 as a primary controller
• GE Home Theater Remote as a secondary controller

 

I created the association between the switch and the dimmer using ThinkEssentials 2.4 (GE remote doesn’t even know about the concept of “association”). I updated the secondary controller and assigned a button on it to control the dimmer.

Everything works kinda fine except one little problem: whenever I operate the dimmer using the GE remote, the switch seems to completely ignore that fact and therefore gets out of synch with the dimmer. So the next time I’m using the switch, I have to press its key twice.

When I use the software to control the dimmer, the switch catches up momentarily -- the led goes on or off depending on the dimmer’s current status.Even when I press the little button on the dimmer itself the switch does catch up. But when I do that via the blasted GE remote – the switch completely ignores me.

How can it even happen? Isn’t a remote command sent to the dimmer equivalent to pressing that little button on it?

Is there something that I can do apart from getting a different remote? Will a different one work as I expect?

P.S. I started looking around for a different remote and NevoQ50 caught my eye. Does anybody have any experience setting it up with Leviton hardware?

 That's interesting...right click on the dimmer, and check it's associations: make sure that it reports to the Switch.

 

As far as the nevo goes, I use one personally, and I love it.  Their z-wave setup is a bit different than what you're used to, but it works, and they do a good job with their configuration software.

Both the Dimmer, and the Switch are associated with the same group.
And as I mentioned before, when operating the Dimmer manually (by pressing a little button on it) it reports to the Switch just fine.

I'm not sure what you mean "associated with the same group".  Do you have the dimmer and the switch in the same area?  If so, this is incorrect: the dimmer should be the only device in the area.  You set the switch to control the dimmer by selecting the area containing only the dimmer as the switches association.

By "associated with the same group" I meant that both the dimmer and the switch have "Group #1" selected in the drop down on Associations page. I have just one Area and the dimmer is the only device in the area.

Matt (CT):

As far as the nevo goes, I use one personally, and I love it.  Their z-wave setup is a bit different than what you're used to, but it works, and they do a good job with their configuration software.

I just got my Nevo Q50 and tried to use it in my setup. Same crap. If I use ThinkEssentials software to control the dimmer, the LED on the switch nicely catches up with the dimmer's state. But if I use my Q50 -- the dimmer changes its state, but the LED on the switch stays intact. Absolutely the same story as with my previous z-wave remote.

I tried switching the primary controller role between ThinkEssentials and Q50 -- doesn't make any difference.
I tried ThinkEssentials version 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 -- no difference.
Version 2.5 has a new feature -- one can turn "reverse associations" option for a switch on or off (Advanced tab of the switch's properties). I tried toggling it just for laughs. And as I feared, it didn't help my Q50 one single bit.

Matt, you mentioned you have a Nevo and it works for you. Do you have any advice where to look? This problem is just killing me :)