Questions about controlling Rollertrol Motors with Vera as of Nov 2016

[spudz72]

Hi Adrian,

I was going to send an email with my questions but figured it would be better to post here publicly on your forum and that way if anyone else has the same questions they will see the answers here..

To start with I have a some of your radio motors from years back which I guess would mean they are older R series motors whereas the new ones are the G series?  What is exactly is the diff?

Next I have never gotten around to setting up the motors to operate from my Vera with UI7 but I'm finally ready to do that, but getting very confused with all the options.  I did order an RFXTRX way back but have never gotten around to setting that up and now not sure if I should be using that or something else?   Since I purchased the RFXTRX from you I see there is some other Z-Wave option you sell but confused what is the difference?

To further confuse me I found the page below just now.. 

http://rollertrol.com/blind-motor-phone-app-introduction

I have been trying to wrap my head around this thing..  Will it work in conjunction with my Vera controller?  I would prefer to be able to operate everything from the one app on my phone and not have to use a seperate app just for operating the shades which from what I can read about this new inexpensive Broadlink automation hub it has it's own app and has nothing to do with Vera and doesn't have any way to work with Vera? 

Sorry for all the questions but once I wrap my head around all this I should be able to decide which way is best to go. 

[admin]

Hi Spudz, thanks for your message, I think your questions are very valid as we have all experienced some confusion around these issues. Up until now it has really been quite complicated to get things working the way you want, if you want to go further than our simple remote controls.

I say "up until now" because our new controller hub from BroadLink goes a very long way to making things easy, and quite affordable too.

The older R series motors use a different radio protocol because we have introduced the ability to "clone" remotes with the new G series. This means the new remotes don't work with the old series, and the old remotes don't work with the new series.

This can be problematic, especially if both types will be in the same room, when you have the older series and want to add some of the newer G series motors.

But the BroadLink hub solves this problem because it can "learn" the remote control signals from either type.

Thus you can turn any phone or tablet (even older phones without sim cards) into a very sophisticated remote control, and our wall or hand held remotes still work too (with their respective motor types).

I hope that clarifies things for you, but feel free to send me an email message if you need more info; here's that link that explains more, as well as the IFTTT capability (if-this-then-that):

http://rollertrol.com/blind-motor-phone-app-introduction

Regards, Adrian

[spudz72]

Thanks for the fast reply.  I understand the difference in the motors now. 

What I am still confused is does this Broadlink hub have any way to integrate with my Vera hub?  I would like to be able to run scenes on my Vera and have it open and Close the blinds, or just have the blinds show up on my Vera so I can press Open Close or Stop.  Please clarify.  Thanks.

[admin]

Hi Spudz, I don't know the answer to that, but you could check the Vera forum. I know that there is a bridge that someone has written for it that apparently works with SmartThings:

http://milillicuti.com/an-api-to-connect-your-broadlink-rm-pro-irrf-wifi-bridge-to-your-home-automation-system/

We have several Vera units here, but we found that the Broadlink unit has made them relatively obselete, but we didn't already have a big investment in z-wave, so it may be different for you.

Regards, Adrian

[spudz72]

Thanks again for the quick response.  I will look into that.  In the meantime I was thinking about giving the RFXTRX unit a try since I already have it.  However my question/concern about that is that when I use the remote control for the one battery powered shade I have setup currently it will only work inside the room and maybe just outside the room but not very far.  I wonder if it is because the battery is getting low on the remote or that is just only how far the remotes will go?  My concern is my Vera is about another 25ft away from where the battery powered rollertrol shade is in another room.  I am wondering if the RFXTRX has a stronger transmit power then the remote so it would operate the motor that distance when the remote won't?

[admin]

Hi Spudz, definitely the RFXCOM has a higher output, it can reach anywhere in a typical home when centrally located, as can the BroadLink hub.

Regards, Adrian

[spudz72]

Ok great.  Thanks again!  I will give the RFXTRX a try first since I already have it in my possession!

[spudz72]

Ok I am back.  I have been doing some research and since I have UI7 on my Vera I see that things are a little different then they were with the UI5 which you wrote the guide for.  So I am having to wrap my head around all this. 

In the meantime I figured just to make sure my RFXcom (not the E version) that I purchased from you directly is working ok from the Windows RFXmgr program to control the rollertrol motor I have setup.  I found this out from the forum thread below that you responded in. 

http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php/topic,31372.0.html

In that thread the user said he couldn't get all the commands to work in Vera and it was discovered that a firmware flash to his RFXcom was needed.  I am having an issue that when I plug in my RFXCOM to my windows computer and load the RFXmgr app I can connect to the RFXcom just fine but I can't do anything with it?  Everything is greyed out.  I can't click any of the tabs or do anything??? 

Can you tell from the attached message I get when I connect to my RFXcom unit what is the issue?

See below..

================================================
Reset receiver/transceiver
================================================
Get Status
------------------------------------------------
Packettype        = Interface Message
subtype           = Interface Response
Sequence nbr      = 1
response on cmnd  = Get Status
Transceiver type  = 433.92MHz
Firmware version  = 64
Firmware Type     = Type1
Transmit power    = -18dBm
Hardware version  = 1.0
Undec             off
X10               enabled
ARC               enabled
AC                enabled
HomeEasy EU       enabled
Meiantech         disabled
Oregon Scientific enabled
ATI               disabled
Visonic           disabled
Mertik            disabled
AD                disabled
Hideki            enabled
La Crosse         enabled
FS20/Legrand      disabled
ProGuard          disabled
BlindsT0          disabled
BlindsT1          disabled
AE                disabled
Rubicson          disabled
FineOffset        disabled
Lighting4         disabled
RSL               disabled
Byron SX          disabled
Imagintronix      disabled
KeeLoq            disabled
Home Confort      disabled
RFU2              disabled
RFU3              disabled
RFU4              disabled
RFU5              disabled
RFU6              disabled
RFU7              disabled

------------------------------------------------
Flash the latest firmware!

[spudz72]

One more thing.  I noticed at the bottom it says "Flash the Latest Firmware!"  I wonder if it won't let me do anything with it until I update the firmware and that is why everything is greyed out?  Looking at the RFXmgnr user manual I can see not everything is greyed out like it is with mine. 

See attached screenshot of what it looks like for me..

[admin]

Hi Spudz, you should certainly flash your firmware to the latest version. Also, the tech support at RFXCOM is really good and they know a lot more about it than me, so it might be a good idea to email them first, in case there is something that would help.

Regards, Adrian