Newbie To Home Automation and HC

[ahmad89 0]

Hello Everyone,

First of all I wish you all a happy new year and hope it brings you the best in life and it brings us all the best in new home automation products and software especially from the innovative hardworking team of Fibaro.

As the subject states, I am new to home automation in general and HC2 from fibaro in combination with several fibaro products and a few non-fibaro products were my first choice for a small z-wave network test.

I have benefited a lot from this forum in taking advice on how to handle several products; however, I have a lot of -noobish- questions that I need to ask and they are various and would need me to "spam" several parts of this forum with several posts and new topics, so I was hoping if someone of the experts would be willing to explain to me in private messages and then I can group it all and post them as a single post on a certain section of this forum ?

If that is not possible, I hope the moderators would allow me to ask several (unrelated) questions within the same topic post.

Thanks and Regards,

[hvb83 1]

Welcome Ahmad, don't be afraid to ask. There are many newbies around here and we learn by asking questions. Just put down your questions here. Probably the novice users can help you out with 80% of your questions and will be happy to do so.

From my own experience, without any programming experience, I can say the whole LUA-configuring looks pretty challenging at first. With some effort however, within a few weeks you'll be able to make some nice scenes. Not with the difficulty-level of the things that for instance Robmac does, but you'll be more than occupied discovering all posibilities anyway. Take your time to learn the system and ask questions along the way once you run into a specific problem.

[ahmad89 0]

Thank you very much for the quick reply and welcoming, i really appreciate it.

I do have some programming knowledgr and experience...especially java and scripting with both bash and batch so learninf lua would not be hard for me but i would be glad if someone can point out good documentation in combination with explained examples.

I guess i will go ahead and post my questions here one by one...

First of all concerning fibaro's dimmer module, i have connected one to a double switch, switches can turn the lamps on but would never turn them off fully, i saw that the solution is changing parameter 14 .and i can see three options:

1- momentary switch (currently this is chosen)

2- toggle switch

3- roller blind switch (up/down) - two switch keys operate the dimmer

Can someone explain each of those and which would be best to use? Actually if there is documentation to explain parameters for all devices or at least most major ones that would be great.

Also the dimmer supports only 500 watts, can an amplifier be added after it to support a bigger load like a 1000 watt chandelier? I dont know much about electric work but i was told by someone who works with a different home automation technology called KNX that their dimmera are 300W and they add amplifiers.

Thanks all for any support you can offer..

[ Added: 2014-01-03, 12:31 ]

Welcome Ahmad, don't be afraid to ask. There are many newbies around here and we learn by asking questions. Just put down your questions here. Probably the novice users can help you out with 80% of your questions and will be happy to do so.

From my own experience, without any programming experience, I can say the whole LUA-configuring looks pretty challenging at first. With some effort however, within a few weeks you'll be able to make some nice scenes. Not with the difficulty-level of the things that for instance Robmac does, but you'll be more than occupied discovering all posibilities anyway. Take your time to learn the system and ask questions along the way once you run into a specific problem.

It seems like not many users are willing to reply and help out, a lot of views and you are the only one who responded hvb83, I posted another topic regarding thermostat and no replies at all, another regarding a scene and I got one helpful reply and another rude one (those are bound to happen on forums), so I am beginning to lose faith in this forum before I even begin, fibaro support is not helping much with their delayed responses after they had promised quick ones, it seems like I am on my own.

[TheCycler 1]

I'm also a newbie (having my system for a few weeks now). And indeed, there is no good introduction for newbies.

There is not even a manual (or i haven't found it yet ;-(

It is such a great product and there are more then 16.000 installed HC i have read on the forum.

Can somebody make a Starters Guide with the basic questions.

What is Z-Wave, where can i buy products, where do i put my HC2 in the house, including my first device, what is LUA, your first hello world program in LUA, ...

I'm willing to write a few chapters, but not the whole book, and as i said, i'm still a newbiie too...

Something to think about...

Anyway, welcome and Happy 2014

[wasil 0]

ahmad89,

Just easy

Please login or register to see this image.

/emoticons/default_icon_smile.gif" alt=":-)" /> It is new Year,many people still taking rest and spend time with friends or family. If it goes to your question:

1: momentary switch -you press the button and then it goes to the previous position the same as doorbell switch

2:Toogle switch -press once to switch on,and repress to switch off 99% of us have this one at home

3:Roller blind switch -used for roller shutters

You should choose 2 nd option.

I have no idea about amplifier so I cannot help You with that. If You use LED lights then 500W is enough.