GE 45601 Z-Wave Technology Wireless Lighting Deluxe LCD Remote Control

by General Electric

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Control your homes entire lighting system from one wireless GE Z-Wave technology remote control. Allows for convenient programmable timed events to activate lights even when no one is at home. Z-Wave is a radio frequency, mesh network technology specifically designed for use in residential lighting control. Every Z-Wave enabled wall switch is capable of relaying commands and utilizes two-way communications to ensure reliable operation throughout the entire home. The open-air, line-of-sight transmission distance is up to 100-Feet between devices. Actual performance in a home will depend on the number of walls between the remote controller and the destination device, the type of construction and the number of devices installed in the system. The device's ability to relay commands and acknowledge receipt od commands makes Z-Wave an ideal solution for automating and controlling lighting systems.

Product Description

GE 45601 Z-Wave® LED Handheld Remote

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.5 inches ; 7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0013V58CU
• Item model number: 45601
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,209 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little Z-Wave remote, November 1, 2008

By 

Jan Bottorff (San Ramon, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: GE 45601 Z-Wave Technology Wireless Lighting Deluxe LCD Remote Control (Tools & Home Improvement)

I first bought an Intermatic HA09C remote but after being unimpressed I got this GE 45601. The GE remote is WELL worth the extra $18 and is currently now the primary z-wave controller in my house.

Pros:

1) Can individually control 18 devices with a shift key and 9 rocker switches

2) Can control 9 timed events (on + off are 1 event), which means it has an internal clock/calender, timed events can be enabled/disabled, events can trigger groups/scenes/individual devices

3) Can create groups and scenes, which I don't believe have to be the same as the 18 direct rocker controlled devices (you can add devices not assigned directly to a rocker)

4) Has a small text lcd to help in programming and labels (programmable) for devices.

5) Can set custom device options, like dim ramp rate (you need to know the technical details of the option, like set device option 1 to a value of 2)

6) Controls thermostats

7) Instructions are WAY better than Intermatic HA09C manual

Cons:

1) lcd is not backlit

2) No details when error occurs, for example I tried to program a scene for a non-scene capable device and it just would say "fail"

3) Can't query state of device and display on lcd

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Troubleshooting tip and review, September 19, 2010

By 

J. Hall (El cajon, ca United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: GE 45601 Z-Wave Technology Wireless Lighting Deluxe LCD Remote Control (Tools & Home Improvement)

First, the display is not backlit (-1 star), nor are any of the buttons. Forget working this device in the dark. Second, the remote has a quirk that may make you think that the remote (or a device) is not working! It's not really broke, though, so hold off on returning it ...

Here it is - how I 'fixed' my remote:
If the remote does not recognize a module, "removing" the module on the remote WILL NOT WORK. You need to "DELETE" the module. "Delete" and "Remove" are NOT the same. "Reset" will NOT work. I was about to return the remote and the module that I bought, totally convinced that one or the other was broke! Follow the directions for "deleting" a device, and then try adding the device again.

A second tip - holding down the button on a module/device will NOT do anything positive. Press it once, and release it immediately. Do not think that "maybe a really good press will help".

Now that I have "fixed" my remote, I like the product. The remote can be used to set up timed events - like turning lights on or off automagically at specific days and times. The remote and z-wave network are really very sophisticated. Each module can function as a repeater to extend the range of the network. A Z-wave network is a real timesaver, but it is not for idiots. I almost did not make the cut for "smart enough", and I'm plenty bright. Good luck for the average Joe who'se VCR still blinks "12:00"!

I will eventually buy at least two more lighting controls. I am looking forward to installing Z-wave power strips and controls throughout my apartment.

EDIT 10/28/2010:
If you program "events", the range for timed events is different than the range for the buttons (my experience). The buttons have a really good range. I can use the remote buttons to turn lights on or off from the sidewalk. Timed events only seem to work reliably when I leave the remote within two feet of a module. This could be due to interference, but I do not know.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite nice for a simple, relatively inexpensive remote., November 22, 2009

By 

Robert R. Raper "DJRobX" (Valencia, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: GE 45601 Z-Wave Technology Wireless Lighting Deluxe LCD Remote Control (Tools & Home Improvement)

Despite its basic appearance, the GE 45601 easily controls my Trane thermostat (interactively - shows you the current setpoint and mode, and lets you alter them), and it's capable of doing transfers to a secondary controller, such as a PC based Z-wave controller.

Setup was very intuitive. I didn't need to look at the instructions.

The only negative is that it's not backlit. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to turn the lights on if I need to read the display. :)