Customer Reviews

Intermatic HA101K Home Settings Wireless Kit

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was really looking forward to this kit since I am in a wheelchair, which at times makes controlling lights and some other devices a difficult proposition. I must first say that it was not a user-friendly installation. I found the instructions that came with the device were not as clear as they could be. So after a couple days of trying to use the instructions provided, I went to their Internet website. The manual on their website walks you through the setup process with helpful illustrations. I love technology and find building a computer easier than learning to program your first module. But after that it gets easy.

Once you are able to get the system setup, a frustrating experience at first, it works quite well. I was finally able to get the remote dimmers to work easily once you learn to get the module recognized by the master controller. Now it is easy to add modules onto the system. I have a couple of medical devices I plan to add to the system that would make my life much easier. I plan to purchase additional modules. I removed batteries to see if changing them out would be a cause for me to have to reprogram the system. I am happy to report that the system remembered all its programming.

The master controller has an astronomic feature so that you will not have to reset any timers for the daily changes in sunrise and sunset times. Each zone can have its own time options based daily, weekly, weekend, weekday or random timing options. The controller has twelve channels that can each control up to sixteen devices. I do not foresee the day I use the max abilities of the system. But we will see. So even with the initial frustration, if you were looking for a wireless solution, I would recommend this system.

Note: Read the instructions once through before attempting to program the unit. It's not intuitive and does not lend itself to guessing.

CFLs: The lamp module says not for use with florescent lights. My lamp with a CFL works fine. Regular florescent lights are not for use with dimmers. They now have CFLs that are. I keep mine at full brightness.

Pros:
- Being able to adjust the timer and set auto daylight savings time all on the base unit is very nice.
- Nice selection of add on units. I will be able to control the outdoor garage lights from the car with a future add on.
- Good level of control over units.

Cons:
- Pricey. Add on modules and switches are also pricey.
- Can be hard for non-programmers to program and get working.

Unknown:
- Will I lose my programming when I have to change batteries in the base unit?
- If the power goes out, will the lamps stay off or will they turn back on if they were on when the power went out?

Previously, we had the lamp and the front room and the one in the back room on timers. Timers have the disadvantages that they have to be adjusted every time we go on or off DST. They also get off when the power is out for a while. Once they go into the off cycle, it is very hard to crawl behind the couch to turn them on if you are staying up later. The Intermatic unit fixes all of these problems and was a nice upgrade. We can now turn on the lights from upstairs, adjust the timer settings and add future upgrades.

Update: The daylight savings time update happened April 6th, so this seems to be on the old schedule.

I had an X-10 automation system put in my kitchen remodeling project and it died about three years later. X-10 is subject to a great deal of interference and is a technology no longer worth investing in since there's Z-Wave. My Z-Wave system has worked flawlessly. I haven't taken advantage all of this control unit's capabilities yet (it has a built in clock and calendar to turn lights on and off when you're away) but I expect it to work as advertised as well.

... and one I fully expected to have long-term benefit for me.

I set up using only the "Setup and User Guide" that was included with the kit. I set up the network with the 2 dimmer lamp modules that are included with this starter kit. I used one lamp next to my bed in the bedroom and the other in our family room. The bedroom is in the back of the house on one side, the family room is in the back of a wing on the other side of the house. Once I had set up the network, I placed the master controller on the headboard over my bed: no distance challenge for the lamp next to my bed but this had the advantage that I could easily turn that lamp on (e.g for reading) and off manually when needed. But the lamp in the family room is about 70 feet from the controller (directly out from the bedroom window across the back yard to the family room, where the lamp is next to a coach on the end of the family room furthest from the controller). Neither lamp is visible from the front of the house but for the purpose of reviewing this setup is adequate and I can change to use a lamp that is visible from the front after I complete this review (the advantage of the current setup to begin with is that I could easily see the lamp in the family room, so I could tell whether it had gone on or off without leaving the bedroom). Nevertheless, having even these 2 lamps go on automatically when it becomes dark would offer some protection as they'd be visible from the sides and back of the house.

Preparing the lamp modules wasn't too difficult, I had only to get used to properly having the controller learn what dimming level to set each light to (I had to go over this step twice to notice that the instructions require that I hold down the "include" button on the controller all the while until I had the light dimness level I wanted learned by the controller. I programmed the channel "scenes" with one module on one channel each: the bedroom module on channel 1 and the family room module on channel 2.

I set the system time and date, specifying use of daylight savings time.

I programmed four timer events, two for each lamp module. For event 1 I programmed the bedroom module to go on at the specific time of 6:05 pm. For event 2, I programmed the family room to go on at sunset. [ After this review I will set both modules to go on a sunset, but for the review I wanted to try setting both sunset and a specific time on ]. For event 3, I programmed the bedroom module to go off at 7:00 pm and for event 4, I programmed the bedroom module to go off at 7:05 pm. I set these early for the review just to verify the automatic turning off would occur without my having to wait later to see that but after the review I will set them to go off much later, e.g. around bedtime, which will be more realistic if I am out late that evening.

Following the instructions, I was able to test that each lamp would go on and off manually from the controller. I then let the system run for the past three days and each day was home before 7pm and stayed home after 7:10pm at least so I could verify that the 2 lamps did go on and off automatically at the desired times (I didn't exactly see when the sunset was determined to be by the system but the family room lamp was on by the time I checked it at around 6:45 pm each of these nights).

I was able to then manually turn on and off the bedroom light using the controller on my headboard which is actually easier to reach and use than the switch on the lamp.

It took me about an hour and a half to get successfully set up. I've had no previous experience with any wireless device so I was somewhat uncertain and went slowly and carefully. I would have been able to do so sooner but I made two mistakes. First, I accidentally hit the shift key without realizing it which made me think that channel one (the bedroom lamp) was not responding: having hit the shift key, I was actually trying to turn on a channel 7 device, which, since none existed, reported as "unsuccessful". Not realizing I was on channel 7, I relearned channel 1 before I finally noticed from the controller screen that I had selected channel 7. Second, when programming the two lamp off events, I missed the step that lowered the dimmer modules to completely off, so when the lights stayed on, it appeared to me that nothing had happpened. I looked at the screen for these events and noticed the dimming was not down at all, then reread the instructions carefully for turning off the lamps and noticed I had skipped the step to set the lamps completely off.

It did take some time to get used to using the enter, mode, on, off and plus and minus buttons properly as the instructions indicated. Also the instructions tell how to enter a new event and it took me a minute to realize how to edit an existing event (i.e. follow the instructions to get to the event as if it were a new one, then select the plus button as if entering a new event, then make changes skipping setting one wants to keep by immediately pressing the enter button on that step).

Later I went to the "HomeSettings" web site and played the videos in the video library. These are quite well done but unless one has a laptop one can bring to where each lamp is, one will have to remember what is said when setting up the network and programming channel scenes. The videos may, however, may make the instructions easier to follow for these steps. When programming timer events, you can keep the controller right next to your computer: use the pause button so that the video doesn't go too fast for you to follow the steps.

For three evenings now, the lights have indeed gone on and off automatically as I set them up to. I'm impressed that 4 AA batteries (aided, of course, by this wireless kit!) can do so much. In the days that follow, I will probably make the changes I mentioned in this review to get a practical long-term arrangement that should increase the security of my home in the evenings by giving it a lived in look when I am at work.

I suggest not being in a hurry when setting up and following the manual carefully. Watching the videos may help although I didn't need to. Expect to make some mistakes: the system is programmed to do so much with a minimal number of buttons (perhaps to keep it cost-effective and small) so it takes some getting used to. Once I get a lamp that shines to the front of the house in place (maybe at some time I'll buy an extra lamp module so I can also keep the rear family room in the network) and set all the lamp modules to turn on at sunset, my home's evening security should be in better long-term shape.

P.S. I suggest keeping the "Setup and User Guide" somewhere you can find it after your initial setup! If you lose it, at least remember the HomeSettings web site, which currently not only has the Video Library for basic help but also PDF copy of the manuals you can download.

I just got one of these and I too was a bit baffled at how to program... until I read the instructions. It's a little tricky (why I give it four stars) but far from a "hair pulling" experience. It works very well and has some nice features. I can't wait to get some more modules around the house.

For those that can't seem to understand the instructions, Intermatic also has a website with flash animations to walk you through the set up.

(Was planning for Zwave based home automation) After seeing the price drop of this set, ordered this as well as Intermatic HA09C Home Settings Wireless Handy Remote Control. Here, I am going to focus on Intermatic HA101K Home Settings Wireless Kit only,

+ Price, difficult to beat.
+ Complete set to start the automation
+ Aesthetically, not bad.
+ Works (will discuss more in -), and good for starting the home automation project.
+ Works with CFL, but I am keeping the highest level (no dimming effect, but CFL are usually not for dimming)


- Old DST setting. This is deal breaker for me. Although it seems just 3-weeks diff, but its almost impossible to change any setting with this remote (which is acting as master for whole Z-wave system).
- Horrible, just useless, instructions. Back to first negative. Combine these 2, I dont have words.
- Unreliable (OK, my plug in is behind sofa, but I am using the master remote from 3 feet to max 12 feet distance). Sometimes, you need to press few times and sometimes work with single press. Sometimes you need long press and few times, a light touch works.
- Difficult to program. Not sure how, my master is programmed to switch on/off with single button (ON). Its almost impossible to change the settings, and I dont have patience to change.

Baseline is, good to try and for plugins. I will be not recommend master.

The Intermatic Home Wireless Kit is a home automation device that uses Z-Wave technology to control wireless lighting and appliances. Z-Wave is fairly good technology and all Z-Wave products are fully compatible with each other (including those not made by Intermatic). Intermatic seems to be one of the leaders in this industry so I was eager to try out their starter kit. This kit includes one master controller and two lamp modules. This is a very basic kit and if you want to add additional modules, things could get very expensive. But the good part of that is you don't have to buy a bunch of stuff you don't need, and can buy things module by module.

The initial thing I noticed about the Intermatic kit is that installation is extremely easy. Anyone can do it and no contract work or electrical knowledge is installed. I used both the lamp modules, which have on/off switches, so you don't really need the remote control if you misplace it, which is a plus. Setup for the lamp modules literally took about 30 seconds. It is extremely easy to associate a device with the master control. once setup, I went about programming the modules. This was also very easy. I set it up as if I was leaving for the weekend, and had my lamps cut on in the evening and turn off the next morning. You can specify exact times for the lamp modules, so you can even use this as a form of "alarm clock." I found it very convenient for turning on a lamp in the morning in case I tried to snooze through my regular alarm. If you wanted to, you could also randomize the modules so it looks like someone is home.

Another great feature is that this unit does not forget the programming when you change the batteries or if the power goes out. I do a lot of work on my house and frequently have to cut off the main circuit breaker. This doesn't affect the modules since the programming is stored in the master remote, which has a backup battery so it retains the programming in case of battery removal. This can be very useful when more and more modules are added.

My one con about this kit is the remote control. It is just too big and bulky. It looks like something from the late 90s. I don't want to keep something like that on my coffee table. I realize that once you ad more modules, you're going to need more controls, but it would be nice if the master remote was a little more streamlined. Luckily the modules were hidden behind my couch, because they're somewhat big as well. But you can't really expect much from a home automation kit this cheap.

Additionally, I also ordered the Intermatic Home Settings Wireless Indoor Wall Switch #HA06C and the Intermatic Home Settings Wireless Handy Remote Control #HA09C and was very impressed with these. I know this isn't a review for those two products, but I wanted to say that anyone thinking of ordering this starter kit and who enjoys it, should look at those two modules next. The remote control had all of the features I needed from the one that came with this kit but was much more compact.

Overall, the Intermatic Home Wireless Kit is a very decent package for someone who wants very basic home automation. It is also great because of the level of customizability it comes with and the dozens of additional modules you can order for it. For those looking for more advances options, you can add computer software that works with Z-Wave technology to setup much more elaborate programming and routines.

I have to admit I like the idea of a single-panel control network at my fingertips, but the prospect of rewiring my home for that purpose sounded like an onerous task requiring the services of not only an electrician but possibly a contractor to make it all seamless in my home. That's why the concept of the Intermatic Home Settings Wireless Kit is appealing to me. There are twelve channels that can control sixteen household devices per channel, 192 in total around my home. I don't need that level of capacity, but being able to maneuver a centrally located swing lamp and my kitchen lights from one device would be a nice convenience.

The challenge, as I suspected, was in the initial installation. It's a multi-step process where you add each of your light devices to the master controller by plugging a lamp module into the wall and then plugging the device to its own module. For each module, you press "Include" on the controller followed by the "Program" button on the module. Then, you need to decide the specific channels for each module, whether it's on, off or the level of brightness in between. Once you make your way through this process for each light source, the system works fine.

I like the controller even if it is bulkier than I was expecting. The LCD display screen is fortunately large and easy-to-read. The modules are well designed to fit into most outlets, and you just need to remember that you switch the lamp on and off through the module, not the lamp. Keep in mind that the system is battery operated, and unlike the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote I just received, the Intermatic does not have an external power adapter, nor is there an internal light source to allow easy usage in the dark. Relative to the convenience factor, these are minor drawbacks. I look forward to purchasing more modules to fully maximize the power of this product.

I'm a mechanical engineer with many decades of experience with control systems. I found the programming to be cumbersome, absolutely non-intuitive, and complex. I was able to do it, however. Problem is, unless you are going to fiddle with programming quite often, you won't remember how to do it and you'll have to use the manual every time. Kind of defeats the purpose - I want to "set it and forget it" and only adjust things once in awhile. If you are looking for this kind of functionality, save your money. I would not recommend this product for most people. Simple mechanical or electronic timers on individual lights are much easier, and less expensive.

I also found that the lights I programmed worked fine for a few days, then started coming on and off at odd times, without anyone making any programming changes. Sometimes it didn't work at all. There's just me and my wife, no kids to play with it, and my wife has left it alone. And this unit is way too complicated for my smart cats to figure out.

This is a very cost effective way to get into home automation. There are cheaper remote plug ins, but they probably wont be expandable to more devices, nor dim, nor have a timer in the controller. Z-wave also has PC based solutions if you want to have computer controlled lighting.

For the Intermatic specifically, I asked the manufacturer about support for dimmable CFLs with these adapters and they said no, only rated for traditional bulbs, so if you only have CFL, even dimmable, it's probably safest to get the heavy duty adapters - they will only turn on/off though.

I'm having some issues with Z-wave based screw in adapters - not all lights seem to turn on/off reliably so i'm wondering about whether Insteon might be a better overall solution as this can use the house wiring as well as radio.