Hello, I have had a Vera and a selection of Z-wave devices controlled by it for a few years now and we are intending to transition to a system with security monitoring and hopefully a better app than we’re used to with Vera.
One thing I have setup that we really appreciate is light timings based on sunset and sunrise. For instance one light turns on a 30 minutes after sunset and turns off at sunrise, another turns on a sunset at off at 2:00 am. Is this possible with Qolsys and ADC?
Another thing I have setup is a timer for my garage door that tells me if it has been open for a certain amount of time, a half hour for instance. Currently I have my garage automated through a combination of door sensors and a dry contact switch. I understand I may need to go to the MyQ system instead, but is it possible to set up a similar alert through the new system I am intending to use?
One thing I have setup that we really appreciate is light timings based on sunset and sunrise. For instance one light turns on a 30 minutes after sunset and turns off at sunrise, another turns on a sunset at off at 2:00 am. Is this possible with Qolsys and ADC?
Yes, Zwave lighting schedules in Alarm.com can be set by sunrise/sunset.
Another thing I have setup is a timer for my garage door that tells me if it has been open for certain amount of time, a half hour for instance. Currently I have my garage automated through a combination of door sensors and a dry contact switch. I understand I may need to go to the MyQ system instead, but is it possible to set up a similar alert through the new system I am intending to use?
Yes, you can set up a duration-selectable notification for when the Garage door is left open. You can set up a real time notification when it is opened/closed. And you can open/close it from the app, using MyQ equipment and Alarm.com.
Thank you both for your replies, I’m encouraged to hear that what I would like to do (and the functionality I’m used to having) will be able to be implemented on my new system. Maybe it will be obvious when I am setting it up, but is this done on the panel or through a web interface?
Also, another timer/triggered even I have is that when you come in the front door the interior light turns on and then turns off 2 minutes later. It’s a very convenient feature but I wish it could use sort of an if/then language where if the light was already on the scene wouldn’t run so that the light that was on already wouldn’t be shut off due to the door lock cycling.
Is anything like that possible?
All of that programming is done via the web interface. You can use MyQ for the garage alerting or you can use a security sensor on the door itself, or what I do is use both. MyQ for the remote control of the door and to do event based triggers for door close on arm and then the security sensors to secure the overhead door from intrusion as I have things in the garage to protect.
The light switches are also programmable for sunset/sunrise or sunset/specific time to turn off etc. That’s done on a per switch basis, again through the alarm.com website.
As far as the if/then logic, I haven’t seen that option available yet. It’s not the first time someone has asked for that though so I suspect that it’s something that ADC has as a feature request.
With Zwave, the “On” command is functionally different than the “Off” command. If a light is already on, it will not turn off if your automation rule runs.
Thanks Jason, yes I understand that, I think I wasn’t quite clear in the way I described the situation.
The normal way it functions is that you unlock the door, it triggers an ON command to the light and the 2 minute timer starts. At the end of the 2 minute timer an OFF command is sent.
This process does not vary if the light is already on so you unlock the door, an ON command is sent (which does not effect the already on light) then, 2 minutes later the OFF command is sent, which turns off the light, even if it was already on
Like I said, this is a minor annoyance that rarely happens, but it would be nice to be able to work that out for future instances where it is not so inconsequential.
Ah, gotcha, yeah that would require an if/then statement. I wonder how easy that would be to implement.
I would assume the capability simply isn’t there in the control panel(s). Alarm.com could pretty easily add an If/then statement, but it would need to be cloud processed, rather than just processed at the panel. Adds more latency, requires an additional status check, and instead of no remote commands/data usage, every time the sensor opens it requires a back-and-forth.
I had one more question, I’m about to order but I have a feeling it will take me a few weeks to get things all installed and sorted out so I may want to wait on the central station monitoring until that time. Can I start with gold interactive and then add central station monitoring when my system is all up and running?
Absolutely. Since we do not have contracts, and service is month to month, you can make changes as you see fit. If you order without central station service but would like to add it later, please email customerservice@suretyDIY.com at that time and our customer service reps will assist you with making this change.