The graphics for the GE installation manual show NO indicator. Amazon and Home Depot pictures shows NO indicator. Pictures on the JASCO website SHOWS an indicator:
OK, thanks for the feedback, guys.
Any idea WHY no indicator LED on the GE add-on switch? An LED cost maybe $.05, is that the only reason? Levition offers Add-on aka Remote switches with indicators as an option…I don’t know the electronics for the Traveler wire for the different brands, but I understand they’re proprietary communication protocols. Maybe GE electronics makes an indicator impossible?
I’m wanting a night-light indicator for the add-on switch in a dark hallway.
That’s a good question, but I believe the answer lies in the fact that the add-on switch (unlike unsmart 3-way switches) isn’t actually switching power to the load. It is just reporting a change of state of the switch to the master.
This is the reason why. The add-on isn’t designed to have constant power as it stands.
They could add this but it adds an extra wire requirement at the add-on location. However, most 3-way/4-way setups would ahve this wire anyway if wired traditionally.
Hi Brandon,
You’re exactly right, just been reviewing the Levition wiring diagram and it indicates their Add-on/Remote with indicator requires 3 wires. Unlike GE remotes w/o indicator which require only 2 wires. Leviton remotes with indicators apparently need Hot and Neutral lines to power the ~5 milliamps to the indicator LED; plus the “traveler” wire to send the control signal. I was naively hoping the ~5ma could be carried on the traveler wire as 60hz while control I’m guessing is kilohertz.
But you’re also right, this is a retrofit of mechanical 3-way switch…perhaps not the most traditional arrgt, Line-Switch-Load Switch, but on paper, I’ve convinced myself can also power the remote LED. It looks exactly like the diagram for GE 3-way switches from jhamstead https://community.smartthings.com/t/faq-ge-3-way-wiring/74962?source_topic_id=54638 except the previously unused black wire in the 3-wire Romex now goes to the Levition Remote black terminal.