Vizia rf+ VRCS2-MR 2-Button Controller

Still no luck. I am looking for any help with this. This is getting frustrating that I am having trouble getting this switch to communicate.

Did you just do a force delete for the remotes?

I will modify what you wrote to what I ended up seeing, what pressed, and did. Thanks for the help. After pressing the buttons to reset the switch and then turning off the power and then starting the process over again worked. Now I am debating whether or not to keep the remotes in and put them at the bottom of the Things or just delete them by force deleting them…

Steps:

(all of these steps done with the SmartThings hub only a couple feet away from the device.)

What to do before you include the device to the network:

1.) Exclude the switch by pressing both buttons to be blinking amber and then the individual buttons.

2.) Reset the VRCS2: hold both buttons until they blink red.
This step is important. Just resetting it by pressing the buttons for ~15 sec. is not sufficient.

3.) At this point, it’s not really fully reset – you need to cut the power to the device by tripping the breaker. This step is essential.

4.) When you put the breaker back on press the + sign in the ST app to add devices. Then associate the “controller” by pressing both buttons together until they turn amber, and then adding from the SmartThings app. Wait till you get two remote devices. Once those appear the lights on the switch went out. There were no lights. I did not try to name the two remote devices. I then pressed “Connect New Device” and then “+ Connect New Device”. I then pressed and held the top button till it turned amber and then released it and let it blink. I waited. ST recognized it as a switch and at that point the light turned green. I did not name it but pressed “Connect New Device” and then “+ Connect New Device”. Then pressed and held the bottom button till it turned amber. This time it had timed out on me. I then pressed and held the bottom button again and then it added it as a switch.

5.) After having the two remotes and the two switches I named the bottom switch right after it was added since it was the last thing done. I then pressed the + due to the unconfigured devices needing to be added. I configured them one by one and the the two remotes. i just put the remotes at the very bottom.

7.) After you’re done adding the two buttons, verify that the physical buttons both still control their corresponding loads. And from the ST app.

8.) At this point I am sitting back relaxing and turning off and on the light and fan.

I am finally done and glad it finally works.

Thanks David Cox.

I have noticed that the ST app does not update on the status of the state of the switch. It toggles the device on and off and the relay toggles on the switch when done from the app but when I physically toggle the button the app does not change the status in the app.

There’s a SmartApp out there to help with this. I have mine updating every 1 minute and it’s more than fine for my purposes.

https://github.com/statusbits/smartthings/tree/master/Pollster

Thanks, got it and is installed.

I am using the switch to “arm” my system so I am using the door switch to refresh the switch status.

Open the door, hit the button, and then close the door as you walk out. As soon as the door sensor closes, it issues a refresh to the Vizia switch. That 90% of the time catches ST not seeing that the switch was turned on.

It is not 100%, and yes, that’s still annoying me as well.

ST SUPPORT - What’s the deal with THAT ?

Hello all.

I have to upgrade a Centralite Starlite system with Z-Wave consisting of 42 dimmers (linear WD500Z), 11 4 button controllers (Leviton VRCZ4-M0), a VRCPG remote and a SmartThings Hub.

I decided to test the interaction between these devices at home before going to the customer. after a week of headaches here is what finally works.

Setup the ST hub as primary controller and the VRCPG remote as secondary controller. This sets the VRCPG as an inclusion controller. You then include all non controller devices with the Hub or the Remote. When using the remote for inclusion, the Hub is automatically updated. Use the remote to include the controllers (follow the instructions in the remote manual), they will appear in the Hub as remotes. Update each controller per manual. when all devices are included, proceed with the associations using the remote. Note: I am also using Linear WT00Z-1 auxilliary switch, this can be included with the Hub, it will appear as a Switch in ST and as a Device # x on the remote when doing associations.

All devices work flawlessly. You cannot remove the remotes from the Hub since the remote will update it again. After each controller inclusion, rename it to something meaningful. I use KP-x for KeyPad-(number).

The leds on the 4 button controller will change when using the buttons to control the dimmers but will not update if controlling the dimmers locally or with the WT00Z auxilliary switches or using the iPhone app.

I have tested the scheduling on the Hub and it works fine. All that’s left is to learn SmartApps programming.

Glad you got it working!

We should note that this will only work if the remote was previously set up with a different controller. This goes back to the same old controller replication issue that we have discussed with other secondary controllers. Because smartthings does not support controller replication, it cannot actually initialize the secondary controllers, although it can add them as an on/off device. This includes the VRCZ4, which is treated as a remote from this perspective.

So you were able to make this work because you were upgrading an existing system that had previously been installed, probably with a Vizia controller.

You would not have been able to make this work if you were starting with all new equipment that had never been set up before.

Also, in your current set up, commands from the remote to the light switches do not update the status on the hub, correct?

Finally, I’ve been told, but haven’t tested myself, that if the vizia switches are included by the remote rather than by the primary, that the instant status update will be sent to the remote, not to the hub, so you will lose the instant update feature in terms of the smartthings mobile app tile status. Are you seeing that in this installation? People pay extra to get the instant status update, so it can be frustrating for them when then that appears not to work. It can work in smartthings, but you have to include directly to the hub, not use a secondary for inclusion.

As far as learning smartapps programming, you might also want to take a look at the scheduling FAQ:

And congratulations again, sounds like a really big project.

Any Ideas?

I successfully included the VRCS2-MR into the ST HUB the top button controls a local outlet that has a light attached(plugged) into it … I wanted to use the bottom button for another light in the same room that I would like to trigger to another controlled zwave outlet… I’m puzzled because it all works though the ST app but when I physically touch the buttons I don’t get feed back from the ST hub… Again, nothing works. unless I use the ST app…

thx

John

Hi Jon! Were you able to make this work? Thats exactly what I want to achieve.

Thanks!!

This device needs to be polled to update status in SmartThings, for local button presses. I use pollster to achieve this. I mentioned this a few posts above this. Granted, it was more than a year ago now, but it’s still true.

These devices work perfectly fine, they just require a little salt throw over the shoulder to get paired up and then additionally, requiring polling. Downside is they are pretty expensive. If a better 2 load, single gang option became available, I would likely sell these and replace them, but for now, they serve their purpose.

1 Like

frantona

No i abandoned these expensive switches they are paper weights now… i figured i give it time and try it again seems like bmmiller has a suggestion but i’m not sure i understand this whole polling thing i will look at his past posts to try and understand his suggestions at some point…

Awesome thank you ! It worked !

1 Like