6 Years Later | [Build Thread]

[MyAZPool]

@matthewsunshineflorida
Wow, great job with this.
r.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Gosh....the only thing it doesn't do is start the fire pit up! Well Done!

Maddie

 

[KevMo]

@matthewsunshineflorida I really like what you did. Did you connect the RS485 wires to RS485-A or RS485-B? My pool is still under construction. The PB installed a ScreenLogic Interface Wireless Link in my Intellicenter wired to RS-485-A. I do not have the IC60 yet. I could be wrong, but from looking at the installation documentation, it is wired into RS485-B. If that is true and I wanted to do a setup like yours, would I need to forego using the Pentair app?

 

[rstrouse]

If your pool builder installed a ScreenLogic interface in your IntelliCenter then they do not know what they are doing. IntelliCenter does not use ScreenLogic. They may have installed a wireless link but it was definitely not ScreenLogic. njsPC does not preclude you from using any of the Pentair interfaces such as the web, mobile, or the wired/wireless controls. It is simply another controller on the bus.

 

[KevMo]

If your pool builder installed a ScreenLogic interface in your IntelliCenter then they do not know what they are doing. IntelliCenter does not use ScreenLogic. They may have installed a wireless link but it was definitely not ScreenLogic.

It is a wireless link. The wireless link has ScreenLogic Interface on the house side device. The Intelllicenter document has references to ScreenLogic2 in the wireless diagrams.

 

[rstrouse]

That is really just the Pentair high power wireless link which is a radio matched wifi adapter. The original IntelliCenter shipped with an EnGenius adapter that was anything but Genius. This is simply a point to point link and not the ScreenLogic adapter so you will not be running ScreenLogic on IntelliCenter. I did not realize that the part listed as the new wireless link still had the words ScreenLogic stamped on it. If you look starting on p13 of this manual the RS485 portion is not connected or sent over this adapter. However, I wonder if it could be. The difference between a ScreenLogic system and IntelliCenter is how it is connected. ScreenLogic is connected to the RS485 port and IntelliCenter is connected to the Ethernet port.

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/nam/pentair-pool/residential/automation/intellicenter/manuals---user-docs/high-power-wireless-link-kit-manual.pdf

 

[KevMo]

Ah, it looks like the electrician that installed the Intellicenter wired it to the RS485 like it was the older EasyTouch or IntelliTouch. It has not been energized yet, so nobody knows it would not work. I will get them to change the wiring to the RJ45 port before we try to fire it up.

Thanks for helping me troubleshoot before I knew I had a problem.

 

[matthewsunshineflorida]

It's frustrating how slow PBs are to learn and adapt to new things. My builder is very well established as a more premium reputable builder, and yet they seemed far more comfortable selling EasyTouch than IntelliCenter (almost 3 years ago now). Once installed, I realized the configuration was really not entirely done correctly - and they didn't seem to understand how to set up even relatively simple circuit groups to tie pump speeds and actuators together in various ways, which meant my features didn't work properly initially.

In any case, I think @rstrouse answered it far better than I could, but I had the same question you first posed about RS485-A or B when I couldn't get njsPC to communicate. It turns out not to matter if you have more than one wire in each terminal because the interface will handle signal collisions even if they are separated - my issue was actually due to firmware 2.XX so you'll definitely want to make downgrading the firmware the first thing you do if it comes pre-loaded. There is no material benefit from 2.XX that I saw before or after the upgrade/downgrade.

Also, I had the same wireless device as you, but mine was definitely just plugged in via the RJ45 adapter as in pages 13-15 in that PDF. It worked fine, but I eventually ran two CAT 6s to the panel to hardwire intellicenter and give it a backhaul to my rbpi in the network closet (RS485 only uses 2 (plus 1 gnd) of the 8 wires in a CAT cable).

 

[matthewsunshineflorida]

Just an update on my latest (final?) attempt at useful "skins" of the phone and tablet njsPC and audio integrations with the source code for anybody interested.

The main issues I was wanting to address in these changes:

1. The feature buttons on mobile spanned the entire width so there was no way to scroll without activating each one you touched. You had to scroll from the top non-buttons and hope you scrolled far enough past the features to get below them. They also didn't show up colored quite like buttons so it was confusing to others.
2. The "set point" box needed to be larger to use, particularly with the lack of precision of wet hands.
3. The audio tasker integration was a bit buggy when the sync in each direction happened simultaneously. This was causing the tablet to lock up and volume bar to spontaneously move sometimes.
4. The water temperature area was too small to view at a distance. I wanted to be able to see what the pool was at from inside the house so I simplified the formatting (no "heater" and "status") and enlarged the active temp.
5. The tablet was a great "proof of concept" that helped us realize how useful it would be, but it was just so slow and the 10" screen size could be improved on. I got a 11.5" Lenovo P11 2nd Gen on sale at BestBuy for $200 and this thing absolutely flies now!

With the caveat that I fully realize this is incredibly sloppy hacky CSS as I just wanted a quick & dirty way to make it look good on my devices, here's a link to all the source code including tasker, njsPC, the variable speed solar controller, and the circuit monitor fix: Software

Please feel free to offer suggestions or take my sloppy code and make it nice! For instance, I'd really like to make the tablet button indicators the buttons themselves (so they're green when active and grey when off), and I'd also ideally have mobile buttons only press if you're not just scrolling (i.e. start of press and release are within 10px or 2rem of each other or something). I wasn't able to figure those out as my understanding of CSS is relatively elementary. It would also obviously be best if it wasn't hacked together for my devices but standardized in a way that common devices would like. The mobile seems pretty consistent but the tablet is definitely for a 2000x1200 display.

 

[matthewsunshineflorida]

6 years have come and gone since some great people like @kimkats @Dirk @JamesW @MyAZPool and too many others to name first helped us plan and eventually bring a pool into reality. The pool has been in for 3 years, trouble free for literally all of them: We've never had algae or scaling, and it's so dialed in that I test ph and fc every 1-2 weeks, and about once a month or so I'll test the rest and throw the robot in. I'm a little embarrassed to say I don't even brush because we just have never had any issues.

3 years later and we're finally done with all our plans for automation, landscaping, furniture, and outdoor kitchen extras (see the Wet Bar project process here):





Palms have grown a lot since Christmas!



Slept out here one night when the wife was out of town. Felt like a kid again, falling asleep under the stars.

 

[Dirk]

3 years later and we're finally done with all our plans for automation, landscaping, furniture, and outdoor kitchen extras

Get this everybody, they think they're done with pool and yard. Well that's just precious.

Ha, ha, just teasing. I'm so happy to hear about your success with your project, and thanks for the update. It's really amazing what you've done. I'm a big fan of lighting, so that's what impressed me the most. I've been working on my "outdoor world" for nine years. I don't ever expect to be completely done. Keeps me busy, for sure!

 

[matthewsunshineflorida]

Get this everybody, they think they're done with pool and yard. Well that's just precious.

Hahaha - the wife made fun of me for saying that too. But we've got a baby boy due on Thanksgiving which means there's way too much other stuff I have to knock out! So the backyard IS done... for now lol

 

[kimkats]

Now THIS is what it is all about!!! SO well done! Thanks for the love!!

A new baby to teach to swim!! How sweet is that!!!

 

[MyAZPool]

@matthewsunshineflorida
STUNNING!!!
Wow, that sure turned out nice. Pool, automation, patio, electronics, lighting, landscaping. All of it.
Definitely a backyard living area to be proud of. Nice work!!

Given your location, good idea having that pool enclosure. Sleeping under the stars could be hazardous to your well being. lol...

Again, super nice. Enjoy....
r.

 

[Boat Drinks 74]

I see what looks like a ball/towel rack on one of your posts. Can you post a better picture of that? Thanks

 

[Pv2]

6 years have come and gone since some great people like @kimkats @Dirk @JamesW @MyAZPool and too many others to name first helped us plan and eventually bring a pool into reality. The pool has been in for 3 years, trouble free for literally all of them: We've never had algae or scaling, and it's so dialed in that I test ph and fc every 1-2 weeks, and about once a month or so I'll test the rest and throw the robot in. I'm a little embarrassed to say I don't even brush because we just have never had any issues.

3 years later and we're finally done with all our plans for automation, landscaping, furniture, and outdoor kitchen extras (see the Wet Bar project process here):


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Palms have grown a lot since Christmas!


View attachment 600483
Slept out here one night when the wife was out of town. Felt like a kid again, falling asleep under the stars.


View attachment 600485



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View attachment 600491


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wow! really nice work and space. how does the smoke from wood fire in fire pit do with the screening?

 

[matthewsunshineflorida]

I see what looks like a ball/towel rack on one of your posts. Can you post a better picture of that? Thanks

The amount of space we gained back with each rack type thing we added has been huge - I'm a big fan of solutions that don't take up too much room!

Not sure if we can post Amazon links here so I'll just give you the ASINs (search for it and it will pop up): B01DWSH1I0, B0CTKGXHSJ, B0817LN9QB, B0CJ6C868T

The ball rack one develop rust spots despite being powder coated, so I've had to pull them off a couple of times in the couple of years we've had them to re-spray. Last time, I put a pretty good rust primer and some good coats so I'm hoping it lasts longer this time - but not a big deal either way. The sun wrecks coatings here and then the humidity does the rest...

 

[matthewsunshineflorida]

wow! really nice work and space. how does the smoke from wood fire in fire pit do with the screening?

Thank you! I was a little nervous about that, but the fire pit has been finished for almost 2 years now (two full winters of doing fires) and we've had no burning or staining of the screen or surrounding area. I think it's just too tall to be a problem (about 16ft at that point?). Depending on what you use for fire wood, you'll get more or less ash - so brush is pretty smoky and tends to put more junk everywhere, and our now-annual Christmas tree burning is an exciting mess to clean up lol... but I generally just use free wood from used Lowe's/Home Depot pallets and it burns SUPER clean/fast because it's so aged and dried out by the time you get it. I have a deck box on the side yard filled with cut up pallet wood that I refresh when we run low.

It's nice to have a fire going, do some hot dogs and s'mores, then hang out in the hot tub right next to it. I know it's pretty a niche use of the space but I'm super happy we did it like that.

 

[Dirk]

Not sure if we can post Amazon links here

I do it all the time. This is the forum rule that most closely covers that. It's basically the difference between trying to help others vs trying to sell stuff to others (@Newdude, correct me if I'm wrong):

6. If the intent of your post can be construed as advertising or promotion of a website or product, your post will be deleted or edited without warning.

The only exception to this rule is if your post is in DIRECT response to the original posters question and it helps answer the question. Any such response to OP's question must be determined to be timely and pertinent.......again, by the moderators

I used these for toys:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Suncast-52-in-L-x-29-in-124-Gallon-Java-Deck-Box/50062929?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-sol-_-ggl-_-PMAX_SOL_000_Priority_Items-_-50062929-_-online-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W-8Q39IYbr7r4ez6tygSGpzG&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh7K1BhCZARIsAKOrVqFWP_hpEUoQptXFrHJQN07LRFhle5746bB3gLZhbYDUASDx9uax21IaAjtXEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

And three smaller ones that double as towel storage and end tables. I think I spotted a Suncast box somewhere in your setup it. They would all match. But all your racks are very clever, too. I just prefer to hide all that stuff. I have two of the big boxes, and that's the first thing the kids get into, which they can reach. But they do take up a lot of floor space.

Amazon.com

Suncast is the absolute best. I have six more on the way this year (five chairs and another end table/box). I have three Suncast boxes that are over 40 years old. Those three and all my others (that are about 10 years old) all still look brand new. I guess they use resin. Absolute best value of anything I've purchased for the yard.

I really like the rack (towel rack?) under the TV that folds up into nothing. Very nice.

 

[Dirk]

Thank you! I was a little nervous about that, but the fire pit has been finished for almost 2 years now (two full winters of doing fires) and we've had no burning or staining of the screen or surrounding area. I think it's just too tall to be a problem (about 16ft at that point?). Depending on what you use for fire wood, you'll get more or less ash - so brush is pretty smoky and tends to put more junk everywhere, and our now-annual Christmas tree burning is an exciting mess to clean up lol... but I generally just use free wood from used Lowe's/Home Depot pallets and it burns SUPER clean/fast because it's so aged and dried out by the time you get it. I have a deck box on the side yard filled with cut up pallet wood that I refresh when we run low.

It's nice to have a fire going, do some hot dogs and s'mores, then hang out in the hot tub right next to it. I know it's pretty a niche use of the space but I'm super happy we did it like that.

I would think the BBQ is the bigger issue. I've got an ever growing (if slowly) smudge happened on the stucco right behind my gas BBQ. It's probably grease-infused smoke collecting there. If you see that on the wall behind yours eventually, that means it's in your screens, too. I haven't tried to clean mine yet. I'm hoping some sort of grease-cutting cleaner will do the trick, but I may have waited too long. Oh well... ambiance!