NOTICE - ALL INTELLICENTER USERS

[JJ_Tex]

At this point they should open up the code, let people figure out a solution for them, then buy up the companies that do it the best.

 

[mcqwerty]

So well said, may I copy/paste your comments verbatim and include in an email to the product manager?

Of course! Maybe if they gave half a ****, (which they clearly don't), they would even read user forums like this to see what their real paying customers actually think is important...

Or just cough up the protocol commands. I know a few horses with power.

I was thinking this too of course but I just can't see a dinosaur corporation like Pentair actually doing it, sadly.
It is the obvious solution, Pentair are clearly so underwater and out of their league with this stuff they don't just need time they need to reboot their whole approach. Open source would build a far far superior product in a tiny fraction of the time allowing Pentair to go back to charging 100x the actual cost of the hardware they are selling and laughing around the boardroom table about that time they pretended to know the first thing about software.

Or they could just hire @rstrouse for a couple of weeks and this entire problem would be gone. That is no joke, it is a ready made solution.
Step one: Email @rstrouse with contract
Step two: Send him the protocol info
Step three: Wait 2 weeks
Step four: Send him some cash
Step five: Problem solved


Oh and by the way I know of thousands of people who could solve their server issues in a couple of hours. There is no excuse, the only issue here is lack of willingness to solve the issues.

 

[MRPoolGuy]

Thanks @MyAZPool and everyone else for their help and contribution to this.
I am a couple months out on my pool build.
My PB suggests the IntelliCenter and I am leaning that way right now but just not sure after reading some of these points.
I am planning on running a dedicated direct burial Ethernet cable.
Subscribed to keep a watch on these issues.

 

[MyAZPool]

@MRPoolGuy
Here are my thoughts on the matter...

Knowing what I know now, If I moved to a house with a pool and it already had say an EasyTouch 8 or an IntelliTouch, then I probably wouldn't upgrade to the IntelliCenter.

However, if it had something else or no automation at all or certainly if I was building a new pool, then I would not hesitate installing the IntelliCenter. I wouldn't even give it a second thought.

Good idea on running a dedicated ethernet cable, but if it were me, I would run a dedicated low-voltage conduit from the house to the equipment pad and run it directly into one of the low-voltage knockouts in the Load Center instead of burying the Cat-5 or Cat-6. Much cleaner/professional install and allows you to pull a second ethernet cable etc. Also, much more "gopher" proof.

Thanks...
r.

 

[Katodude]

The Neanderthal thinking that some of these companies have drives me nuts. While it is unlikely that I would buy an Intellicenter, opening up the protocol for the Intellivalve will cause me to buy more Intellivalves. The fact that I can control my pump via 485 is why I bought the Intelliflo rather than another pump. They just dont realize that opening up these protocols is going to increase their business not take away from it. The third party enhancements that get created enhance the value of the Intellicenter they dont take it away. And who knows the next feature improvement in the PoolController or the Intellicenter might cause me to buy an Intellicenter.

Also every time I hear the “we are working on finding better ways to scale” equals we are too cheap to buy more capacity for scaling.

 

[MyAZPool]

The Neanderthal thinking that some of these companies have drives me nuts. While it is unlikely that I would buy an Intellicenter, opening up the protocol for the Intellivalve will cause me to buy more Intellivalves. The fact that I can control my pump via 485 is why I bought the Intelliflo rather than another pump. They just dont realize that opening up these protocols is going to increase their business not take away from it. The third party enhancements that get created enhance the value of the Intellicenter they dont take it away. And who knows the next feature improvement in the PoolController or the Intellicenter might cause me to buy an Intellicenter.

Also every time I hear the “we are working on finding better ways to scale” equals we are too cheap to buy more capacity for scaling.

Agree 100%....

 

[Candurin]

@MyAZPool AZP Did anything come of the discussion with Pentair? We had immediately winterized our pool after install, so I plan on diving right into our new Intellicenter this weekend when we open the pool.

Just prior to closing pool, I was only able to configure the circuit to control the pool lights

 

[MyAZPool]

@MyAZPool AZP Did anything come of the discussion with Pentair? We had immediately winterized our pool after install, so I plan on diving right into our new Intellicenter this weekend when we open the pool.

Just prior to closing pool, I was only able to configure the circuit to control the pool lights

@Candurin
Since the last discussion and the results of that discussion posted in post #32 of this thread. Nothing since.
I'll be sure to keep all posted if I do hear anything new.
Thanks...
r.

 

[guinness]

RS485 Control of Intellivalves

If I had 10 votes I would use them all on this issue. Come on now Pentair, no more excuses just get it done... yesterday.

Posted on another thread, but thought I'd share here. Welcome news indeed, Happy New Year!

However, the 5-position feature of the IntelliValves will NOT function until Pentair releases the applicable firmware update.

That firmware update is reported now to occur in two phases (Phase I - adding RS-485 support on both the actuator side and IntelliCenter side and Phase II. - more advanced valve controls added to IntelliCenter features.)
Completion of Phase I should occur sometime after this next IntelliCenter firmware update (coming soon) and Phase II completion around Q4 of 2023. It's reported that IntelliValve support is the next major project for the software dev team after this next update.
So keep your fingers crossed.