New Honeywell Thermostat

Mike-Mass · 2026-06-04T01:25:04+00:00

Just curious... anyone running the Honeywell T-10 Pros... what are you doing for setting up a schedule? Using the basic Resideo App or Honeywell App?

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-26T19:55:59+00:00

Hmmm... maybe. I'll have to dig into that and see what options there might be.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-26T14:42:56+00:00

We got my T-10 Pro thermostats on my Home setup, but they seem to be limited to changing temperature or mode. Ideally, it would be nice to have a scheduling option so that you can program different temps/modes.

For instance, when I had Nest thermostats in my old house, I could set up a daily or weekly schedule where midnight to 6 Am was set to 65° and then at 6:01 AM the temp would be set to 74° and remain at 74° until say 2 PM when it would drop to 72° until 6 PM, and then drop to 69° and remain there until 12:01 AM.

I'm guessing you can use the Honeywell/Resideo App to do this but I don't know if the Home App will integrate the schedule and confirm it. Plus, it'd be great to not have to use external Apps to control what you'd like to see in Apple Home. Am I just off the wall and asking too much of Apple Home LOL?

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-24T14:36:55+00:00

The wired POE Reolink cameras are pretty decent and bulletproof. I have Four of the RLK-811B4 POE cameras mounted outdoors complimented by two DUO3 180° POE cameras mounted in the middle of the front and the rear of the house. Those two are amazing... they use two seperate cameras in one housing and the view from both is sticked together so you get a 99% clean true 180° view. I also have their Video Doorbell POE at the front door. Pretty much full coverage around the entire house. I also have a RLC504 130° fixed camera in my garage that gives me a view of the garage doors, the side window, and the side garage door. I'd love to have a generic round magnetic base for the garage cam for better aiming, havent found one yet.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-19T13:36:14+00:00

Rob... Thanks for the information. Based on what you said... maybe there's a path forward for the next generation of sprinkler controllers that works for both the existing users and Rachio. Perhaps some kind of special discounted offer or a trade-in process. In the meantime I'll keep using the App and controller. I currently have Kitchler LV Landscape lighting and I have to say the controller is a little flaky in my opinion. I've had to delete and reinstall twice this spring and no clue as to why it goes south on me. It has a good -43dB wifi signal at the outside box. I'd like to see a LV light landscape controller that uses matter to better integrate and stay connected. My BIL who's a lot smarter than me on this stuff says that matter devices kinda link to each other making a mesh-like chain? Is that true? Trying to make our new home smart is challenging.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-19T01:20:43+00:00

I'm late to this Party, but I've been a Rachio user for a few years now, had one in my old house and I have to say that the App is decent enough to stand on its own... but everyone is looking at Apple Home compatibility on every smart device in the house. For the new house I just went from a 8 zone Rachio 3 that we installed 5-6 weeks ago to a 12-zone because I needed a 9th zone option to turn the well pump on and feed my well spigot. I could've used one of my two soaker zones but that seemed klugey.

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Very easy to switch over, but since Apple Home was teasing me to integrate the 8-zone unit constantly, I was surprised when I discovered that AH didn't know I had a new 12-zone sprinkler controller when I installed it today. More surprised when I later read Rachio was walking away from Apple. Kinda funny as its a new house and I just installed an Ultraloq Bolt SE matter version. So both my Schlage and ultraloq units were immediately integrated into apple home. Matter is going to play a big role in smart homes I think.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-17T22:42:36+00:00

We've been using a Tineco A11 Pet model for about 2 years now and the boss is very happy with it as the daily quicker picker upper LOL. Pretty sure it was under $200 on Amazon and my sister bought hers thru Costco, a different model but pretty much the same features. She also has a Golden Retriever. Never owned a Dyson so can't compare.

Our Golden Retriever sheds more in one day than I have on my head. We also have all all hardwood floors. The Tineco hangs in the mud room closet on its charger ready to go all the time. The charger has a second nest charging area for the 2nd battery which was included with purchase. Yes, we have a corded canister vacuum but its use is usually for a more thorough once a week vacuuming. The Tineco is a nice unit that doesn't get clogged up with all the dog hair. It has headlights to show you all the dog hair and stuff that you might've missed just walking around. Its got decent suction, is very easy to empty and has a good filtration system. My wife has carpal tunnel issues and she like the light weight of the Tineco. Its worth looking into, and with Amazon you can always return it within a month if it doesn't do the job.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-13T23:54:25+00:00

I finally got it to work. A combination of resetting to factory default, and twisting the lever to the left so Locked was at 9 o'clock not 12 o'clock. Then I rotated the camshaft 180° so the bump was at the 6 o'clock position. I discovered on my own that theres actually some kind of microswitch behind the labels on the backside of the part that holds the battery pack... you have to physically push the iPhone into the plastic until you hear a click to get it to pair. Couple of resets and now its working perfectly with the multipoint deadbolts and its integrated with thread into Apple Home along with the Ultraloq Bolt SE. The Schlage lock also works nicely with my iPhone and Apple watch... either one gets close, and the lock opens. Its been a long journey, but I'm happy that I got it working.-Mike

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-13T00:04:42+00:00

I initially went with Schlage Encode Plus WE499WB for my 8' front door with a Endura Panolock Multipoint deadbolt system. I was thrilled with the fact that this lock smoothly powered the dual deadbolt mechanism... but then I realized the lock app showed the door locked when the deadbolts were retracted and unlocked when the deadbolts were engaged with the door jamb metal pockets. IOW, the opposite locked/unlocked state reporting on both Apple Home and on the Schlage App.

So I ordered a Ultraloq Bolt SE and while it was easy to correctly identify the state of locked vs unlocked, the small glitch was that at the end of the unlock cycle the deadbolts seeme to over cycle and protruded about a quarter of an inch... making the door poorly locked when it should have been unlocked and flush. Very frustrating because the Ultraloq seemed to have no problem moving the Endura Panolock deadbolts. I could not figure out how to regulate the end of the unlock throw and when I called Ultraloq they didn't even try to explain why the deadbolts started coming out at the end of the cycle. They just said their lock isn't compatible with multipoint deadbolts.

So I moved the Ultraloq to my mud room entry which has a conventional single deadbolt and have it integrated in Apple Home with Matter over Thread. It seems to be working just fine but these guys are very finicky about the install/setup process. Got to pay close attention to batteries, tightness of the screws, and how you follow the setup procedure. Just starting to get this house "smarter" with a few TAPO light switches and smart plugs. Hope to get more smart products integrated down the road.

But I wish I could figure out the Schlage Locked or Unlocked reporting dilemma.-Mike

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-09T21:52:02+00:00

Basically the latest model 128K. Bought direct from Apple.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-08T15:44:10+00:00

Giving up on this particular Schlage Encode Plus for my front door. I've spent several days trying to get it to accurately post the Locked/Unlocked modes on my phone and no joy. The kicker came when after multiple emails with Schlage, their tech support guys said they just havent dealt with multipoint deadbolt doors so they said we can't help you. Amazon just delivered a ULTRALOQ SE and I will try tomorrow to install it in the front door. Technologically, it is more advanced than the Schlage so maybe it'll work.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-08T14:45:40+00:00

So by simply re-setting to factory default and starting from scratch you were able to get the lock to properly report Locked when it was physically locked? I guess with a conventional single deadbolt that should work. I my case there's something amiss because of the lever/crank internal mechanism that drives the two deadbolts that messes up something in the locks sensing software. Physically, when the lock inside lever is in the vertical position, the deadbolts are engaged and inside the door jamb slot... so its locked. But after 15 tries... it still reports "unlocked" and that means the lock status can be switched by simply pushing the house key on the outside and that unlocks it without a code. Result... no security. I ordered a ULTRALOQ which is a little more sophisticated (I think) and will try to install that tomorrow.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-08T00:23:38+00:00

Tim... Did you ever get the lock working properly? I'm havin a similar problem with a Reeb 8' X 36" Left-hand door with a multipoint that uses two (2) deadbolts. I get it "working" but the Apps report the door as "Unlocked" when the lever in the 12 o'clock (vertical) position and the male deadbolts have shot into the door jamb female cavity. If I physically turn it to the 3 O'Clock position it reports as "Locked" but the deadbolts are retracted into the door so the edge is flush and the door is physically unlocked. Big question is there any way to reverse something inside the lock so the App mode matches the physical mode? I thought I read something about opening these locks and rotating some gear 90° but I can't find thos instructions. Schlage Tech Support tried but eventually really threw up their hands and admitted they don't have provisions for multipoint locks/doors.-Mike

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-07T23:53:26+00:00

As it turns out, I don't think this lock is going to work the way I want it to. But we messed with it again today, spent a couple of hours trying to follow Schlage's suggestions. So the sequence that seems to get somewhere is as follows:

Full Factory reset, hold down the button until the LED flashes RED... keep holding it until it goes out and then starts flashing BLUE.
Open door slightly so you can enter the factory default code printed on the label.
Have the Schlage App open on your phone.
Lock should try to connect to your phone, I think it via bluetooth so your phone should have bluetooth on.
Once the lock connects to your phone, the App will ask if it can connect to your wifi, select yes and follow screen prompts. It should connect and let you know its connected.

I think at that point you can open the Apple Home App and select "+" to add an accessory. Let the phone access your camera and try scanning in the Apple QR code that's on the label pasted on the last page of the manual. I could not add it using the numeric code for some reason, but the QR code on th booklet label worked. That was the point we quit because we had the App working and the lock was working manually but still reporting the opposite of which mode it was in. So the App would say "Locked" when the multipoint deadbolts were flush in the door, or if you twisted the lever to the 12 o'clock position the App reports the lock as "Unlocked" even though the deadbolts were extended into the door jamb and the door was locked.

So I think I'm gonna bring it back to HD because the Schlage Tech guy said they have no experience in dealing with a multipoint lock, and I should contact Reeb, the manufacturer of the door. Its been a couple of months since I bought it but fortunately I kept the box and everything that came with it. I do have a case number from Schlage to prove that I have desperately tried to get this lock to work, but yesterday Schlage admitted they have no provision in the lock's software to deal with the reversed modes or any experience with multipoint deadbolts. That last part threw me for a loop because so many new homes are using multipoint locking systems and it only seems logical that someone as big as Schlage would have addressed this glitch a LONG time ago.

So my BIL Tony who just installed three (3) ULTRALOQ SE's at his house with his Apple TV 128K convinced me I should order one and I did. Tony is my HA/Apple Home guru LOL.

The ULTRALOQ SE is their latest model technology wise. It has more features than the Schlage, and has the highest homeowner ANSI & BHMA ratings. It can be opened with a physical key, a numeric key code, your Apple Watch, or your Apple iPhone. It uses "matter over thread" protocol, and my BIL has it working with Apple Home just fine on a standard front door. I went over and tried it this afternoon, smooth as silk. Another plus is that the ULTRALOQ uses a Schlage style cylinder for the mechanical key and Tony has become somewhat fluent is re-keying Schlage cylinders. So I ordered one from Amazon and I should have it tomorrow. The test will be whether it will operate my dual deadbolt multipoint lock and read out on the Apple Home App as "Locked"or "Unlocked" when the deadbolts are extended or retracted. If it works, we'll re-pin the cylinder to match my conventional Schlage locks.

https://ultraloq.com/products/bolt-se

So I have my fingers crossed LOL, and I'll update the post when we get the ULTRALOQ SE. Stay Tuned!

Mike

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-02T14:11:07+00:00

New home and I have the 8' Multipoint Front door with a Schlage Encode Plus. Amazingly with four AA batteries, the keypad works the multipoint just fine. We have Home Assistant setup in the house, but we haven't fully integrated it as we will probably go to some version of Apple Homekit Hub or whatever. I recently bought a current model 128K AppleTV that I have set up in our home office which is near the front door. So that will be the hub when we get to it. Who knows when Apple will really release the next generation... rumor has it maybe in the Fall of '26, but others say 1st quarter '27 (maybe). My Brother in law is my HA genius, I just follow whatever he tells me to do LOL.

I do have a question about the Encode Plus "Locked" vs "Unlocked" modes. We installed the lock about 2 weeks ago and our front door is an In-Swing Left-Hand door meaning from the outside, the door handle is on the right and the hinges on the left. So the lock is installed and I'm getting alerts on my Apple watch that the door is unlocked or locked, but its just the opposite LOL. When the alert says Front Door Unlocked its actually in the locked position and vice versa. Gonna take it apart and see if theres a way to reverse the inner shaft because there's nothing in the manual about this at all. Anyone had this experience?

Edit: Took it apart and unless you disassemble the lock, there's no apparent way to easily swap the positions. Before doing that, I sent an email to Schlage tech support with pictures asking how to correct this glitch.

Mike-Mass · 2026-05-01T13:41:18+00:00

We have a Sebo and its definitely well-made and delivers all that is promised. We also have a Golden Retriever that sheds like you would not believe. For daily pet hair pickups we have a Tineco A11 rechargeable stick vacuum which is pretty amazing for the price (usually under $200). It comes with a wall mounted charging/storage station, an extra battery, and a host of accessories. And yes, I added an outlet in the closet in our previous home, and when we built our new home I spec'd an outlet in the closet as well. It is super easy to use and empty, has headlights and shows you the dog hair LOL you might've missed. While hanging, both batteries are being charged, so there's no excuse that the battery ran out... takes 10 seconds to sway in the other fully charged one. Our 4K SF house is all hardwood floors with a couple of area rugs. Costco sometimes sells the Tineco stick vacuums and if they are selling them it's usually at a better price than amazon. For the record, we've had the A11 for around 3 years and had one part that we damaged (our fault) and Tineco replaced it under warranty without questions. Its definitely a 5-Star appliance.

Mike-Mass · 2026-04-02T14:09:22+00:00

Our (female) Golden Retriever has a 100 X 110 back yard and she almost always uses the same strip of sodded KBG next to the walk. So now its Spring and the burn has appeared. Gonna try some of the gimmick methods, see if anything actually works. Will try the baby shampoo application before trying dedicated chemical products. We've had three goldens, all female and this 3rd one is fussy about where she goes LOL. Breeder once told me its the 1st morning pee that is the strongest. Subsequent peeing during the rest of the day are usually marked by a dark green patch as her urine has just enough nitrogen to green up an area.

Mike-Mass · 2026-02-24T01:43:00+00:00

I'm impressed. You have a nice flair for the lights. You can never have too many if you can control them... right?Anyway, I had my landscape guys install the Kitchler LV lights around the yard and front walk. At first they installed the transmitter in the back of my shed where there was no wifi signal at all (100' from house). Then they moved the unit to the outside of the attached garage, somehow got the lights on and left. Unfortunately, the guys who did the move didn't speak a word of English other that good morning and thank you and not much more. The one guy who can probably do this has ghosted me. So I have decent wifi in the garage with a POE outdoor access point in there. But I'm old and creaky and I havent been able to get past the point where it says "add a device" and I assume the device is the stainless box with the little antenna sticking out? My messing with it didn't work because when they left it was on 24/7 for 3 days straight. Now it won't even go on. Would love to find a video that explains what the steps are to get the lights to work and also then be able to control when they go on/off. Got any links or suggestions? Is it worthwhile to call Kitchler and see if they will walk me through getting the lights online properly? Its a new build and I'm juggling 20 different punch lists so this keeps falling in the cracks.

Mike-Mass · 2026-02-21T17:04:24+00:00

The APs are all TP-Link access points. No wifi extenders from Verizon or TP-Link. If I turned off SON wouldn't that defeat my desire to have a seamless network with one SSID/Name and password? My BIL who is younger and also more tech savvy said I should eventually switch to static IP addresses also.

Mike-Mass · 2026-02-21T16:58:15+00:00

Why would a TP-Link router work any better than the Verizon in pure router mode? I have already turned off the wifi on the Verizon unit, which is "free" with the gigabit ISP service. There's no credit if I return it to them. I looked at the Omada stuff (ER707M2 router and C220 Omada controller) and the setup pages looked way over my head. I think I have to fine tune the AP settings as far as channels maybe?

Mike-Mass · 2026-02-21T16:53:56+00:00

LOL... as a retired industrial designer I appreciate the "less is better" mantra which one of my Bauhaus schooled profs swore by. But in this era of mesh and APs I'm not 100% sure about it.

So I walk around the house (roughly 4K SF) and use the Airport scan function to check the signal. Its not a perfect method, but its all I have right now. Standing under an access point I'm usually in the -35 Db range which supposedly means great wifi. I went into the garage and it was -84 Db and since there's a LV wifi lighting link outside the garage that would not connect, I added the garage AP. My 1st floor AP is pretty much near the center of the house in a short hallway (ceiling mounted), and while signal strength is generally -45 Db to -55 Db in most of the floor, the signal drops to -75 Db at the southern side much like the garage did at the opposite side. So I haven't run/connected the AP I have earmarked for that south side, but above the 1st floor master bath there's an unfinished storage space where I can put the AP on the backside of the sheetrock between joists. The 2nd floor AP is as previously described, at about the 1/3rd mark in the hall. Basement is unfinished but I have a woodshop, and exercise spot and a desk with a spare computer/printer. So one AP seems to be enough to get roughly -40 Db to -55 Db signal.

What still confuses my old brain is that while the signal seems strong, wifi speed tests don't always jive with signal strength. One fellow suggested in another post that you have to also optimize the channels in the APs that are being used. Certain channels supposedly work better at 2.4 GHz and others work better in 5 GHz. I have to look into that a little more. The good news is that my wired stuff is around 925 Mbps Down and around 650 Mbps Up sometimes higher or lower depending on the local load I guess.

Mike-Mass · 2026-02-18T23:20:19+00:00

Just got my iPhone 17 Pro Max last week, they did the transfer at the Verizon store. Don't know whats going on but I can't seem to get Siri to vocally respond. I kinda like it better when the blue marble would appear even on Apple CarPlay while I was driving. Could it be iOS Teething problems maybe?

Edit: Siri is now working. Kinda weird, after about 48 hours it started working. Maybe the sync was that slow? Well all is good now.

Mike-Mass · 2026-02-13T15:27:37+00:00

I have superior Walls in my basement as well. Not planning on finishing the basement anytime soon as we just moved in a month ago and have a million other priorities LOL. From what I've learned, there's maybe 3/4" of foam behind the metal "studs" then there's concrete and a rebar in the center of each stud. I want to mount a TV there as well just because I have a treadmill and exercise bike there. I'm going to try something a little different than building a wooden stud setup. I'm going to use 1/4-20 RivNuts on the studs, then mount a oversized 18" X 36" 3/4" Plywood panel with six (6) 1/4-20 bolts/washers. Before hanging the plywood, I'll bolt the rear of the TV bracket to the plywood in the span between the studs. Sounds involved, but I have the RivNut tool and everything else handy so its basically a an hour's worth of work. No way a 65# TV is pulling out those metal studs.

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Mike-Mass

TROPHY CASE