If you have a newer version of the control hub, you’ll find a small white sticker on it that says Version 1.4. When you plug it in, the display screen will flash with a 1 and then a 4.
While the hub itself looks identical to the original version, we’ve made software improvements that should help customers and homeowners understand it more intuitively.
Auto Reset After Outage
With the original version, during or after a lightning storm or power flicker, the control unit would be unresponsive. The solution: unplug it and plug it back in! But with Version 1.4, there is an Auto Reset that will return the unit to normal functionality after a power interruption. Customers do not need to do anything; the unit will handle this automatically.
Dusk to Dawn Changes
The original control hub came with the default timer set to “1,” and changing the default to ‘d’ for Dusk to Dawn could be confusing. The Controller now ships with ‘d’ selected as default, since most customers prefer that setting.
This latest update also includes better Dusk to Dawn functionality through the use of static lighting values to measure for light/dark. That means that the lighting will now act much more predictably. When initially plugged in, the unit will power up and begin to take measurements. After a few minutes of this, the unit can be turned off manually or allowed to remain on. This update completely removes the need for the acclimation period, which required the unit be left for a full day-night-day cycle.
New Manual Mode
We added a “manual mode” when the number ‘0’ is selected for the Timer mode. This allows full manual control over off/on and ignores the photocell readings. Users must manually turn on/off lights as they will no longer come on automatically when this setting is selected. Choosing 0 for manual mode is required if the homeowner wants the lighting to be controlled by a light switch.
Numeric Countdown Replaces Blinking
Some customers, when manually turning the unit off, expressed concern about why the lights would blink and thought that their lighting wasn’t functioning properly. In reality, the blinking was a countdown to off. Now when a user manually selects “off,” the unit will display a numeric countdown that illustrates it is counting down to turn off. Users can hold the Down arrow key to make it turn off faster or leave it alone until it automatically turns itself off. The countdown preserves the “Walk-Away” feature, but also provides more clarity about what is happening.