Setup question using the MicroAir EZ touch T-Stat

[kittmaster]

Bought one, on table waiting to be installed.

The install is simple surely, one RJ6 cable and remount with 2 screws.

What I don't see for those that upgraded to using this is:

How do you set up the options for each zone? In the CCC2 T-Stat there are DIP switches that you set to tell the T-Stat if it has a heat ribbon, AC, furnace on that zone etc.

How does the EZ Touch "know" what devices are active in the system? I can't seem to figure out how that piece is done prior to actually doing the install.

I'm not gun shy about doing the upgrade, just curious to know what I'm walking into...most say it's plug and play..... but the setup aspect is what I'm after.

Thanks.

[hawkspur]

If you bought the correct model, it's plug and play. It gets the info from somewhere

[kittmaster]

Originally Posted by hawkspur

If you bought the correct model, it's plug and play. It gets the info from somewhere

I noticed in the user manual in settings there is a "dip switches" settings....but since I haven't turned it on yet...I was worried about it trying to fire things that don't exist... or cause havoc.

While I'm sure it is meant to be truly plug and play... I'm the one who wants to know how the sausage is made......where the somewhere comes into play.

[BT2513]

I also like to know how things work but in this case, I plugged mine in and it automagically knew how to configure itself. Zone 1 has A/C and Heat Pump, Zone 2 has A/C, Heat Pump, and furnace.

The one setting it took me a while (too long I'm ashamed to say) was how to turn the screen off at night. There is a day mode and a night mode. Much better than hanging whatever article of clothing I could find over it.

[cazual6]

You're in luck. I just did it a few weeks ago. Here's the video I did.

https://youtu.be/1rd7WEuGXLg

[2012FB]

It was plug-and-play for me. They are simply matching the existing wiring and functionality. Standard settings the screen will auto turn off after a bit. I actually find the phone interface way easier to use and it does not turn the display on. What a nice upgrade over the factory Dometic.

[SilverPal2]

It is plug as stated above but the phone app is much more user friendly

[kittmaster]

Originally Posted by 2012FB

It was plug-and-play for me. They are simply matching the existing wiring and functionality. Standard settings the screen will auto turn off after a bit. I actually find the phone interface way easier to use and it does not turn the display on. What a nice upgrade over the factory Dometic.

Are you sure? The CCC2 manual even shows that you have to switch the dip switches to tell it what is available. I'm wondering if they are doing the same by polling the hardware.

Either way, thanks for the responses.

The only other hitch is that they came out with a nice mounting plate to "snap" the unit into and it covers the old holes for the dometic CCC2. But if yours unit was manufactured before Feb 2022 the back plate doesn't have the tab holes the plate attaches too. I got mine from Citimarine for a good price....I guess the expense is they got pre Feb units....

https://www.microair.net/products/ea...tat-wall-plate

They say you can use velcro to hold it in place after you break off the snaps.....so I'm trying to sort out what I want to do here.

Always something.

[2012FB]

Originally Posted by kittmaster

Are you sure? The CCC2 manual even shows that you have to switch the dip switches to tell it what is available. I'm wondering if they are doing the same by polling the hardware.

Never sure about anything but I did just plug it in and all the functions (furnace was on zone 2 center 1500 coach unit) were associated with the right unit and worked correctly.

[Kawboy01]

Ours was plug and play, recognized the two ac units, heat pumps and furnace. Just needed to set up the wifi to our hotspot to monitor off site. Excellent product.

[Hans627]

Originally Posted by Kawboy01

Ours was plug and play, recognized the two ac units, heat pumps and furnace. Just needed to set up the wifi to our hotspot to monitor off site. Excellent product.

Same here!

[Life is a Highway]

I like Micro Air products use them on our AC’s but am I missing something> Like what does this do above the stock Airstream Dometic controls other than wifi connect and let you play set up games with your phone searching how to run the thing? If its in your driveway or on a wi-fi system ok but in the storage unit or out in the Boonies is it not useless? I like upgrades but am not feeling the love for this yet?

Originally Posted by BT2513

I also like to know how things work but in this case, I plugged mine in and it automagically knew how to configure itself. Zone 1 has A/C and Heat Pump, Zone 2 has A/C, Heat Pump, and furnace.

The one setting it took me a while (too long I'm ashamed to say) was how to turn the screen off at night. There is a day mode and a night mode. Much better than hanging whatever article of clothing I could find over it.

[kittmaster]

Originally Posted by Life is a Highway

I like Micro Air products use them on our AC’s but am I missing something> Like what does this do above the stock Airstream Dometic controls other than wifi connect and let you play set up games with your phone searching how to run the thing? If its in your driveway or on a wi-fi system ok but in the storage unit or out in the Boonies is it not useless? I like upgrades but am not feeling the love for this yet?

In terms of Wi-Fi, yes, it connects to a Wi-Fi 2.4GHz network...but in my case....I have AS connected which as long as there is cellular service, allows me to see the trailer from anywhere in the world......like Nest or Blink cameras....so that is the main idea about the connectivity...if you don't have a cellular modem...then sure, your assessment is correct.

One of the most useful features is the ability to correct the inside temperature offset value....so if it really is 67 in the bedroom and its reading 71 on the gauge....you can put in a -4 degree offset so it reads the true temperature in the room.

Some would also argue that the GUI (graphical user interface) makes interacting with it a lot easier and you can "see" what mode it is in by the color scheme of the numbers......red/heating.... Blue/Cooling... white/static....less clunky than the push buttons CCC2.

Plus being able to adjust from the phone and monitor the unit remotely i.e. pets makes for some piece of mind.

[CMHM]

The AC units communicate to the thermostat what functionalities they have. This is setup directly on the AC. I noticed the switchboard when I installed the Microair Easystarters. See picture below:

[Squeegee]

When the factory installs the A/C units at the factory or when a dealer/factory replaces a defective one, their install process sets the DIP switches on the controller boards in the roof top units.

The Dometic CCC units get power and also communicate over that RJ6 phone cord with the rooftop unit(s) the same as the Micro-Air upgrade units.

I do not know the specifics, but, it should go either CCC or Micro-Air thermostat on power-up "Hey, what do I have to work with?" and the rooftop unit says "My settings per the installer's config say I have one of these and two of these and a furnace". From there either thermostat unit says "turn on X now, and turn off Y" based on what zone you have set with which temperature settings and availability of shore power.


Photos I took of my install can be seen here with a few comments after the post about whatever tricks I tried that helped. The piece of masking tape between the mounting guide and the thermostat when I installed it in reverse deliberately allowed me to line up to cover two of the four CCC screw holes and cable access, then remove the unit leaving the mount and guide stuck to the wall to then mark and drill pilot holes.


https://www.airforums.com/forums/f31...ml#post2592957

Squeegee

[kittmaster]

Originally Posted by kittmaster

Are you sure? The CCC2 manual even shows that you have to switch the dip switches to tell it what is available. I'm wondering if they are doing the same by polling the hardware.

Either way, thanks for the responses.

The only other hitch is that they came out with a nice mounting plate to "snap" the unit into and it covers the old holes for the dometic CCC2. But if yours unit was manufactured before Feb 2022 the back plate doesn't have the tab holes the plate attaches too. I got mine from Citimarine for a good price....I guess the expense is they got pre Feb units....

https://www.microair.net/products/ea...tat-wall-plate

They say you can use Velcro to hold it in place after you break off the snaps.....so I'm trying to sort out what I want to do here.

Always something.

Quoting myself to follow up on this post:

Micro-Air support is nothing short of amazing. I sent them a message via their online help support and was helped by Nick.

Told him of what unit I had and wanted to convert from the old back plate to the new style because I wanted to use their wall plate. He told me to download the RMA form and return the unit to them in NJ. Since UPS is a 1 day zone even via ground from Rhode Island, I got the unit shipped on Tuesday and had it returned to me converted and shipped back by that same Saturday. Like I said, nothing short of amazing.

I only had to pay to ship it to them which cost $11 via UPS ground. I asked them what the cost would be to convert the plate......no charge....even though I bought it from a vendor instead of their website store.

Got the unit back...and was ready to install.

Now, for those that are thinking about doing the wall plate....it is a very nice cosmetic piece...what I noticed was the HOLE PATTERN is TALLER than the CCC2 Dometic t-stat. Which means...if I ever had to remove the touch and put the CCC2 back....there would be two holes that are extended beyond the CCC2 footprint.

So what I did was used the top left hole on the old CCC2 and the top left of the new wall plate....moved the plate right (to cover the old CCC2 holes with the plate) and down (small picture interference)…and use the top 2 holes and created a "new" hole in the wall plate right of the circular hole that is there for the CCC2 backplate assembly....but within the confines of the old CCC2 hole pattern.

So the new plate is held by 3 screws instead of 4 but I can (if I had to) swap between the two units and cosmetically will not see any empty hole or capped screw cover up.

As told, the unit found everything ok. The only issue I'm having is with Wi-Fi...the screen says no internet...but Wi-Fi signal strong....my Alexa device works fine and internet is there...it works on and off....I have the unit attached to my router....but thinking I'll transfer it to the AS connected to remove any issue if the router is acting funny.

Overall it's a great product, app is easy to use, touch screen could be bigger, but overall I give it a 5/5 rating thus far.

I'll post up some images when I get a chance to get back out there.

[Squeegee]

Originally Posted by Life is a Highway

I like Micro Air products use them on our AC’s but am I missing something> Like what does this do above the stock Airstream Dometic controls other than wifi connect and let you play set up games with your phone searching how to run the thing? If its in your driveway or on a wi-fi system ok but in the storage unit or out in the Boonies is it not useless? I like upgrades but am not feeling the love for this yet?

Before I knew the Micro-Air thermostat exists, I was already beginning to hate the CCC interface. Perhaps I have too much stress still in my life as I am only in my 40's and have one kid heading to collage/Air Nat Guard in fall, and one more kid two years behind the first.

However, after driving for several hours, arriving at camp, backing in, setting up making dinner, converting the table and couch into beds and so on only to crawl into my own bed and realize the CCC is not in the right program/mode/mood to run the furnace or A/C at 12:30 at night usually hits a tipping point with me. Standing at the controller in the dark shivering or sweating...

The slow response of the CCC with needed deliberate button pushing... and trying to flip through each "page" of the limited display to see is this set on, or is it off, oh wait we are under program 2, which program does the front A/C... is that the 10PM to 7AM cycle or the 7AM to 10PM cycle I just changed, wait, I pushed the wrong button, back to page 1... no not program 1, program 2, wait do I push this button to continue to the page I want.. wait I just went past the mode I want... cycle through again.... crap back on page 1 program 1 again "I WANT SLEEP!!!!"

Again - I may have too much stress and need more time away in the camper, but now I can grab my phone off the nightstand, connect with bluetooth, tap tap tap... see what "program" I am on in CCC terms, and see what is all set to run, the temp setting, change what I need quickly and easily, and lay my phone down and be done.
If I want, I can leave my hotspot active in the camper and I can remotely control it via my cell phone while away. That would be how you would benefit from it being installed remotely vs in your driveway outside your home on wifi, but only if you had a hotspot or wifi at your remote site and if you had it plugged in to shore power, or at least were keeping the furnace on just to keep your Airstream from freezing and wanted to monitor/be alerted to changes.


Squeegee

[kittmaster]

An update to this thread and sort of a general PSA.

I will PREFACE THIS WITH: This is not a bash; more of informational feedback of what I just experienced forward in time.

The Tstat is still a GREAT upgrade over the CCC, hands down. Would I buy it again, you bet...

Um...ok Chris... so what's the issue.

The company itself is now the issue. Like many companies, they are growing, and when they grow, they get full of themselves and forget exactly what it took to get them where they are today (don't roll your eyes just yet, read on).

Many of you know that own the unit that it just went through a major update both in the GUI (Graphical User Interface i.e. Apple/Android Apps) and the firmware engine (the software that runs inside the device itself). There was a Beta of it over the winter and I had neither the time or desire (which normally I'd be all in) to mess with a system that is critical in New England god forbid we lost power for a long time where we'd have no heat... so messing with it was a no go and that was my own logic with zero input from the wife.

Come Spring, trailer is now restored for camping season and all is operational with some room for testing and allowances in case an update may go bad, I'd have time to get some help. My previous experience with the trim panel and Nick helping me via email (which I save all emails just for this type of stuff) would give me an exit in case something goes afoul.

So I "update" the system, it does its thing, I see the Tstat reboot...all is well and I'm like cool....carry on... we are still days away from any type of camping. As I am messing with ACs and furnace, I am noticing that the app isn't recalling the last known states of the system. Usually it would remember each zones last operational mode, temp, fan speed etc.. it kept defaulting to cool, low fan... and I'm like....hmm..

Here is where it gets messy... I email Nick... I get some canned auto responder email that says.... this email blah blah blah.... go to our website and use our "ticket system" to create a case... I'm like.... ok... I know how this movie goes... so I do it... fill out the form... and it is fairly easy, or so it seems.... I get to the end... and you click submit... the warning says before you submit... don't leave page or else all info (which took about 10 minutes to write to describe issue) will be lost … and what does the site do? It redirects to some unknown NOT micro-air site... I'm like... now I'm fuming...

However, I check my email, even with that, somehow, it did register and it did send a "we got your request ..blah blah blah"... ok. Wow, something is clearly broken in how they configured that ticket system and it is totally screwed up.

I do get a response within about 5 hours or so, and it is from nick... and now the form is like a for each response, you see it grow... like a forum post ..you/him/you/him etc.

He tells me to do a "refresh configuration" .. I'm like doesn't show that.. long story short... it never truly updated even though I watched it do it. I was on version 1.0.4 and 1.0.6 is the latest.

It took about 8 messages back and forth, each time, with the stupid redirect to some unknown random website... it was very irritating.

When it finally updated, it was a nice additional gotcha... when it updated, it is supposed to capture the configuration of your system automatically... nope... my zone two was missing the furnace, had to manually use the "refresh configuration" and finally got it back.

The other nice gotcha was when you "switch" between zone 1 and 2, you can see the ENTIRE screen graphics shift by 1 pixel... OMG it's like coding graphics 101 with a crayon.

I reported all of this back to Nick and they apologized for the poor experience and I guess will do a release at some point to fix the issues.

Before I close, in the mix of all this, I tried to CALL the number their website, and and ALL of the prompts on their phone system does nothing but redirect you to use their website for any and all product support and questions INCLUDING sales.

So what used to be a highly personal and very efficient company who seemed to care about their customers, their mantra has changed and in my opinion not for the better. His statement was that they would "call you back" if they felt it warranted a call based on the case and resources based on the issue. He basically stated that they don't have the required personnel to have live conversations or support unless they allocate the resource as needed.

Well, if you are growing that fast, that means your profits are too... hire someone to handle the things that got you where you are.

Again this is not a bash on the company, but more of a user experience that I feel has gone from a great experience to a not so great experience even though I can and would still recommend and buy their products again.

YMMV and I hope this helps some that may run into this land mine.