[Starbuck330]

Hi All, we had a Crestron Prodigy 2 installed in our home back in 2011. It was a home control system mainly for lights.
It served us pretty well until about 2 months ago when the old Prodigy 2 died on us. I looked around and found a second hand unit on eBay and I've received it already.
When I contacted our original installer to help with the set up he told me that although the old Prodigy 2 is still booting up it is not possible to copy and simply transfer the programmed configuration from the old box to the new one. Not because it is broken, but he says it just isn't possible.
Is that correct?
It seems hard to credit that the box can't just be logged into and the old config files downloaded and transferred across.
Can anyone out there advise a way around this?
Thanks in advance!

 

[thebland]

I was curious. I looked in the on-line manual and there is no reference to backing up a file or any back up at all. It still maybe possible but it is not in set up guide. I found nothing on Crestron's site.

I agree with your logic but can't find how to do so. The dealer may be right.

You may need your dealer to set up as new system with your 2nd hand box. Otherwise, I'd go with Crestron Home. Very slick.

 

[sbarnesvta]

I know you can pull compiled code from a 2-series, 3-series, and 4-series processor and transfer it to another processor, I have never done it with Prodigy stuff before.

Send me a PM with your contact info and I might be able to look into it remotely.

 

[Starbuck330]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies!
It sounds like it's not so easy (maybe impossible) to do this, which is a real pity, because I'll have to pay to get the whole thing re-programmed. Seems dumb.
sbarnesvta, the unit is with the installer and he says he's trying to find a fix, so I can't provide any login details. Thanks for offering anyhow.
thebland, I'll check out Crestron Home, but the cost of upgrading this system to current standard was quoted as $4,500. That's crazy expensive, considering I could simply buy the old Prodigy 2 second hand for less than $100. I think I'll probably just stick with the cheapest solution!

 

[thebland]

I wouldn't reprogram an older unit. You'll be well under $4500 for a Crestron Home system if all you use it for is mainly lights that you already have installed... and with it, the possibilities to update and add features are unlimited if and when you decide to do so.

 

[Starbuck330]

I've taken the liberty of copying the (de-personalised) quotation here for your comment;


QUOTE TO REPLACE PRODIGY HARDWARE WITH CRESTRON HARDWARE FOR EXISITING SMARTHOME SYSTEM

1) CRESTRON MC4-I : 4-SERIES CONTROL SYSTEM INTERNATIONAL 1 UNIT............................................................................(2,480 USD eqv)

2) CRESTRON SET OF (4) SMALL & (1) MEDIUM ENGRAVABLE BUTTON CAPS FOR
CAMEO® INTERNATIONAL 3 SET(S) KEYPAD, RIGHT SIDE, BLACK TEXTURED, INCLUDES CUSTOM ENGRAVING..................(148 USD eqv)

3) CRESTRON SET OF (4) SMALL & (1) MEDIUM ENGRAVABLE BUTTON CAPS FOR CAMEO® INTERNATIONAL
3 SET(S) KEYPAD, LEFT SIDE, BLACK TEXTURED, INCLUDES CUSTOM ENGRAVING.................................................................(148 USD eqv)

4) REPROGRAM WORKS FOR THE EXISTING SMARTHOME SYSTEM 1 LOT 3,
• 2-UNITS OF CRESTRON DIN-8SW8-I
• 1-UNITS OF CRESTRON DIN-1DIM4
• 2 x I.R CONTROL FOR AV EQUIPMENT INTEGRATION
• 1-UNIT OF PRODIDY PTL4 TOUCH PANEL
• 2-PCS OF PRODIGY PCB-I WALL KEYPAD ........................................................................................................................................(793 USD eqv)


5) SMARTZONE INTERFACE SMART GRAPHIC DESIGN PROGRAMMING FOR STARTER KIT........................................................(695 USD eqv)
- READY FOR IOS, ANDROID SMART CONTROL INTERFACE
• IPHONE & IPAD INTERFACE CONTROL INCLUDES 3D FLOORPLAN CONTROL

6) • TO TIDY UP WIRING AND CABLING FOR EXISTING D.B 1 LOT 450. plus TESTING & COMMISSIONING...................................(260 USD eqv)

Total Price = 4,524 USD (eqv)

So you can see why a couple hundred USD for re-programming doesn't seem such a bad option to me!

 

[thebland]

I still think they $4500 is the better deal.

 

[eatenbacktolife]

Never touched Prodigy.

3 series prodigy supposedly has an SD card in it though you can pull and clone. Maybe the 2 series does? I would pop it open and check

I take it he doesn't have your original programming anymore? It's only 9 years ago, I still have stuff from back then. It would make sense if this company went out of business but he still seems around.

He won't re-program a used processor for you? Considering I'm guessing you never got the source files and it seems he doesn't have them anymore it seems the least he could do.

 

[Starbuck330]

I still think they $4500 is the better deal.

Can you say why you think so thebland? I mean, I only use the lighting controls, and aside from a few minor alterations I might make during re-programming I'm generally happy with the current setup. There is the option of adding voice control through an Alexa interface (or maybe Siri), but I'm in two minds about having those things monitoring my home continuously. So what benefit am I really paying $4,500 for?

Never touched Prodigy.

3 series prodigy supposedly has an SD card in it though you can pull and clone. Maybe the 2 series does? I would pop it open and check

I take it he doesn't have your original programming anymore? It's only 9 years ago, I still have stuff from back then. It would make sense if this company went out of business but he still seems around.

He won't re-program a used processor for you? Considering I'm guessing you never got the source files and it seems he doesn't have them anymore it seems the least he could do.

The same company is still the one I'm dealing with eatenbacktolife, but the guy who did the original programming is no longer employed there and the company seems to have largely abandoned Crestron in favour of other smarthome suppliers (the above quote is from a different company still doing Crestron here). The original installers haven't said they will not help - they are just being very slow about their 'investigations' of exactly what is wrong with the old unit and (as I said) have told me they think it's impossible to recover the setup. Maybe I'll try talking direct to Crestron HQ!

 

[smoothtlk]

I am not a guru with Crestron but find it hard to believe that the programming can't be 1) found by the original installing company or 2) extracted out of the old controller if it's in good enough condition. Of course if it's "in good enough condition"...then why does it need to be replaced...

If there was a protocol document available on controlling your Crestron lighting system, then we could write a driver and you could move off of the proprietary Crestron stuff onto a platform that is supported and DIY friendly. At less expensive than the quote to get back to a closed system again.

 

[Starbuck330]

Hi Folks. I have good news. The original installer finally came through for us - he returned yesterday with the 'old' Prodigy 2 box and told us he had repaired it. It was connected up to the system again, and after a small bit of tweaking it worked! So at least we have full control of our lighting systems restored!
Since we have the 'new' box as well I asked him again about copying the programming across to it and keeping it as a backup in case of another failure. But he still insists it cannot be done.
Meantime I had written to Crestron HQ asking them about the veracity of that opinion. I got an email back from them yesterday, but all it said was 'we are getting a local agent in your country to contact you'. I'm quite frustrated by that response - I think the 'agent' they are referring to is the guy who quoted the $4,500 repair above, and I'm not convinced I'll get the full facts from him either.

On another note - has anyone on here ever been able to link or interface an Alexa speaker with a Crestron Prodigy for voice control? I've played around with the IFTT software and managed to do some interesting things with other (non Crestron) sensors in the house, but I can't see any easy link up to Crestron (unlike they have with many other sensor/controller manufacturers). Is there a way to do it?

 

[thebland]

Hi Folks. I have good news. The original installer finally came through for us - he returned yesterday with the 'old' Prodigy 2 box and told us he had repaired it. It was connected up to the system again, and after a small bit of tweaking it worked! So at least we have full control of our lighting systems restored!
Since we have the 'new' box as well I asked him again about copying the programming across to it and keeping it as a backup in case of another failure. But he still insists it cannot be done.
Meantime I had written to Crestron HQ asking them about the veracity of that opinion. I got an email back from them yesterday, but all it said was 'we are getting a local agent in your country to contact you'. I'm quite frustrated by that response - I think the 'agent' they are referring to is the guy who quoted the $4,500 repair above, and I'm not convinced I'll get the full facts from him either.

On another note - has anyone on here ever been able to link or interface an Alexa speaker with a Crestron Prodigy for voice control? I've played around with the IFTT software and managed to do some interesting things with other (non Crestron) sensors in the house, but I can't see any easy link up to Crestron (unlike they have with many other sensor/controller manufacturers). Is there a way to do it?

This is where the $4500 is a good investment. The dated, discontinued system you own, you can’t do modern features like Alexa. That has to be integrated into the processor. Even in Crestron Home, Alexa can do lights and other automation items but A/V is not yet enabled.

Glad you have your old system back online.

 

[Starbuck330]

Thanks thebland. Just one further update - the 'Country Manager' of Crestron actually got in touch yesterday, and he says the old config can be copied across. He says it's not simple, but is possible by a knowledgeable programmer. So I'm getting in touch with a programmer now to see if he can do it. Then we will have a spare P2 in case of another breakdown.

Thanks also for the info on Alexa. I guess there is some benefit in an upgrade then, as you say. But the upgrade involves replacing all those keypads (which are working fine with the P2) and all it great cost.
I am in two minds about voice control - I love the functionality - but I'm concerned about privacy. So I'm not rushing in to it.