I have a buddy who has his mind set on the system with all z-wave devices ( locks, lights, anything z-wave. Is it mostly for security guys or will an a/v integrator be able to cope with it?

I'm also looking for any feedback on the system in general.

Thanks a bunch

Very basic and very limited on what you can do, the zwave stuff is web browser enabled and also very limited with options. I would only use it for a customer that was just interested in being able to control a couple of lights and a tstat. It is more designed to be sold to the masses like the ADT pulse system, very simple to set up and install but also very basic as far was what it can do and control. We have done a few hundred systems with the total connect app for mostly businesses to get email notifications and remotely arm/disarm and I think the app is pretty slow and sometimes hangs up (even their total connect 2 app that was suppose to fix that issue). If your friend thinks that he would eventually grow his system and would like to control audio and video he would be much happier with something a step up from this. the security industry may call it automation, but from my experience the tuxedo panel and total connect are more focused around the mass market and are not really automation systems but more like dressing up an alarm system in the manner you would add accessories to your car. As far as automation and control, we use either rti or crestron.

Will it suffice as a lighting control system? Does it have any smaller keypads available or must you use the larger more expensive touch screens? I'm thinking of setting and controlling lighting scenes.

Btw thank you. Great info!

NO! It is not a lighting control system. Should only be used to activate lights or scenes when the alarm system is Armed, Disarmed, or if the alarm is activated.

We also install some thermostats that can be put into a "setback" mode when the system is armed "away".

Would you I be able to integrate a radio ra2 system into the total connect keypad via a phantom button?

I don't think so. Total Connect is not hardware per se, but an online interface that allows you to control and received status updates from your Honeywell Security system. To make things more confusing, Honeywell has released a security Touchpanel that has a home automation controler built-in to the panel. The panel will control Zwave devices, standalone, without TC 2.0. The unit also has a web browser so you can effectively control the devices from a PC or tablet, etc.

There are too many questions to provide you a solution, but I’m 99% sure that TC 2.0 is not the answer if you want a lighting control system and are thinking of using RA2 system. You would be better off using RS232 from a Honeywell Vista 128BPT panel and triggering scenes off of alarm states.

Definitely an A/V integrator can work with it, and it's pretty robust in the Z-Wave department -- lights, locks, thermostats, etc. It is obviously not first-and-foremost a lighting control solution, but for any customer that wants a security system first, and the bells and whistles second, it's damn good.

Thank you everyone. I really like the idea of using rs232 to trigger ra2 scenes. That will be best for him but unfortunately he doesn't know the industry well and doesn't see the benefits of a ra2 lighting system rather then z-wave. To my understanding there is no comparison between z-wave and ra2. Hell.... My ra2 wakes me up every morning. I doubt total connect will do that. In his defense cost is starting to rise quickly with a new house and z-wave switches are a lot cheaper. Oh well...

Total Connect is a platform, not a product. It is compatible with several Honeywell panels. Here is how to integrate Hwell Vista panel with Radio Ra 2:
[Link: resi.lutron.com]

You would add Total Connect on top of that as a cloud-based service (I assume TC works with this panel, not sure).

Even without Ra 2, yes you could still set events like lights turning on at a certain times with Total Connect + Z-Wave.

In an "average" home, the Tuxedo keypad is pretty cool - (for an alarm system keypad).  It is not going to replace any type of real control system but for the house that typically wouldn't be getting a real system, it can do a lot of cool things that will probably "wow" the average Joe Home Owner.  The more z-wave devices you install, the cooler it will be.  Door locks, T-stats and lighting give you a pretty powerful system .  You can set up scenes based on alarm status, and you can also set up timer based scenes.  
It is important to know that "Total Connect" services b/t the Tuxedo Keypad and the "Lynx" system work very differently.  The Automation portion of the Total Connect service does not give you the same control or feedback as on the Tuxedo KP.  I believe all scenes must be set up on the Keypad and can't be done thru Total Connect also, which is a huge downfall, especially if you've seen/worked with the Lynx system at all. 
Havent done one in a while - but i'll double check on some of the issues with the Tuxedo KP and Total Connect service differences in the morning.

Tuxedo could be just the ticket: [Link: cepro.com]

A few guidelines here concerning Tuxedo.

First, the Tuxedo Keypad can be marketed right from the jump, as a "Tuxedo Home Controller", because it doesn't need an alarm panel connection to function as a "Home Controller" (with Z-Wave & connectivity).

Using the Tuxedo as an alarm system keypad is as much of a bonus as using a standard touch screen, so no loss there.

A few noteworthy things to point out here.

The Tuxedo DOES NOT communicate with Alarmnet or Total Connect. AT ALL. It is a standalone device and has a web server built in, so that users can navigate to the devices address both locally and remotely, and access the GUI.

When connecting to the Tuxedo via the web server, you will see on your browser a near identical GUI as the one on the Tuxedo itself, thus eliminating the learning curve for customers. It functions identically to the Touchscreen in their house.

The Tuxedo has a port that it listens on, and that port needs to be forwarded properly to allow traffic to flow. Also, it would be very wise, VERY, to setup a DDNS service for your customer if you will use this feature.

Because the web server uses standard HTML coding, you can view the GUI on any browser (ideally PC, Mac, Android & iOS).

I've lived with the Tuxedo for a few months now, and it is certainly a good entry into the home automation market for Honeywell.

There are some serious limitations, such as scenes, triggers, and most importantly helping tech/sales/support understand the differences between this product and the Lynx platform (which in some ways BLOWS THE TUXEDO AWAY).

Overall, if you sell or install alarm systems, this is a great little product to help introduce home automation on a very inexpensive scale to your customers, but make sure you partner up with a Licensed Electrician & HVAC company, as selling lights and thermostats should be handled by their respective professionals.

^^^ What this guy said!

Has anyone experienced a situation where the tuxedo touch loses connection with all zwave devices? This has happened 5 times already and I'm not really sure why. I don't have a large house and my devices are well within range of the tuxedo touch. I'm having serious buyer's remorse!

anyone still monitoring this thread be advised that Lutron has completed work on the Honeywell/Vista panel drivers. You can disarm/arm remotely, set phantom buttons that can trigger events like if alarm then turn on all lights or turn on a small appliance. See below for more info.

Tom

Requirements
To interface a RadioRA® 2 system with a compatible Honeywell VISTA panel offered by First Alert Professional authorized
dealers, you will need:
• RadioRA® 2 system with Main Repeater (RR-MAIN-REP-WH)
• RadioRA® 2 programming software version 6.2 or higher
• Honeywell VISTA security panel with minimum firmware version:
– 3.13 for Vista-21iP
– 9.12 for Vista-15P, -20P
– 10.3 for Vista-128BPT, -128FBPT, -32FBPT
– 10.4 for Vista-250BPT, -250FBPT
• Honeywell Connected Building Module (4232CBM)
• Null Modem Serial Cable or Null Modem Adapter with a Straight-through Serial Cable
• General understanding of RadioRA® 2 systems and Honeywell VISTA security panel