Occupancy sensor

[Kansas Mountain]

OK so I need some time to study this system but just off the cuff could you tell me if I have the general idea of how this goes together? I'm thinking the sensor just mounts on the wall or ceiling (it's wireless and probably has a battery?) then it talks to a device somewhere in the near vicinity which then sends a command (does it use wi-fi) to the wall mounted switch/dimmer which then dims the lights to whatever the inspector is happy with or just shuts them off, so do I wire the switch like a normal switch, I will have a neutral in the switch box. Thanks

Looks like I'm late to the response and you're probably headed in another direction at this point. But for future reference:

• Yes, the sensors are wireless and are powered by CR 123 battery. The Pico wireless switches use a CR2032 button cell, just like what you'd find your garage door opener. All devices come with a battery already and have a minimum life expectancy of 10 years. Whenever battery placement is required though, they're all non-proprietary and replacements can be picked up from Walmart, drug store, etc. Per your assumption, yes, the switches and sensors can pretty much stick anywhere.
• The Vive Hub (the processor for the system) generates it's own WiFi frequency and communicates with the powpaks, primarily for scheduling and programming purposes. The powpaks receive wireless signal commands from sensors and switches for "manual" operations. Scheduled commands would come straight from the Hub.
• While some switching devices are available in hard-wired versions, mostly you'd want to be using the wireless devices to maximize initial construction cost savings by not having to install switch back boxes, conduit drops, and wiring to switch locations. But even with the wired switch options, you are only providing power to the switch - the communication protocol is still wireless.

 

[Kansas Mountain]

Just adding in there, Vive can do 0-10V dimming or phase dimming as well. 8T powpaks = 0-10V and PNE powpaks = line voltage dimming.

 

[Max Headroom]

Looks like I'm late to the response and you're probably headed in another direction at this point. But for future reference:

• Yes, the sensors are wireless and are powered by CR 123 battery. The Pico wireless switches use a CR2032 button cell, just like what you'd find your garage door opener. All devices come with a battery already and have a minimum life expectancy of 10 years. Whenever battery placement is required though, they're all non-proprietary and replacements can be picked up from Walmart, drug store, etc. Per your assumption, yes, the switches and sensors can pretty much stick anywhere.
• The Vive Hub (the processor for the system) generates it's own WiFi frequency and communicates with the powpaks, primarily for scheduling and programming purposes. The powpaks receive wireless signal commands from sensors and switches for "manual" operations. Scheduled commands would come straight from the Hub.
• While some switching devices are available in hard-wired versions, mostly you'd want to be using the wireless devices to maximize initial construction cost savings by not having to install switch back boxes, conduit drops, and wiring to switch locations. But even with the wired switch options, you are only providing power to the switch - the communication protocol is still wireless.

 

[Max Headroom]

Very succinct explanation of how this all works, thank you for taking the time to help me understandall of that. I'm getting the hang of it now and have called Lutron a couple of times in the last two days, they also were very knowledgeable and helpful. I actually didn't expect to reach them so easily. So I'm getting a dimming modual (RMJS-PNE-DV) which will go up in an attic area where my power and switch leg are (in a junction box which is on top of the old IRC's I'm no longer going to use) and then a Pico Remote ( PJ23BRL-GWH-LO1 ) which will go in a room below the attic area with the dimming modual. Also in the dining area, where this all started, my inspector was fine with the on/off inline wall dimmers so I'm not going to use the Maestro that connects wirelessly to the occupancy sensors but I am in need of a dimmer the can handle 208w of LED, so Lutron reccomended the DVRP-253P. I was having trouble finding that particular control so I called Lutron back and asked if there was another option, they reccomended the MA-PRO and reccomended I use the nuetral even though it is optional on that device. Anyway that one was a little hard to find also so in the end I opted to buy the DVRP-253P and wait until about the 24th of November. The tech support from Lutron said the MA-PRO was an analog and the DVRP-253P was digital, do you know if there are situations where one would be preferable over the other? Thanks

 

[Kansas Mountain]

The tech support from Lutron said the MA-PRO was an analog and the DVRP-253P was digital, do you know if there are situations where one would be preferable over the other? Thanks

I don't regularly work with either of those options, so I don't want to give you any incorrect information as far as when you should use one over the other, other than, the MA-PRO can do multi-location dimming, whereas the Diva (DVRP-253P) I believe can only have (1) dimmer per zone, any additional switch locations would have to be ON/OFF only.

 

[Max Headroom]

I don't regularly work with either of those options, so I don't want to give you any incorrect information as far as when you should use one over the other, other than, the MA-PRO can do multi-location dimming, whereas the Diva (DVRP-253P) I believe can only have (1) dimmer per zone, any additional switch locations would have to be ON/OFF only.

That is a very substantial difference, I'll keep that in mind and confirm with Lutron, thank you. Oh and BTW, I spoke with a second Lutron tech support and he said the first tech had the digital/analog story reversed, he clames the MA-PRO is the digital and DVRP-235P is the analog, not sure how to ues that information but it could possibly help paint the big picture someday. I recently hooked up multiple ceiling fans (2 units) on a single control, the reccomended control from Lutron was a Skylark line mod# SAS-5E up to 5Amps, Lutron said if the load was within the Amp limit and the units were compatible with a solid state control then it would work. Well the rep for the fans said since my fan motors were the 3 speed pull chain type they would meet criteria. The control did not perfom well at all, the motors had a loud hum and was basically low speed or full speed, I ended up using a RF receiver in the canopies with the accompanying control. I'm wondering, for future installations, if it would be a good idea (before the room with two fans I did an adjacent room with 3 fans) to run a pair of conductors to each fan motor, there seems to be some good options for controlling them but maybe easier to manage with individual controls?