Residential Lighting Control ideas?

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emahler

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Looking at a problem at my own house....about to need 8-9 switches to control front exterior lighting....looked into Radio RA...not nearly cost effective in this case....would be better with a Graphic Eye...

any alternatives? different manufacturer? different product?

the loads would be 2-3 dimmed, 1 fan speed, 3-4 toggles...
 
i like the grafik eye controls. you can control them w/ most universal learning remotes.

leviton makes z-wave devices also. they also have the DHC plc type devices.
 
What kind of features would you like other than dimming, speed control.
Do wnat integration with a AV remote control?
automatic turn on turn off. Panic mode.?
 
nothing special...just don't want 8-9 switches next to the door...

the only nice feature to the Radio Ra (or anything like it) is that I could replace the switch for the back lights and have then controlled by the front door...

but, not really looking for home automation or a smart house, just looking to keep the # devices inside the front door down...
 
Lightoilier makes a nice interconnected dimmer/switch system. You carry a control wire from box to box (purple wire) So you just use a 12-3 to jump power from box to box. Then you have a multi- button key pad. It's a bullet proof hardwired system. Not RF.

Zwave is feature rich and will require a device to program like a handheld remote.( 20- 300 bucks for a remote.)

There is insteon , the old x-10 , Crestron, PLC, I
 
emahler said:
nothing special...just don't want 8-9 switches next to the door...

the only nice feature to the Radio Ra (or anything like it) is that I could replace the switch for the back lights and have then controlled by the front door...

but, not really looking for home automation or a smart house, just looking to keep the # devices inside the front door down...
Click to expand...
A scene or zone controller may be what you're looking for.

http://store.homeseer.com/store/VRC...cene-Controller-Leviton-Vizia-RF-P611C70.aspx


http://store.homeseer.com/store/VRC...Zone-Controller-Leviton-Vizia-RF-P612C70.aspx
 
emahler said:
Looking at a problem at my own house....about to need 8-9 switches to control front exterior lighting....looked into Radio RA...not nearly cost effective in this case....would be better with a Graphic Eye...

any alternatives? different manufacturer? different product?

the loads would be 2-3 dimmed, 1 fan speed, 3-4 toggles...
Click to expand...
Are you wanting any scene control - or just on and off without a 9 gang?

If no scenes - take all of the switch legs to a set of 4G masonary boxes - linked together with nipples 5" apart from eachother in a convienient coat closet - then pipe over to the desired switch location at the door or hall. This way you have it set for RadioRA, or Graffik Eye - or what have you... But in the meantime, just use regular switches and dimmers... (*) And control them all with a master switch by way of a 1, or 2 pole on the circuit(s) feeding them. You essentially have a single scene, and if you want to change it - just reach in the closet.... And if you decide to change down the line to some rwal controls - you have that pipe to the actual switch location. And who knows you may decide to just keep it that way... Or something else will come out down the line...

BTW - that is essentialy what I did with my front ext and foyer lighting. Whats better than cheap? Some day I will gather enough (2) KP's from demo jobs to replace it with the grafik eye's I already have.

(*Meastro will make a neat fade in effect BTW to the last 'on(preset)/off state when the power is removed, or restored - great after a motion sensor...)
 
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