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Thread: Lutron’s Radio RA in Europe?

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by 21stCenturyElec View Post
    Hi Sashaz, you can have your electrician fit the C4 stuff and a dealer just do the programming side of it. We are C4 dealers and often work with clients on that basis.

    As willbank correctly mentioned the pucks can go behind a switch but to be honest unless you have or can fit a 47mm back box its not a great. When its used to switch downlights we would mount them in the void in a suitable enclosure. C4 are also doing a full centralised system which can be used on areas that get rewired and mixed with the wireless stuff.

    The other option could be Rako?
    The enclosures are not too deep I think. The problem with is that I have 8 down lighters in every room and I dont know the wring circuit for the 8 lights to know where the first power point is to the 8.

    This is my requirements to make it easier to get what I am trying to do.

    - 4 bedroom house no neutral wires.
    - approx 20 light switches total
    - control low voltage lights in some rooms and halogen lights in other rooms.
    - one room need a double dimmer where one is switch controls the line power to the down lighters and the other to the table lamps plugged into the socket (currently controlled by BO light sensors).
    - one room need a double dimmer where one is switch controls the line power to the down lighters and the other to control central light that has the same power as the down lighters (ie we presently have one switch to control both sets and I want to seperate them).
    - want to control with iphone
    - want light switches that are not battery operated.
    - dont like lightwave rf

    I have looked at all the systems and have gone round in a massive circle.

  2. #12
    Automated Home Jr Member 21stCenturyElec's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    The enclosures are not too deep I think. The problem with is that I have 8 down lighters in every room and I dont know the wring circuit for the 8 lights to know where the first power point is to the 8.

    This is my requirements to make it easier to get what I am trying to do.
    I would not worry about the start point of the downlight circuits any electrician worth his wage can find this in no time.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    - 4 bedroom house no neutral wires.
    No neutral at the light switch?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    - approx 20 light switches total
    How many lighting circuits though as some may be 2-way?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    - control low voltage lights in some rooms and halogen lights in other rooms.
    I would recommend getting shot of any LV downlights if possible personal choice I hate MR16's due to transformer burn outs and I mean BURN outs!!! a fire hazard.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    - one room need a double dimmer where one is switch controls the line power to the down lighters and the other to the table lamps plugged into the socket (currently controlled by BO light sensors).
    No problem?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    - one room need a double dimmer where one is switch controls the line power to the down lighters and the other to control central light that has the same power as the down lighters (ie we presently have one switch to control both sets and I want to seperate them).
    Not so easy, you will probably need a new leg wiring.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    - want to control with iphone
    Most systems offer this now.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    - dont like lightwave rf
    Can't fault you on that, until they make it a two way communication product with true status capability I would use have it on any of our jobs, pluss JSJS are a little guarded about their protocol.

    Have you got a realistic budget in mind. is it £100; £1,000; £2,000; £3,000; £4,000; £5,000?

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by 21stCenturyElec View Post
    I would not worry about the start point of the downlight circuits any electrician worth his wage can find this in no time.



    No neutral at the light switch?

    Its a victorian house so I know for sure there isnt a neutral at the light installation end. The switch I am not quite sure but dont think so (will open one up tonight).

    How many lighting circuits though as some may be 2-way?

    Thats 16 circuits with the hallway upstairs and downstairs having switches at outlets.

    I would recommend getting shot of any LV downlights if possible personal choice I hate MR16's due to transformer burn outs and I mean BURN outs!!! a fire hazard.

    Ok will speak to the electrician when he comes round

    No problem?



    Not so easy, you will probably need a new leg wiring.

    I suspected but was hoping not.

    Most systems offer this now.



    Can't fault you on that, until they make it a two way communication product with true status capability I would use have it on any of our jobs, pluss JSJS are a little guarded about their protocol.

    Actually its due to the switches looking cheap in my opinion.

    Have you got a realistic budget in mind. is it £100; £1,000; £2,000; £3,000; £4,000; £5,000?
    Well I think I would spend up to £2500 on it and then I want to maybe add the thermostat control later to it (the central control for the heating not zones etc).

  4. #14
    Automated Home Jr Member 21stCenturyElec's Avatar
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    Just doing a very quick bit of maths in my head using two products (Rako & Control4) we use on retrofit I think you may struggle at that budget, off the top of my head I can't think of another system that would get you 16 circuits on your budget.

  5. #15
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    Checked last night and the light switches have a ground (neutral) switch. So in your estimate how much would it be?

  6. #16
    Automated Home Jr Member 21stCenturyElec's Avatar
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    That's unusual, when you say neutral is it black/blue and connected to another black/blue via a connector block? Or is the black or blue wire connected to the switch?

    If its connected to the switch then its actually a live wire (line) which the sparky that wired the lights needs a slap as it should have a red/brown bit of sleeve on it to say its no longer a neutral. It's very common as two core earth is normally used and not many sparks buy the twin red and earth.
    Last edited by 21stCenturyElec; 3rd April 2013 at 06:49 PM.

  7. #17
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    There is a green wire attached to metal body of the switch. There are another two wires that go to the switch. The colours are black and a red wire (just had a look). So does this mean i have a neutral wire or not in the contect of these control systems.
    Last edited by Sashaz; 3rd April 2013 at 11:01 PM.

  8. #18
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    The green wire is probably an earth, because the switches have a metal body, so it isn't a neutral wire.
    Earth and neutral are not the same.
    The black and the red will be the live feed and the switched live, without testing the circuit I couldn't tell you which one is which. If you feel confident, you could test with a mains tester screw driver.
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  9. #19
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    Thank you. My electrician is coming tomorrow and he can have a look.
    Anyway I am pretty much settled on control 4 now. I think it can integrate with my alarm. It can easily talk to my sonos and also very easily communicate with the thermostat (hear miser).

  10. #20
    Automated Home Jr Member 21stCenturyElec's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sashaz View Post
    Thank you. My electrician is coming tomorrow and he can have a look.
    Anyway I am pretty much settled on control 4 now. I think it can integrate with my alarm. It can easily talk to my sonos and also very easily communicate with the thermostat (hear miser).
    Good choice, I don't think you'll regret choosing Control4 once you get it and it is so scalable you can start with a small amount and then keep adding to it.

    Which alarm system do you have?

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