Lutron lighting

[bernardgreen]

BG is not the person I was refering to ( he was Swiss ) , but I did hear BG had a similar installation.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

When it comes to automation, and use of technology, for stuff at the more whimsical and of the spectrum, a jolly good ROT is "Just because you can it doesn't mean you should".

 

[u587162]

Like I said before, my limited understanding of Lutron is if you have layered or themed lighting for a home with say 50 light circuits to cover every sort of fancy design light type across rooms etc and you want to dim certain circuits, you can't start having the number of dimmer switches that would be required to manually turn each circuit on to the exacting light level.

The idea is that you press one of the pre-programmed buttons on the rocker switch which then tells the Lutron system to put x number of circuits on at y light level. Not practical any other way.

Anyway I'm not saying I like this system as I think the cost is over inflated and I'd rather spend my money on a home automated system with wireless relays/dimmers in the sockets to achieve the same effect at a fraction of the cost.

.....and no you wouldn't need to give your guest an instruction manual. You simply press the pre-programmed button on the wall.

I guess most of you who have never used one before (neither have I) never changed their TVs when remotes were introduced in the 1980s in case your guests couldn't figure out all those buttons on the remote? So you still walk to your TV to change the channels.....does the same thing and changes the channel.

Similarly, still using a type writer or Amstrad 2086 PC because WordPerfect 5.1 can still be used to write a letter. Why bother upgrading to Office 365 which can also be used to write a letter......right?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

if you have layered or themed lighting for a home say 50 light circuits

If you have 50 light circuits in your home then unless it's the size of Blenheim Palace whoever was responsible for there being 50 circuits needs locking up.

to cover every sort of fancy design Light type across rooms etc and you want to dim certain circuits, you can't start having the number of dimmer switches that would be required to manually turn each circuit on to the exacting light level. The idea is that you press one of the buttons on the rocker switch which then tells the Lutron system to put x number of circuits on at y light level. Not practical any other way.

How about Plan B:

Don't create that stupid problem in the first place and then you won't need a stupid solution.​

Anyway I'm not saying I like this system as I think the cost is over inflated and I'd rather spend my money on an automated system with wireless relays/dimmers in the sockets to achieve the same effect.

Or you could develop some sanity.

I guess most of you who have never used one before (neither have I) never changed their TVs when remotes were introduced in the 1980s in case your guests couldn't figure out all those buttons? So you still walk to your TV to change the channels.

Don't be ridiculous.

Similarly, still using a type writer or Amstrad 2086 PC because WordPerfect 5.1 can still be used to write a letter. Why bother upgrading to Office 365 which can also be used to write a letter......right?

Don't be ridiculous.

 

[u587162]

if you have layered or themed lighting for a home say 50 light circuits

If you have 50 light circuits in your home then unless it's the size of Blenheim Palace whoever was responsible for there being 50 circuits needs locking up.

to cover every sort of fancy design Light type across rooms etc and you want to dim certain circuits, you can't start having the number of dimmer switches that would be required to manually turn each circuit on to the exacting light level. The idea is that you press one of the buttons on the rocker switch which then tells the Lutron system to put x number of circuits on at y light level. Not practical any other way.

How about Plan B:

Don't create that stupid problem in the first place and then you won't need a stupid solution.​

Anyway I'm not saying I like this system as I think the cost is over inflated and I'd rather spend my money on an automated system with wireless relays/dimmers in the sockets to achieve the same effect.

Or you could develop some sanity.

I guess most of you who have never used one before (neither have I) never changed their TVs when remotes were introduced in the 1980s in case your guests couldn't figure out all those buttons? So you still walk to your TV to change the channels.

Don't be ridiculous.

Similarly, still using a type writer or Amstrad 2086 PC because WordPerfect 5.1 can still be used to write a letter. Why bother upgrading to Office 365 which can also be used to write a letter......right?

Don't be ridiculous.

What you don't like me rationalizing? You're just not willing to give anything new a chance. Hope you locked the penny farthing properly and don't forget to blow out the candles!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What you don't like me rationalizing?

I'm so glad you realise that that is what you are doing:

Thank you for that - you have made my day.

You're just not willing to give anything new a chance.

I have spent most of my working life giving new things a chance, evangelising new things, and being paid to convince others to give new things a chance.

I am quite familiar with what are, and what are not, good and useful new things.

Hope you locked the penny farthing properly and don't forget to blow out the candles!

You do like being ridiculous, don't you.

 

[bernardgreen]

Similarly, still using a type writer or Amstrad 2086 PC because WordPerfect 5.1 can still be used to write a letter.

There is a company I know that still uses a Commodore Pet to control a couple of test rigs. Works perfectly well and does all that is needed.

Microsoft Word ? Have you ever met anyone who has used more than 50% of the features and functions available in Word ? There was this little sales trick whereby Word created documents that could ( at the time ) only be opened by Word. So if Mr A wrote a document in Word and e-mailed it ( or posted it on disc ) to Mr B then Mr B had to buy Word in order to read the document.

 

[u587162]

Firstly I don't have 50 circuits, i was simply giving an example of high end houses that the likes of expensive lighting designers, design for high end homes / Blenheim Palace like estates.

You're simply not prepared to accept that technology of this sort, be it Lutron or other form of home automation has its place and instead hold some old fashioned view that you can replicate re same with a couple of switches or take the view that layered lighting is just a lod of *ollocks and a simple Philips incandescent bulb will do.

 

[bernardgreen]

You're simply not prepared to accept that technology of this sort, be it Lutron or other form of home automation has its place

It has it place, no doubt about that. But is that place the average domestic residence ( a true home ) or a show house ( a statement of the owner's wealth ) where a resident technician is on hand to sort out the problems.

Maybe I am cynical but I have seen quite a few "automated houses" where the equipment was removed after a few months of use and replaced with far less complicated controls. In every case the dis-advantages of the "automation" far outweighed the benefits that automation provided.

An aquaintance and her electronics engineering partner built an exhibition show house that had a high level of automation. They found it difficult to live with and made extensive and expensive changes to the system and were never totally happy. When they had to relocate ( new jobs ) they found it very difficult to sell as no one wanted the automation the way they had set it up. I recall they had to have the place re-wired with convential wring before they could sell.

 

[flameport]

or take the view that layered lighting is just a lod of *ollocks and a simple Philips incandescent bulb will do.

What kind of 'layered lighting' would be required in a bedroom?
Or a bathroom, kitchen, hallway, staircase?
Or for any other room?

 

[u587162]

I completely agree with some of your sentiments. Programming a complex rule to turn on/off a lighting circuit or to automatically control the heating when an adult tv programme comes on past the 9pm watershed is a bit of an overkill and could indeed put a buyer off. In fact a friend in Spain said it cost him money to remove a sophisticated system from the previous seller. I get that.

The original question referred to an non average domestic house and that is one reason why I've not opted to go for a hard wired route like Lutron or Loxone etc. Instead using wireless allows me to build it out as I see fit and have a controller (whether Rasberry Pi or Samsung Smarthrhings hub) to do what I want (flood detection sensors, automatically close the mains tap, or alert me on my iPhone if sensor is breached and run a particular lighting program and activate CCTV). If you're going to say this is all a waste then I'm not really looking for that discussion because you're simply going to say it's not needed and have the same argument you had with others a few months ago about the GJD lights (where you're smart enough to build your own setup with a custom made circuit board but we're not all like you and have that ability so you completely dismissed the idea of such a product).

I'm certainly not looking to run a bathtub 3 miles from home from my phone, but there are practical uses for such technology which others here seem to be dismissive of. Perhaps a relevant question for the home automation forum.

 

[u587162]

or take the view that layered lighting is just a lod of *ollocks and a simple Philips incandescent bulb will do.

What kind of 'layered lighting' would be required in a bedroom?
Or a bathroom, kitchen, hallway, staircase?
Or for any other room?

Best to google it and look at the images. Im not going to try and describe a lighting scene which is obvious from pics. It's more than a single Phillips incandescent bulb.

 

[bernardgreen]

where you're smart enough to build your own setup with a custom made circuit board).

Which is all hard wired and does not rely on wireless in any way. If I ever do add hand held controls then they will use infra red comms. I would not risk using a licence exempt frequency and it would not be economical to pay for a licence to have "sole" use a frequency.

Am I paranoid about wireless systems on licence exempt frequencies ?. There are drones on sale now that use 433 MHz to downlink telemetry to the operator.

It is said that some of these these do not comply requirement for licence exempt operation. They transmit for more than 10% of the time and have an ERP ( effective radiated power ) of 100mW or more. One of these drones could cause serious problems ( blocking of the 433 MHz channel ) for licence exempt equipment upto a quater of a mile from where the drone is being flown.

 

[JohnW2]

There is a company I know that still uses a Commodore Pet to control a couple of test rigs. Works perfectly well and does all that is needed.

I still have one of those and, at the last count (only a few months ago) was still working fine. Ditto a couple of very early Amstrad PCs (without any hard drives, although one has a plug-in (ISA), I think 20MB, one).

None of the PCs/laptops I regularly use is less than 9-10 years old.

Kind Regards, John

 

[jamesmcbride]

Hi,
I have installed a Lutron system in a Medium size house (I guess it's all relative) so I'll say a fairly standard 5 bedroom detached.

It is a nice system to install, program and use. I would say probably one of the best I've used and if I could, I would have one in my own home, although I would interface it with the rest of my home automation system.

The system I installed was in the "homeworks" range and consisted of 2 cabinets with dimmer modules and motor modules to control external shutters. Generally two or three lighting circuits per room. As far as I'm aware, there is no requirement for active cooling, the modules give of no heat at all when they are off.

Cost wise (excluding installation) I would guess around the £20k mark - light switches are around £250 each.

Let me know if you'd like to know more.

James