Lightwave knowledge

[LeeST]

Hi guys

Looking for some real world knowledge from people in the know.

I am looking into starting with lightwave. Just had a new extension and was going to start here. Reasons for lightwave are

1. It’s easy (I think)
2. Dimmers look great and have an oem look about them.
3. My garden has a bit of lightwave in it already.

I already have a nest so aren’t looking to do anything with the heating. Purely lighting and perhaps some sockets.

Now I can’t get into the app without the link which I’m reluctant to buy until I know more. But basically I’m looking for the following...

1. I assume app can switch everything on and off?
2. I also assume the app can be set with timers to set lights on and off for times like holidays etc?
3. Can the app set timers for relays such as the older connect type 3 way relay? (This is what controls my garden lighting currently but I just use a lightwave remote control for that)
4. Any reliability issues? What happens in a powercut, does it all go nuts?

May have some more questions to follow about my outside lighting config if I decide to go ahead and buy some kit

Thanks

 

[yorkspark]

1. yes the app can control timers, events etc, has on/off and dimmer slider also
2.indeed, create an event and then set a timer
3. if the relay can be logged on then a timer/event can be created, i use a relay for bathroom fan
4.all accessories have no problem with a power cut, the link/hub just does a power cycle and carries on as normal, however if power cut is when a timer was supposed to happen then the timer wont work until the next activation time, ie the next day etc, it doesn't catch up when power restored and turn all timers on/off

 

[IT Minion]

I've put in some lightwaverf stuff and wasn't impressed.

Compared to the Phillips hue style stuff it's a pain to setup and seems more flakey. Issues where turning lights off didn't take them entirely off, just very very dim. Issues with configuring LED bulbs which required a lot of trial and error setting the maximum drive settings.

The fact that there are physical switches are great and that is much better than Phillips hue style, but I was really disappointed by the experience.

 

[ericmark]

Nest works with Energenie so if you want to expand control of heating then Energenie may be an option. However there are some draw backs with every system so I can at least say how I found Energenie.

I found the light switch really fills the box, so in the main it means swapping back box for a deeper version. The unit will only switch on/off without using IFTTT three times a day, and those times can be selected as to which days of the week they are active, not seen a dimmer yet, the simple on/off has a special terminal for using a slave, but instructions did not even say a slave was produced, loss of power it auto switches off, can use three remote controls and the hub.

But the link is one way, it does not report if switched on or off, sockets are the same, no report on or off, there is a plug in socket adaptor which does report power used, but even that does not always report back, today while away from home realised it was hot, so went to switch on the AC which is plugged into the unit which switches and monitors power, seemed the AC was not running as showed no power used, thought I must have AC switched off, on my return room lovely and cool AC had switched on, just had not reported power used.

Only just installed Nest so never done a winter with it, the TRV's however some 2 years old, Nest is only shown on phone and tablet software, does not show up on PC, the Energenie TRV heads follow Nest, so my dinning room, hall and living room all at what ever the wall thermostat is set at, but if any head is below set temperature there is nothing to tell Nest to fire up.

When I selected Energenie to work with Nest it was a better system to Hive, as at that time there were no TRV heads that worked with Hive, now there are, so if Hive can be used i.e. don't require volt free contacts or OpenTherm it now works better than Nest as the Hive TRV head does tell the thermostat which in turn tells the boiler to fire up.

They are all improving, so because today it will not do some thing, does not mean tomorrow it will not do it.

Likely Lightwave is better than Energenie, but since you already have Nest, worth thinking about. There is talk about a annual charge for IFTTT, at moment it is free, Energenie will use it, so you can program in all sorts of daft things, i.e. switch on outside light when there is a frost warning, why one would want to is another question.

Trying to find out what works with what is a nightmare, told my son who also has Nest, but his is generation 2 and mine is generation 3 how Energenie works and he says will not work with gen 2? However I found will Gen 3 it would not do some things, and it was all down to how it was set up.

 

[OldJake]

I had a lot of Lightwave kit when I first got into home automation and have now got rid of the last few bits. I found it very unreliable in terms of range.

 

[bernardgreen]

They are all improving, so because today it will not do some thing, does not mean tomorrow it will not do it.

Equally true is

"" They are all improving, so because today it will do some thing, does not mean tomorrow it will do it. ""

 

[ericmark]

Equally true is

"" They are all improving, so because today it will do some thing, does not mean tomorrow it will do it. ""

I have heard it is being considered charging for IFTTT, and it is the IFTTT system that seems to change what can be done, I am not really happy with the idea if the phone line fails so does heating, I have had in last couple of years loss of land line and with it internet far too many times, it is not reliable, so having heating enhanced with internet OK, but to rely on internet no way.

I fitted a camera as part of the system to care for my mother, so often I was getting a call saying the alarms had been triggered and mother not answering the phone, or the intercom and having to drive down to check, I thought a camera was way to go, and some times after the call I could see mother was OK just got up early. However the camera only worked 75% of the time, I still had to many times drive down for no reason when some thing had gone wrong with the camera. An hour latter it was working again having done nothing.

 

[LeeST]

Thanks everyone.

It’s all a bit annoying really, I originally bought nest and was under the impression it was eventually to work with apple homekit. Google buying nest as out an end to that. Although I don’t care for the smart aspect of Nest (doesn’t seem smart at all to me, in fact it seems a bit thick) I still think it’s the best looking thing out there.

Back to lightwave, I took the plunge and bought the link plus. I already had a relay powering 2 circuits in the garden but that’s generation 1 stuff.

Connects easily and works flawlessly so far. Although again seems a bit rubbish that generation 1 connect kit won’t work with apple homekit (yet anyway, or is that forever?). Anyway it’s persuaded Me to buy some switches. Not interested in sockets at this stage but lights for my new extension is a good starting point.

I like the look, I like the fact that it’s all original looking as opposed to the bolt on nature of the hue system. But is pretty expensive.

I am concerned there is a lack of generation 2 kit but I’m only after some fancy light switches that can work in timers easily or off my phone so hardly the full automation of other systems.

The whole home automation does worry me tho, say in a year or two lightwave give up or get bought out then potentially you end up with an unsupported system that they stopped manufacturing for.

Guess time will tell