Re: Newbie lighting automation queries

["David Buckley" <db@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "aldargie" <aldargie@y...> wrote:

What you are looking at here is classical "scene set" lighting.

This means that instead of a large number of dimmers controlling
each light individually (and thus ending up with a lot of dimmers on
the wall), you "program" the lights into "scenes",
where each scene
is a collection of levels for each lamp.

If my sums are right, you need at least eight circuits:
Kitchen: downlighters, cabinets
Dining: downlighters and wall lights
Games: downlighters and wall lights
Living: downlighters and wall lights

Though you should think - NOW - if you want to further sub-divide
any of the areas, or further downlights on specific things, or spot
fittings, for example plant highlighters.

In order to do anything useful in the future, each of those circuits
must be brought back to somewhere where you can install a dimming
panel, usually the under stairs cupboard, but it doesnt have to be,
it could be elsewhere.  Do this, and you can fit something in the
future.  Dont do it, and you're stuffed :-)

You should also think about standard lamps that you may want to
control as part of your scenes.  Fit individual single sockets for
them, that are radials (your sparky mate will understand this) wired
back to wherever your dimmers will eventually be.  Then if you later
want to control the socket from your dimmers, it is trivial to do so.

Frank is (of course) right - a CBus system would be lovely for this,
and in keeping with the scale of the job.  A couple of dimmer
modules (watch the ratings) and a couple of neo or sceneset wall
switches, and the job is done. And you have the basis of further
expansion later, up to full automation.   But there are many other
options, the worst (and probably cheapest) of which is X10, but in
my opinion, if you have a 70sqm space to light "interestingly",
then
the cheapest option may not be the most appropriate.

Have a gander here:

http://hiddenwires.co.uk/directory/productslighting.html

You dont say if you are using low voltage halogen downlighters, or
mains halogen or PAR bulb or whatever, so just a caution: if you
have transformers, then they need to be dimmer capable, or bad thing
will happen when you try and dim them...

one CBus caveat - the sceneset control has a maximum of 9 channels
in a scene, and the neo has 10, so you may need to be a bit creative
in designing scenes, but given you have distinct areas it should be
possible.  Everything off or on (or on to a level) should also be
easy as you have enough channels to have dedicated dimmer modules
for the huge room.

Of course, I would remiss if I didnt remind you to think about data
cabling, video and speaker wiring blah blah blah.  SOmeone will be
along shortly with a public service announcment, I'm sure :-))

David.