Re: Best approach to HA for lighting control

[James Reed <james@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi

Thanks very much for this Paul, this is encouraging!

I've had a look at some of the websites which sell C-bus kit but I'm
having a little difficulty in working out what's what. So if I wanted to
do as you suggest on a room-by-room basis, what sort of thing would I
need? I was thinking of either a dimmer or a switched relay for the
lights. Would it need to be a DIN based unit, and if so would this need
to be mounted away from the lights or is there some alternative?

thanks

James

On 24/05/2012 8:41 PM, Paul Gordon wrote:
>
> James,
>
> The scenario you describe is exactly the same as mine....
>
> YES, you absolutely can install CBUS piecemeal... - you can start off
with
> nothing more than a relay or dimmer module to control some load(s),
and a
> wall switch to control it, and a run of CAT5 between them... that
little
> would give you a functioning CBUS system - notwithstanding a few
caveats;
> you wouldn't have a friendly way to commission the units & do any
> programming, but they do have a "learn" mode for precisely
this
> scenario.. -
> you would also have to ensure that the output unit you selected first
> (dimmer or relay module) was equipped with a CBUS power supply (not
all
> are)....
>
> I would highly recommend the wired CBUS solution... it is 100% rock
solid,
> well known, well supported, and likely to be around for a while yet.
> It can
> be integrated with the CBUS wireless kit, - as well as a host of other
3rd
> party products such as Comfort...
>
> I would recommend that as you renovate each room, you install a run of
> proper CBUS pink CAT5 cable into every wallswitch backbox (that pink
CAT5
> cable is certified for use inside the same enclosure where mains is
> present,
> ordinary computer CAT5 cable is not). Take each run from each
wallswitch
> back to either a single central location - if possible - since it is
more
> convenient that way, - or if that's difficult, at least to as few
> points as
> possible. Note that CBUS does NOT enforce any rigid toplogy for its
wired
> network... you can use bus or star topology, or indeed a completely
random
> mix of the two...
>
> I have done all my own CBUS installation and programming myself... - I
did
> go on an official Clipsal training course a few years ago, but
> honestly, if
> you are at least reasonably competent with wiring electrics, it really
> isn't
> that difficult... and there's plenty of people on this list who have
done
> the same (even one or two who have worked for the company!), so
there's no
> shortage of help & expertise available here... - you definitely
don't
> *need*
> to hire a specialist if you don't want to, - but do refer back to my
point
> about how comfortable you are with your own level of competence... -
in my
> experience, I found that "general electricians" were pretty
much
> hopeless...
> most had never heard of or seen CBUS - or any similar such HA system,
and
> were pretty much flummoxed by the wiring requirements for it - until I
> showed them!
>
> As I think you have realised, CBUS is a proper tried & trusted
system, and
> you are paying a little more for the reliability... My opinion is that
> it is
> worth it for the peace of mind... my mantra these days is "to buy
cheap is
> to buy twice"...
>
> HTH
>
> Paul G.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>]
On
> Behalf Of
> James Reed
> Sent: 24 May 2012 19:14
> To: Ukha_D@xxxxxxx <mailto:Ukha_D%40Yahoogroups.Com>
> Subject: [ukha_d] Best approach to HA for lighting control
>
> Hi
>
> I'm in the middle of buying a house, which is a largish Victorian
terrace.
> It needs a lot of work but we are going to have to do it in stages
because
> we can't afford a full scale renovation in one go - and anyway we have
to
> live in it!
>
> I'd love to embed some HA really to do lighting control to begin with
> although I'd like to extend it to other things in due course. I've got
> some
> Homeeasy products at the moment, and although I found the switched
sockets
> good the lighting modules / dimmers have been unreliable and I'm not
> really
> satisfied with it as a permanent / long term solution. Also I hear
that
> lightwaverf has similar issues and it does not seem to be well
supported
> either.
>
> I've looked at things like c-bus wireless which looks much better but
is
> expensive. Ideally I would like to use a wired solution with cat5
> everywhere, and this may prove possible but it would have to be done
> room by
> room.
>
> If I was going to use c-bus could I do it on a piecemeal basis or
would it
> need to be done in one go? ALso do I need a specialist installer or
> could it
> be done diy or with help from a general electrician? Are there any
other
> systems I should consider? I don't have much budget for this so would
> prefer
> to be cheaper if poss but I'm aware that you get what you pay for and
I've
> not found HE that good even though it was cheap.
>
> I'd be grateful for any thoughts
>
> James
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>



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