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Help with options for CBUS-RGB control...



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Also posted to the UKHA Forums in the CBUS sub-forum...
=20
An old chestnut I should think, but not an area I have ventured into
before=
, so I'm just starting to climb that learning curve..
So, I'm fitting out a home cinema in my basement... being a basement it
has=
a very low, and solid concrete ceiling... that means no workable ceiling v=
oid space, as the ceiling is so low already that I will not make it worse
b=
y adding any kind of additional ceiling covering, other than a 3-5mm skim
c=
oat of plaster... that effectively means no light fittings of any kind
affi=
xed to any point on the ceiling, since there is nowhere to conceal wiring,
=
and I will not tolerate surface mounted, visible wires! I know there are
ot=
her options to mitigate this, such as track lighting, or strip lighting
tha=
t goes all the way to the edge, where all wiring across the ceiling is
conc=
ealed within the track or strip fitting, but I also can't really have
anyth=
ing with any significant amount of drop, as anything hanging down more
than=
a few cm from the ceiling would be a hazard (ceiling height is exactly 2m =
from the floor). Plus even those things require securing to the ceiling,
an=
d drilling into the concrete is not something I relish...
So I'm left with wall lights, dado lights, cornice lights, furniture
lights=
, & lamps etc.. and I'd very much like to have some concealed, colour
contr=
ollable, RGB LED lighting... I already have various sundry RGB LED
fittings=
from Maplins that I've picked up over the years as they've been on sale et=
c.. such as: A49LW, and A16RA... these are fine, as far as they go... but
e=
ach has it's own controller, with one of those ubiquitous credit-card
sized=
IR remotes... using a bunch of these is hardly elegant... each is controll=
ed separately by a *very* similar IR unit.. I bet they all use the same
cod=
es and will interfere with each other if I use several of them in the same
=
room... if not, then I end up with several identical looking (and ugly!)
IR=
remotes on the coffee table...
I have CBUS in the room, CBUS can "do" RGB control.... and
typically there =
are a bunch of control options that I have to navigate through, and that
is=
where I'm seeking opinions from the group..
from the CBUS control perspective, it looks like I have a few choices...
DA=
LI, DMX, or analogue 0/1-10v  - those are listed in expense order, from
mos=
t expensive (DALI) through to cheapest (analogue).
As I am, in typical UKHA fashion, somewhat cost-conscious, the least
expens=
ive route is automatically attractive, so looking at analogue control
first=
...
I'd need a CBUS analogue output unit, an L5504AMP which I can get for
appro=
x. =A3200GBP. I note this is a 4-channel controller, so I'm therefore
think=
ing I should be able to run RGBW fittings to get a decent white as well...
Next I'd need a 0/1-10V LED driver... this is where it starts to get
bewild=
ering... there are loads of them online... but thus far most of the ones
I'=
ve found are just 3-channel, not 4-channel as I'd need for RGB+W. Does
anyo=
ne have any knowledge of or experience with any 4-channel RGBW 0/1-10v
anal=
ogue LED drivers?
Lastly I need LED fittings themselves... as I mentioned above, I have a
few=
cheapo Maplins ones lying around, which it seems a waste not to try to use=
.. they are all IIRC only RGB, no +W, but if I supplement them with some
ot=
her fittings with the +W I think that would be OK... (it will be
accent/moo=
d lighting, rather than the primary main light source for the room, which
w=
ill be supplied by some wall sconces).
So, I'm thinking that I *should* be able to ditch the supplied LED driver
w=
ith those Maplins items, and wire the strips up to the aforementioned
0-10v=
controller? - anyone have anything to say about that idea?
I am aware of course that using a single L5504AMP will only give me a
singl=
e control group for all the RGBW fittings connected to it - no
individually=
addressable fittings... given the size of the room and the number of fitti=
ngs I'm anticipating, I do not regard this as a serious limitation at this
=
time... especially given the price hike to jump up to the next option -
DMX=
which would give more channels & finer granularity of control...
I believe I have seen RGB LED controllers that feature both analogue and
DM=
X connectivity, so using those would allow me to upgrade the CBUS
interface=
option at a later date... but again, thus far I haven't seen any 4-channel=
ones... - anyone know if such a thing exists?
Any specific product suggestions & recommendations would be extremely
welco=
me!
=20
TIA
=20
Paul G.
=20=09=09=20=09=20=20=20=09=09=20=20
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<div dir=3D'ltr'>Also posted to the UKHA Forums in the CBUS
sub-forum...<BR=
>&nbsp;<BR>An old chestnut I should think, but not an area I
have ventured =
into before, so I'm just starting to climb that learning
curve..<BR>So, I'm=
fitting out a home cinema in my basement... being a basement it has a very=
low, and solid concrete ceiling... that means no workable ceiling void spa=
ce, as the ceiling is so low already that I will not make it worse by
addin=
g any kind of additional ceiling covering, other than a 3-5mm skim coat of
=
plaster... that effectively means no light fittings of any kind affixed to
=
any point on the ceiling, since there is nowhere to conceal wiring, and I
w=
ill not tolerate surface mounted, visible wires! I know there are other
opt=
ions to mitigate this, such as track lighting, or strip lighting that goes
=
all the way to the edge, where all wiring across the ceiling is concealed
w=
ithin the track or strip fitting, but I also can't really have anything
wit=
h any significant amount of drop, as anything hanging down more than a few
=
cm from the ceiling would be a hazard (ceiling height is exactly 2m from
th=
e floor). Plus even those things require securing to the ceiling, and
drill=
ing into the concrete is not something I relish...<BR>So I'm left
with wall=
lights, dado lights, cornice lights, furniture lights, &amp; lamps
etc.. a=
nd I'd very much like to have some concealed, colour controllable, RGB LED
=
lighting... I already have various sundry RGB LED fittings from Maplins
tha=
t I've picked up over the years as they've been on sale etc.. such as:
A49L=
W, and A16RA... these are fine, as far as they go... but each has it's own
=
controller, with one of those ubiquitous credit-card sized IR remotes...
us=
ing a bunch of these is hardly elegant... each is controlled separately by
=
a *very* similar IR unit.. I bet they all use the same codes and will
inter=
fere with each other if I use several of them in the same room... if not,
t=
hen I end up with several identical looking (and ugly!) IR remotes on the
c=
offee table...<BR>I have CBUS in the room, CBUS can "do"
RGB control.... an=
d typically there are a bunch of control options that I have to navigate
th=
rough, and that is where I'm seeking opinions from the
group..<br>from the =
CBUS control perspective, it looks like I have a few choices... DALI, DMX,
=
or analogue 0/1-10v&nbsp; - those are listed in expense order, from
most ex=
pensive (DALI) through to cheapest (analogue).<BR>As I am, in typical
UKHA =
fashion, somewhat cost-conscious, the least expensive route is
automaticall=
y attractive, so looking at analogue control first...<br>I'd need a
CBUS an=
alogue output unit, an L5504AMP which I can get for approx. =A3200GBP. I
no=
te this is a 4-channel controller, so I'm therefore thinking I should be
ab=
le to run RGBW fittings to get a decent white as well...<br>Next I'd
need a=
0/1-10V LED driver... this is where it starts to get bewildering... there =
are loads of them online... but thus far most of the ones I've found are
ju=
st 3-channel, not 4-channel as I'd need for RGB+W. Does anyone have any
kno=
wledge of or experience with any 4-channel RGBW 0/1-10v analogue LED
driver=
s?<br>Lastly I need LED fittings themselves... as I mentioned above,
I have=
a few cheapo Maplins ones lying around, which it seems a waste not to try =
to use.. they are all IIRC only RGB, no +W, but if I supplement them with
s=
ome other fittings with the +W I think that would be OK... (it will be
acce=
nt/mood lighting, rather than the primary main light source for the room,
w=
hich will be supplied by some wall sconces).<br>So, I'm thinking that
I *sh=
ould* be able to ditch the supplied LED driver with those Maplins items,
an=
d wire the strips up to the aforementioned 0-10v controller? - anyone have
=
anything to say about that idea?<BR>I am aware of course that using a
singl=
e L5504AMP will only give me a single control group for all the RGBW
fittin=
gs connected to it - no individually addressable fittings... given the
size=
of the room and the number of fittings I'm anticipating, I do not regard t=
his as a serious limitation at this time... especially given the price
hike=
to jump up to the next option - DMX which would give more channels
&amp; f=
iner granularity of control...<BR>I believe I have seen RGB LED
controllers=
that feature both analogue and DMX connectivity, so using those would allo=
w me to upgrade the CBUS interface option at a later date... but again,
thu=
s far I haven't seen any 4-channel ones... - anyone know if such a thing
ex=
ists?<BR>Any specific product suggestions &amp; recommendations
would be ex=
tremely
welcome!<BR>&nbsp;<BR>TIA<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Paul
G.<BR> 		 	   		  </div=
>



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