[zybar]

What is everybody using for lighting and control?

I want to create scenes and remotely control track/ceiling lights as well as a few lamps.

Years ago, I used X-10 to achieve this.

Now I am thinking of trying INSTEON.

Anybody with experience with INSTEON?

George

[Big Red Machine]

I used the Lutron Grafikeye unit.  A pain to wire but easily controlled by any universal remote.  I had simple scenes like full on from the sister unit at the doorway, then remote to something in between for audio or sitting into the chair time, then movie mode where the overheads went down and the step lights went up. 

http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-GRX-3106-Grafik-Dimming-Control/dp/B0007SV2BG

[zybar]

Thanks Pete.

While I know that is an awesome unit, I really don't want to spend $750 at this time.

The INSTEON solution has me spending a few hundred dollars.

George

[randytsuch]

I setup my HT a few years ago with a logitech harmony 890 zwave remote because it allowed me to control lights and HT from the same remote.

I'm not sure if logitech is still making any zwave remotes.  The buttons on my remote started going, and I replaced it with a Monster avl-300 zwave that was basically the same as the Logitech.  Monster no longer makes this remote, but you can find them on epay.

They are kind of a pain to setup, it took me a little while to figure out how to pair the light switchs again with the monster since they had been paired with the harmony, but if starting new it's not too bad.

Seems like this didn't catch, kind of a pity because once setup, it's a nice system.  I have my AV stuff in a closet, both the Monster and Harmony have a RF-IR repeater so you can control things and not have to have line of sight.

I use a couple zwave light switches, and a couple of the appliance modules.  I turn on my sub and amp with the applicance modules.

Randy

[Bob in St. Louis]

I've got some old school Lutron three panel thing. Nothing fancy by today's standards, but neat, functional, and are great when you're too lazy to get up to dilly with the lights.
I like them, but the paddle switches are flimsy and three of the six functions are broken at the wall plate. You have to use the IR remote.
Not a real big deal though.

One switch controls a 12' (unseen/hidden) rope light for ambient that illuminates the front speaker/screen wall.
One switch controls seven 'can' lights and two pendant fixtures.
One switch controls four wall sconces

All lights are incandescent.
If they were on more often, I'd go with LED, but they aren't on enough hours of the day to make it worthwhile.

Bob

EDIT: The 'can' lighting took some time to make them not buzz/resonate with LFE from the HT when things got loud.
Also, some dimmers have the wonderful ability to make an incandescent light bulb filament "sing". That's an interesting effect. (sarcasm)

[youravhandyman]

I guess it depends on what control you are using now.  Lutron was already mentioned and Universal remote has lutron made dimmers that work directly with their RF remotes.  I have not heard anything bad about Insteon just haven't invested in the product line. 
I am a Lutron and URC dealer so I can answer any questions you may have about the product lines and help with recommendations.  Thus far I have not worked with z wave stand alone remotes only what is built into most major security and integration systems.

Matt

[randytsuch]

Have you looked at wifi light switches?
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Automation-Switch-Apple-iPhone/dp/B0089WFPRO
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Control-Anywhere-Automation-Smartphones/dp/B00DGEGJ02/ref=pd_sim_e_1

If I was doing lights, I would be considering something like this.

[Wayner]

Also, some dimmers have the wonderful ability to make an incandescent light bulb filament "sing". That's an interesting effect. (sarcasm)

Dimmers use a solid state device called a Triac, that is a half wave switcher. When you use the dimmer, the on/off time of the half wave cycle becomes less and less, creating a gap between the on and off cycles of the half wave. So if you can visualize the filament getting 60 volt blast for a quarter of a cycle, then rests for a quarter of cycle, then gets blasted again with the down side 60 volt blast for a quarter of a cycle, then resting again for another quarter of a cycle (then that sequence 60 times per second) the vibrations from the on and off periods create the "singing".

One might think this is hard on the poor filament and to a degree, it is, but the lesser on/off time with the use of a dimer actually extends the life of the incandescent lamp and reduces your electric bill, because it has less current consumption per hour in the dimming mode. I run LEDs par 30 lamps in my vinyl room, controlled by a Leviton dimmer, and it works fairly well. Tho you certainly can't dim a LED lamp as low as an incandescent, because the LED will simply drop out to almost off about half way down.

The main reason I switched to LED in the vinyl room was because of filament singing. I did find my LED par lamps on sale at Menards for about $11 each. Made by Toshiba and have a color temperature of 2700K°. It's almost an exact match to the warm incandescent lamps that I like, so they do blend in very well with my other low level lighting in the room.

Wayner

[Bob in St. Louis]

Very good information Wayne, thank you. That first paragraph said a bunch. I wondered how they worked.
In the automotive field, we'd call that Pulse Width Modulation 'PWM'. Fuel injection is the most common example.

Bob

[zybar]

Have you looked at wifi light switches?
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Automation-Switch-Apple-iPhone/dp/B0089WFPRO
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Control-Anywhere-Automation-Smartphones/dp/B00DGEGJ02/ref=pd_sim_e_1

If I was doing lights, I would be considering something like this.

Interesting...

I decided to go INSTEON and will install it in a few weeks.

George

[ctviggen]

I've had good luck with insteon.  I use a controller, though, for whole-house control, ISY.  This is a newer version of the one I have:

https://www.universal-devices.com/residential/isy-99i/

I have an IR to insteon device, but they made programming it harder than it was originally, so I never quite got that rolling.  In my "new" house, I was going to get that working, too.  That way, I can use my RF/IR remotes to control the lights and change scenes. 

Since I moved into a new house, I plan on putting in a lot of insteon switches so that I can control everything from an iPad/Android and the ISY. 

[dwk]

Those PSY units look very interesting when coupled with the Insteon system. We're looking at moving and I have just started looking into lighting control with the idea that we'll likely have a more formal theater space than we do currently. The idea of using Insteon for whole-home is very attractive, particularly since it seems well-designed for retrofit scenarios. Looking at some of the setups in the AVS forum threads they seem to be dedicated to the theater space only, and much more oriented to new construction.
 I'll definitely look further into Insteon - although a bit pricey it looks like a flexible and capable system.