# Need advice on a home multi scene dimming control system



## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Well running some new circuits in this new home of mine I’ve discovered that the original roof of this house has a trust system that is so beautiful arched and complex that the fact that it’s all covered with some type of acoustical tile is a darn shame so I’m going to rip the ceilings down and have all exposed roofing framework and either stain at all or paint it black and I’m gonna go with a steam punk industrial motif for the entirety of the den living room dining room dinette area of the house only the kitchen will be a typical common residential kitchen.

As such, it turns out that I have many things that I need to control by dimmers and switches on separate circuits such as the kitchen high hats the kitchen undercabinet lights the kitchen sink pendant the kitchen range hood light the kitchen footboard and crown molding LED lights the dining room chandelier the dining room wall sconces the dining room hi hats the dining room wall washers along with all the wall washers all around the entire perimeter of what will be this huge great room. Also I need to switch the common area wall washers the den fixtures in on the ceiling I have many antique fixtures to put up as display also wall fixtures sconces all antiques are all very artistically created works of art also works of art that have picture lights on them including a Renwal.

I also have to control the kitchenette table chandelier the laundry niche light switches opened in the kitchen the lanterns outside the north doors on that lanterns outside the main entry up lighting for the landscape all around the deck and the patio all of the outdoor lighting flood lighting that is there only because I get spooked at night because I thought I heard a bear or a wolf or a werewolf or a bear wolf or whatever the heck lives up in these freaking mountains.

And then there’s the outdoor feature lights I’ve got antique New York City post lights still with the gas burning burners inside them which have been converted which I am converting to LED flicker flame lighting anyway all this is going to result in banks and banks for switches all over the freaking walls and I don’t really want to do that so I’m thinking of going with an ETC system that stands for electronic theater controls because that’s the best thing that I know but everything that I know about Cine controls with remote stations command centers dates back to the 90s I’m sure there’s newer better stuff out there or maybe ET see is kept pace with the times who knows but if somebody’s got any ideas I’d love to hear them. Thanks in advance brothers!


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## Texan77 (Jan 1, 2022)

I didn’t read that, just wanted to say I miss Trump. Goodnight everyone.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Texan77 said:


> I didn’t read that, just wanted to say I miss Trump. Goodnight everyone.


Oh my god that is freaking hilarious thanks for the good laugh brother have a good night!  ;-)


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Texan77 said:


> I didn’t read that, just wanted to say I miss Trump. Goodnight everyone.


Laugh out loud.... I'm with you Tex.....


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

I'd look at Acuity in Georgia. They had some interesting stuff going on like 5+ years ago where they would pay to train you then you get $1500/ day to fly around the country programming people's systems. IIRC it was to run on a tablet so you have a flurry of sliders like a mixer in a recording studio.


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## SWDweller (Dec 9, 2020)

I did several Watchkeeper systems for a University. Computer based with real 20 amp 120 v relays for the work end. They had the ability to talk over a modem long ago. So when the light failed on Campus I could use my computer and dial in and fix the problem. California based I believe.

I also liked the GE RR9 low voltage relays, their boxes fit nicely in walls and have plenty of room for other equipment. The programming part of GE was crap so I used Omron PLC's
I found that you could go about 500 feet using 20 gauge twisted pair wire if you switched the neutral side and kept the 24v local. Just need to include double regulated power supplies (both sides) if lightning or field lights is in your application.

The only dimming systems I ever did were commercial based ones for theaters, well over $200 grand. I do not care for dimmers and would rather have levels of light.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

macmikeman said:


> Laugh out loud.... I'm with you Tex.....


I guess that means there’s two here with Trump derangement syndrome huh?


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

That GE low voltage system is still pretty cool after all these years. I have thought about how if you're after than steampunk look you could use anything you want for the low voltage switches


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

I have customers who have gotten stuck with lighting control systems that were obsoleted, it's ugly. Some the manufacturer just went out of business, others they just decided after ten years they're not supporting their old control panels and you have to spend $10K plus or rewire next time a core component breaks. Even some of the commercial systems were highway robbery, just terrible cost long term. I tell people, in my own house or business, on my nickel, I'd want a system and wiring that makes it easy to take out and replace with plain old mechanical switches. That is the appeal of the Lutron Caseta system to me, since it's the switches / dimmers that are smart, and it integrates with mechanical switches, you can reverse it easily. They've sold enough they are not likely to disappear.


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

splatz said:


> View attachment 163301


Wires terminate under those nuts?


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

oldsparky52 said:


> Wires terminate under those nuts?


Maybe uninsulated ring terminals for the full effect 👍


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

oldsparky52 said:


> Wires terminate under those nuts?


Yea and at 60Amps


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## Wardenclyffe (Jan 11, 2019)




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## dspiffy (Nov 25, 2013)

I converted my home to smart dimmers (mostly Leviton, Treatlife, and off brand) a couple years ago and havent regretted it. It's really nice having voice activated options, control from your phone, laptop, etc.

Otherwise if you want to go with theatrical grade controls ETC makes the best stuff. In my hometown of Madison, WI.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

macmikeman said:


> Real electricians only use Hubbell devices.


True. So do fake wannabes. 


splatz said:


> That GE low voltage system is still pretty cool after all these years. I have thought about how if you're after than steampunk look you could use anything you want for the low voltage switches
> View attachment 163301


Yeah thinking about it now out loud and looking at it on paper I’m thinking that I’m going to have a couple of Demers and then just three-way switch in specific locations used three ways and four ways in group lights onto those dinners with regular single pole switches so I don’t know if I’m gonna go the full theatrical route or not but we’ll see.



dspiffy said:


> I converted my home to smart dimmers (mostly Leviton, Treatlife, and off brand) a couple years ago and havent regretted it. It's really nice having voice activated options, control from your phone, laptop, etc.
> 
> Otherwise if you want to go with theatrical grade controls ETC makes the best stuff. In my hometown of Madison, WI.


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## avtechdude58 (Apr 11, 2018)

LGLS said:


> True. So do fake wannabes.
> 
> Yeah thinking about it now out loud and looking at it on paper I’m thinking that I’m going to have a couple of Demers and then just three-way switch in specific locations used three ways and four ways in group lights onto those dinners with regular single pole switches so I don’t know if I’m gonna go the full theatrical route or not but we’ll see.


Check out Brilliant.tech. excellent products and they will work with other platforms


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## Vyking.Electric (May 26, 2019)

Look into Insteon switches @ Insteon I think they may be able to do what you are wanting.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Vyking.Electric said:


> Look into Insteon switches @ Insteon I think they may be able to do what you are wanting.


Isn’t Insteon the reincarnation of X-10?


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Vyking.Electric said:


> Look into Insteon switches @ Insteon I think they may be able to do what you are wanting.


Thanks I’ll do that!


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

Vyking.Electric said:


> Look into Insteon switches @ Insteon I think they may be able to do what you are wanting.


Thanks I will check them out!


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## Vyking.Electric (May 26, 2019)

I wouldn’t know haven’t installed any x10 products. I have used the Insteon switches and they from what I remember communicate via the neutral. You can use the transmitter / receiver switches stand alone or expand the installation with the other devices, hubs, and app.


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## Rainwater01 (Oct 6, 2015)

LGLS said:


> Isn’t Insteon the reincarnation of X-10?


It would totally do what you need. It has a dual band mesh network. Communicates over the wires and a wireless signal for redundancy and unlike x-10 the signal gets stronger the more devices you install. It doesn’t need Wi-Fi. Only the hub connects to the internet. 

The problem is they’re having supply chain issues so you can get the keypads but the 2477d dimmer that you would need for single, 3 way and 4 way applications is out of stock. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

LGLS said:


> if somebody’s got any ideas I’d love to hear them. Thanks in advance brothers!


Check out Control4 home automation

When I used to work in Vancouver the penthouses were wired up with Control4. We had it controlling all of the lighting, electric blinds, hvac, home audio. Pretty much anything you want. Very reliable system once it's set up.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

BleedingLungsMurphy said:


> Check out Control4 home automation
> 
> When I used to work in Vancouver the penthouses were wired up with Control4. We had it controlling all of the lighting, electric blinds, hvac, home audio. Pretty much anything you want. Very reliable system once it's set up.


I’ll look into it, thanks!


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

LGLS said:


> I’ll look into it, thanks!


I haven't used them for a while but they communicate with a wireless mesh between devices. You need a neutral for the switches but there's no extra wiring required between devices.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

BleedingLungsMurphy said:


> I haven't used them for a while but they communicate with a wireless mesh between devices. You need a neutral for the switches but there's no extra wiring required between devices.


I went to their website after you posted the information and I do have to say I am quite impressed with it. I was looking at some thing a little bit more old-school but maybe if I’m going to put in some kind of a system or a go with what’s top of the line today before it becomes outdated. I was thinking of actually a few remote theatrical dimmer boards the kind that you hold in your hand and have about 48 sliders on them each one of them tied to a dialed pin patch so that each slider is assigned its own group of lights and they all dim simultaneously at the same rate but that’s because Of my background of supplying and installing large copious amounts of temporary power to Seattle traveling theatrical troops.


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## Rainwater01 (Oct 6, 2015)

LGLS said:


> I went to their website after you posted the information and I do have to say I am quite impressed with it. I was looking at some thing a little bit more old-school but maybe if I’m going to put in some kind of a system or a go with what’s top of the line today before it becomes outdated. I was thinking of actually a few remote theatrical dimmer boards the kind that you hold in your hand and have about 48 sliders on them each one of them tied to a dialed pin patch so that each slider is assigned its own group of lights and they all dim simultaneously at the same rate but that’s because Of my background of supplying and installing large copious amounts of temporary power to Seattle traveling theatrical troops.


You should totally do that. That sounds unique. I bet there are tons of used boards and dimmer packs out there since everybody seems to be moving to computer based systems. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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