# Blue Box Lighting Controls



## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

Putting together a bid right now and was wondering if anyone had a ballpark number on what a LC&D 1416LT lighting control panel and the Chelsea override buttons cost? Trying to get as much of this project cost out this weekend prior to RFB to my suppliers.

Thanks.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

knowshorts said:


> Putting together a bid right now and was wondering if anyone had a ballpark number on what a LC&D 1416LT lighting control panel and the Chelsea override buttons cost? Trying to get as much of this project cost out this weekend prior to RFB to my suppliers.
> 
> Thanks.


 
http://www.lightingcontrols.com/productcatalog/controlpanels.asp

They have online chat and email.


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## Wildjon3006 (Sep 20, 2011)

Do yourself a favor and include 4 11/16" boxes for the chelsea switches (to keep a wider radius on the Cat5) and a GOOD set of RJ45 connectors and a good crimp tool. The crimp tool and RJ45 connectors the system comes with is crap. The tester for when you make your cables helps, but is nothing more than a glorified dummy light. Before initial lighting of the system, there is a series of tests where you ohm the system out. Make 150% sure the system is not above that spec...80ohms IIRC. If you must call the tech support, get as many questions in as you possibly can, as it was very common to see hold times of over an hour. If it is, go back and check every radius on the control cable (Cat5) and make sure you have no bends with a radius smaller than 4". Check every connection also. It's a really cool system when you get it to work correctly, and I'd love the chance to install another. 

Did I mention, keep WIDE radii on all the cat 5 cable and buy a GOOD crimp tool.


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## Wildjon3006 (Sep 20, 2011)

Do yourself a favor and include 4 11/16" boxes for the chelsea switches (to keep a wider radius on the Cat5) and a GOOD set of RJ45 connectors and a good crimp tool. The crimp tool and RJ45 connectors the system comes with is crap. The tester for when you make your cables helps, but is nothing more than a glorified dummy light. Before initial lighting of the system, there is a series of tests where you ohm the system out. Make 150% sure the system is not above that spec...80ohms IIRC. If you must call the tech support, get as many questions in as you possibly can, as it was very common to see hold times of over an hour. If it is, go back and check every radius on the control cable (Cat5) and make sure you have no bends with a radius smaller than 4". Check every connection also. It's a really cool system when you get it to work correctly, and I'd love the chance to install another. 

Did I mention, keep WIDE radii on all the cat 5 cable and buy a GOOD crimp tool.


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks for the tips.


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## MarkyMark (Jan 31, 2009)

ONLY *HACKS* USE CARLON *BLUE BOXES* For..........oh wait...... I misread the thread title for a minute there.


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## randas (Dec 14, 2008)

Ill second wildjon's suggestions.

The factory support is great but I was on hold for over 2 hours to get thru.

If you can't get the system running go thru the test procedures to a T and you should work out your problem. Don't call tech support unless you've done the tests otherwise they will just tell you to go back and do the tests, after you've waited on hold for hours.

A cat5 tester is definitely handy, we had a couple bad terminations and it was a pain finding them with 1000s of feet of cat5, multiple panels.

My only complaint is our system was factory engineered, and was supposed to come pre-programmed. No such luck, I had to program all the panels and switches. 

If you have a phone line tech support can connect to your panel and program it for you, but we didn't have a phone line in the building yet.


If your pricing the job be aware that the system is supposed to be cabled with STRANDED cat5..


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Good info, I am on a blue box lighting install right now.


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