Lighting scene controllers?

[andy43]

Hi all, we are in the process of 'doing' the kitchen, part of which is going to involve various recessed downlighters, plinth lights, that sort of thing.
To control it what we'd like is a 4 button scene control system, so each button or scene gives a different dimmed output or combination of various lights.
One for eating, one for watching tv while prepping food (prepping usually involving sticking a fork through the film after slipping the cardboard sleeve off), one for, err, well, we need 4 ok?
Been looking at Lutron, Rako etc. Ouch.
Apart from the cost, it all looks so damn complicated.
What's the cheapest/easiest way of doing it? Any other brand recommendations?
Ta

[E31Shrew]

Recommend RAKO as very simple to fit and programme...

[sparkythecat]

Gosh - talk about making work!

I have a light in my kitchen. Normally it's switched off, but when it's too dark to see what I'm doing, I switch it on.

Occasionally, in late summer it dims a little.This is usually resolved by washing the accumulated fly shit off the bulb

[Distant]

I've been looking into getting one of these for our new house:

http://www.avbits.com/acatalog/Transcension_AR-32_...

I've never used it so not sure what it's like, but it gives you total control (and a remote!) for not a lot of cash. It looks like you'd have to programme it with a DMX controller though, and you would only be able to use DMX compatible lights with it, so unless you're familiar with DMX (or know anyone that is) it's probably not for you.

I read that someone on here had/was going to have LEDs under the kitchen units, activated by a PIR when you enter the room. A really nice, useful feature which could come in handy when popping into the kitchen at night. I'm planning on stealing that idea for my kitchen, and possibly bathroom too!

[andy43]

Ta for the replies - yes, making extra work for myself is what she does best
Yes, it is all completely unnecessary, but it'll look cool, and it's an extra gadget. Which is a good thing.
I googled a lot yesterday as well and found futronix amongst others. Think I may sift through the avforums to see what they have previously recommended too. I've taken a closer look at Rako, and it does look the best, but at a price.

Re the PIR - I've fitted a motion sensor on the landing, linked to led downlighters at ankle height, so when the kids get up for a wee in the night they're less likely to start switching lights on. There seems to be something genetic passed down from my wifes side of the family that prevents lights being switched off.

[Tuna]

Distant said:

I've been looking into getting one of these for our new house:

http://www.avbits.com/acatalog/Transcension_AR-32_...

I've never used it so not sure what it's like, but it gives you total control (and a remote!) for not a lot of cash. It looks like you'd have to programme it with a DMX controller though, and you would only be able to use DMX compatible lights with it, so unless you're familiar with DMX (or know anyone that is) it's probably not for you.

I read that someone on here had/was going to have LEDs under the kitchen units, activated by a PIR when you enter the room. A really nice, useful feature which could come in handy when popping into the kitchen at night. I'm planning on stealing that idea for my kitchen, and possibly bathroom too!

Have you priced up the DMX dimmers you'll need to go with that? It looks like a lot of hassle to get a system up and running, compared with off the shelf systems like Rako.

Edited by Tuna on Tuesday 27th April 10:39

[Plotloss]

Rako do a DMX controller. The RADMX

We do various lighting controls, Rako however is the one we do most of due to the fact its retrofittable and easily expanded.

[E31Shrew]

As plotloss said the great feature of the Rako kit is that you can steam ahead and get all the wiring in place and then add the controllers afterwards.

[Distant]

Tuna said:

Distant said:

I've been looking into getting one of these for our new house:

http://www.avbits.com/acatalog/Transcension_AR-32_...

I've never used it so not sure what it's like, but it gives you total control (and a remote!) for not a lot of cash. It looks like you'd have to programme it with a DMX controller though, and you would only be able to use DMX compatible lights with it, so unless you're familiar with DMX (or know anyone that is) it's probably not for you.

I read that someone on here had/was going to have LEDs under the kitchen units, activated by a PIR when you enter the room. A really nice, useful feature which could come in handy when popping into the kitchen at night. I'm planning on stealing that idea for my kitchen, and possibly bathroom too!

Have you priced up the DMX dimmers you'll need to go with that? It looks like a lot of hassle to get a system up and running, compared with off the shelf systems like Rako.

Edited by Tuna on Tuesday 27th April 10:39

I hadn't seen the Rako stuff before I posted that. I've spent a bit of time on the Rako website since and I agree, it does look a better product.

[Plotloss]

Rako also do a PIR, which can be used to set scenes, trigger events in the time clock and all sorts.

DMX is the correct application for certain loads but only certain loads. A lot of the good LED lightbars are DMX controlled so the Rako to DMX gateway is useful for those.

[Solitude]

I'm a sparks and despite the fact i don't charge myself labour costs....i wouldn't be arsed either !!

[hairyben]

Solitude said:

I'm a sparks and despite the fact i don't charge myself labour costs....i wouldn't be arsed either !!

same here, perhaps one day if I have a place with a big multi function lounge/cinema room with multi source lighting (direct, indirect, lamp standard, wall etc) I might, but not for anything else.

I have a quantity of reclaimed scene kit including lutron (24 zone!! how much £k?) and mode sat in the garage, ripped out because the clients didn't like and didn't need it, over-zealous architects just like to spend as much of the clients money as poss. What do you need in a kitchen, a 3 or 4 gang switch, with dimming for over the dining table?

[Plotloss]

hairyben said:

What do you need in a kitchen, a 3 or 4 gang switch, with dimming for over the dining table?

I've put out a drawing today for a kitchen, 14 circuits.

Granted that's one of the more absurd ones but we see 8+ circuit kitchens regularly.

[Tuna]

hairyben said:

I have a quantity of reclaimed scene kit including lutron (24 zone!! how much £k?) and mode sat in the garage, ripped out because the clients didn't like and didn't need it, over-zealous architects just like to spend as much of the clients money as poss. What do you need in a kitchen, a 3 or 4 gang switch, with dimming for over the dining table?

You tell us that after I've spent a fortune on Mode kit!

It's a challenge though - if you set up room(s) to have a combination of light sources, to give a better feel than just plonking a bulb in the middle, you end up with the problem of controlling it without ending up with a bank of dimmers to juggle by every door. There is a middle ground before you jump in with a full scene controller, but if you're doing a whole house doing it room by room costs a heck of a lot and getting it all to work together is a pain.

The biggest problem is the designers who completely over egg the problem and leave you with a system that just gets in the way of turning lights on. We ended up using standard light switches in most of our house and I've got the Mode software to program it so we can keep it simple and adjust it to suit our needs. The last thing I want to do when people visit is have to explain how to turn a light on.

[andy43]

Rako
I've now had a really good look at what's possible, and it is pretty amazing what Rako and others are capable of. But out of budget, waaay out of budget.
I think if I can clarify what type of bulbs and transformers are dimmable I'm going with a futronix - £400 is still daft for a lightswitch, but nothing like what silly-spec extractors or hobs cost.

Justification for crazy lighting system instead of a striplight with flies welded to it...
It's a fairly biggish space that will have an eating bit and a sofa'n'tv bit as well as a make toast bit.
So far there'll be 2 x triple spots directly over hob/island, another 4 x double spots around edge of the cooking area, a floating ceiling bit with rgb led strips over the island, more spots over the table and two over sofa plus an uplighter into a vaulted velux'd bit of ceiling. And maybe hidden plinth lights to make the island 'float'.
If I tried to hook that lot up to a 4 gang dimmer switch it'd be a right pita to adjust light levels. Plus I'm entitled to at least one gadget - it's part of the NuLabour promise - I don't own an Ipod, a camera phone or blueteeth, so if I want fancy lighting like the Empire Theatre I can have it so ner

It's all DIY anyway (cue Part P/think of the children council), so cost-wise it's just the bits. Ta

[Plotloss]

So you're going for a Futronix P400?

That's 4 Channel.

Rako would only be roughly £100 more than that for 4 channels and its a lot more flexible...

[MuffDaddy]

I'm heading down the Futronix route for the extension. The pirce was a little shocking, but then I thought about the number of times I'll hit the wrong switch/walk from one room to another to get the right lights on and it seems a fair investment.

[Tanguero]

X10 addressable dimmers on the lights and programmable scene controller. It may be older technology but it is readily available, reliable and best of all cheap.

[hairyben]

Plotloss said:

hairyben said:

What do you need in a kitchen, a 3 or 4 gang switch, with dimming for over the dining table?

I've put out a drawing today for a kitchen, 14 circuits.

Granted that's one of the more absurd ones but we see 8+ circuit kitchens regularly.

I don't doubt you, but the question was, what do you need?

I'm thinking in terms of practical use, rather than showpiece.

[snotrag]

We use Mode-lighting for all our control stuff at work -

http://www.hightechnologylighting.com/projects.php