Home automation? Crestron/Lutron etc

[HotJambalaya]

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas. Im looking at doing up a place high end, and want to do a decent home automation system.

A friend suggested Lutron GRAFIK Eye QS wondering if anyone has any experience with it?

I want to do lighting, 2 sets of curtains, and maybe control a projector etc.

Any ideas about that, or anything else to look at? My friend gets the stuff cheap and is qualified in Lutron etc so can draw it up easily enough for me, so if looking elsewhere that should probably be factored in...

[NorthDave]

HotJambalaya said:

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas. Im looking at doing up a place high end, and want to do a decent home automation system.

A friend suggested Lutron GRAFIK Eye QS wondering if anyone has any experience with it?

I want to do lighting, 2 sets of curtains, and maybe control a projector etc.

Any ideas about that, or anything else to look at? My friend gets the stuff cheap and is qualified in Lutron etc so can draw it up easily enough for me, so if looking elsewhere that should probably be factored in...

A Grafik Eye is a good solution for single room mood lighting and it will do a channel of curtains too. It wont control your projector though. The brief is a bit lacking to make any recommendations. If it is just a single room of dimming then use a Grafik Eye and the projector remote control. If you want more rooms or more AV equipment then look at Crestron, Savant and if you must then Control4. Any of those three might be overkill though depending on your needs.

If we are pricing a job we normally ask people to send through floor plans and a room by room brief of what they are looking to achieve. There are quite a few case studies on the web which show what is possible if you look. If your mate is Lutron trained (and not just someone who installs Grafik Eyes) then he should be able to guide you through the process.

[chasingracecars]

I would be worried if a friend has suggested a Graphix eye as that just does single room lighting.

I am a Lutron and Control4 programmer but would still put you in touch with someone who does lutron everyday. (He also does Crestron)

Have you considered a lighting designer? They can provide all the circuit loads which can then translate to the lutron kit required. I would be looking at a Lutron homeworks QS system with a panel located somewhere central in the house.

Would you want Crestron to just control or have you thought about audio and video processing.

Feel free to PM me if you want a chat.

[HotJambalaya]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, the brief is a little lacking at the moment, mainly because I'm not entirely sure where to go with all this!

Lighting designer is something I have mulled over, and think I will be doing partly because the flat is in a corner and the living room is a little dark at the best of times.

the floorplan below is exactly mine, but a mirror image, taken from one that was for sale recently.




Just checking my email to my friend again it says, for AV use Savant for Lutron use Grafik Eye QS, and use RGB led lighting in the apartment.

I'm not totally sure about the projector yet, its a bit of a mad idea to have a drop down screen in such a small living room!

[Smiler.]

Or you could consider a KNX based system & add in the heating & ventilation controls too.

[Mattt]

With the rise in consumer grade home automation (assisted by HomeKit etc) are these expensive dedicated systems still required in a case like this?

[hairyben]

Id want a demo of any kit before installing it, particularly how easy it is to alter or create new scenes. Having to pay hundreds of pounds for a man to alter your lighting for you isnt very funny.

Have customers who've moved into flashy new flats with flashy new lutron systems who are very unhappy with it, to the point we've discussed ripping it out for conventional dumb controls.

[chasingracecars]

Lutron defiantly allows users to set new scenes. Lower cost Rako I think does too.

[chasingracecars]

I agree make sure someone who fully understands programming does it. Full demonstration and access to final code so if dealer goes bust you have something to pass on to new company.

Scenes are one thing button config and design are major elements.

[cerbfan]

Consider MODE as well, I fitted that myself to my place with some help in the design from MODE technical. Very easy to program and understand and lots of different options, sure it would work out a lot cheaper than Lutron etc and do exactly the same. As far as I understand there is very little in the difference in quality either when it comes to the dimming modules etc.