Elk M1G and Motorized Blind recommendations please

[dw886]

Hi-

We're finally at the point where we're looking at window treatments. Our electrician "pre-wired" for electric blinds in our great room, which has 3 rows of 3 windows, for a total of 9 windows in a square. They middle and upper rows are far higher than we can reach, so we want to use powered blinds.

The "pre-wire" consisted of a run of 14/2 to each window. I'd like to control the windows via the Elk M1G for some automation.

I had a bid from a guy that installs blinds, and it was nearly $4300 for blinds, and another $4600 for something that can control them that interfaces with RS232 or RS485 (basically $1000 per window). Needless to say I was a little shocked and am now looking for a better option.

Does anyone have any experience with blinds/automation that can offer some advice, knowing that I either need to leverage the existing 14/2 wiring to each window or use wireless to control them?

Thanks!

 

[picta]

Your 14/2 pre-wire only gives you a power option for the blinds. To control them you would need cat5 or 22/4 wire as well, or use motors with wireless controls (additional cost). If you only want to tilt your blinds, there is a somfy motor with RTS for under $150 (just the part, you'll have to install it yourself or factor in additional install cost). The somfy rs232 to RTS interface can control 16 windows and will cost you about $400. I am not aware of any lift/tilt wireless motor that would be priced in similar range, but if you consider shades instead of blinds you could get RTS motors for about $250 each.

 

[dw886]

I know that the blinds that were quoted were Hunter Douglas. Any idea on what technology that they use?

Somfy looks like a good option. Does the elk M1 play nicely with Somfy out-of-the-box or am I going to have to manually program RS232 commands into text strings?

 

[picta]

I believe you will have to program command strings into Elk, but it is very straightforward. Like X1;UP is a command to open shade #1, if I recall the syntax correctly.