Insteon controlling a grafik eye?

[english_1969]

Hi,

I have am working on deploying my Insteon lighting switches and now am wondering if someone has a suggested way to allow me to turn my Grafix Eye in my theater room on/off from an Insteon keypad?

I only really want to be able to turn the lights on and off, no dimming or anything like that.

I'm assuming that I could use some sort of insteon I/O device to feed a relay driven on/off to something controlling the grafix eye.

While I've not deployed it yet, my theater and grafik eye will be controlled with a Crestron controller and wireless touchpanel.

Suggestions? Experience?

Thanks,
W

 

[Herdfan]

Suggestions? Experience?

Question. Why in the world would you want to control a Lutron product with Insteon? That is like putting homemade biodiesel in a Ferrari (assuming said Ferrari was diesel ). Plus you have a Crestron controller. You are mixing products and not in a good way.

Plus, it can't really be good to keep cutting power to the GE. But if you really insist, does the GE have an RS-232 port? Use either that or an IR flasher via a software controller like CQC or Homeseer to take the keypad input and send out a command to the GE.

 

[GraysonPeddie]

Oh, please... Try to keep an open mind....

It's nice to interoperate with different technologies! I see nothing wrong with communicating from Insteon to Lutron and back to Insteon. It really depends on what you're trying to do and what technology/software you're using to control devices, no matter the protocol.

 

[BLH]

Simplehomenet has some interface modules that are Insteon. Some have inputs and outputs. Some input or output only.

http://www.simplehomenet.com/default.asp

 

[MikeB]

I have am working on deploying my Insteon lighting switches and now am wondering if someone has a suggested way to allow me to turn my Grafix Eye in my theater room on/off from an Insteon keypad?

Is it IR controllable?

If so, maybe the SHN IR module:
http://www.simplehomenet.com/prods.asp?pag...dServers_EZUIRT

I haven't used it personally, but haven't really heard any complaints.

 

[english_1969]

Problem Solved!

Lutron has an interface (GRX-AV) that allows dry contact control of the Grafik Eye using the bus interface. So I can get one of the Insteon relay devices to control it.

As to the question: "Why....?"

Well, my house lighting is Insteon and my theater lighting is controlled by the grafik eye+crestron. The theater is dedicated, located in the basement and under the garage. All I want to be able to do is turn on or off the lights in the theater from a remote insteon keypad.

My lighting strategy has been to place keypads at all the traffic locations in the house, to at all the stair landings, outside doors, etc. On my landing to the basement I have an 8 button controller that controls the lights to the 1) stairs, 2) main basement lighting, 3) kitchen, 4) exercise, 5) office, 6) craft, 7) lamps, 8) theater.

I would not use Insteon to control scenes, that would be left to the theater controller.

Thanks,
W

 

[Herdfan]

As to the question: "Why....?"

Well, my house lighting is Insteon and my theater lighting is controlled by the grafik eye+crestron.

I guess the "why" is more related to using Insteon for house lighting when you have Lutron and Crestron already. These are a couple of the best lighting control manufacturers out there. I'm sure there is an analogy out there, I can't think of it right now. Maybe putting CZ's in 18K settings?

In case you didn't know, both Crestron and Lutron make wireless lighting controls made for retrofits.

 

[english_1969]

As to the question: "Why....?"

Well, my house lighting is Insteon and my theater lighting is controlled by the grafik eye+crestron.

I guess the "why" is more related to using Insteon for house lighting when you have Lutron and Crestron already. These are a couple of the best lighting control manufacturers out there. I'm sure there is an analogy out there, I can't think of it right now. Maybe putting CZ's in 18K settings?

In case you didn't know, both Crestron and Lutron make wireless lighting controls made for retrofits.

I know, I only have the grafix eye and a single crestron controller for the theater. My biggest driver is cost. I went down the crestron path initially during the pre-build process and after being quoted well over $100K, I backed down to centralight. That was better, but my builder's electrician (who had installed it before) wasn't reall comfortable, so I settled on a self-installed PLC style. I headed down the UPB path and do to cost and lack of decent in wall controllers I decided to go away from UPB.

Now, I've settled on insteon which overall, after reading a LOT about user's experience with it, I'm mixed. However, in my current, limited experience, it's working fine and, above all, the wife is happy with it.

During the ramp up to building, I looked at just about every lighting control system out there and in the end, I couldn't justify the cost. I did look at RadioRA, but the cost was still more than I was comfortable with.

As an aside, i'm cost sensative because i'm still supporting my wife's business (still waiting on the break-even). We, perhaps stupidly, elected to open a small business, build a large house and have a child all at the same time. My accountant jus shakes his head.

BTW, during our pre-build, we visited MANY (~25) houses in this price range (>$1M) by my estimate, only 3 used any form of controlled lighting. All three were +$2.5M and 2 used crestron and 1 used centra-light. All the rest used standard toggle switches.

 

[MikeB]

We, perhaps stupidly, elected to open a small business, build a large house and have a child all at the same time.

Just be happy you didn't have twins.

 

[Herdfan]

During the ramp up to building, I looked at just about every lighting control system out there and in the end, I couldn't justify the cost.

I understand where you are coming from. However, there is the old saying (paraphrased)there is never enough in the budget to do it right, but always enough to do it over. I hope it works out for you, but it did not for me. Wife is much happier with the Lutron system than she was with Insteon.

 

[english_1969]

During the ramp up to building, I looked at just about every lighting control system out there and in the end, I couldn't justify the cost.

I understand where you are coming from. However, there is the old saying (paraphrased)there is never enough in the budget to do it right, but always enough to do it over. I hope it works out for you, but it did not for me. Wife is much happier with the Lutron system than she was with Insteon.

I hope so also....I'm positive for the moment. I don't doubt that Lutron would have a higher chance of being more robust. I truly wanted either the Centralite or Crestron...oh well.