need upb solution

[wired-up]

Help (again)
I have almost completed wiring for new 4500 sq ft home, one week till insulation goes in. Have run 5000 ft 22/4, 5000 ft cat6, and I don't know how much QS RG6, speaker wire etc. Have pre-wired for eventual possibility of central controlled wiring with cat 6, but not ready to jump in yet.
Walking through this weekend with wife and the only thing she got upset about was the large multigang box in her foyer (4 or 6 I think).
I have ELK M1G with the lighting interface for using UPB, but planned on adding UPB switches as I could afford them. Not having fully researched this yet, having little time, can anyone tell me what I need to reduce this large multi-gang box to a single or double? Will have to resolve before 4/16.
(I'll be posting my first time wiring experiences with pictures soon)
Thanks,

 

[kwilcox]

The SA switches can be used to control multiple devices and accept dual rockers for this purpose. This would reduce your 4-gang size to a double.

Caveat: the switches can still only control one local load. You would need to control the other with UPB only by using a wire-in module.

 

[keepersg]

Leviton makes some double and triple switches that fit into a single gang space. If the wiring in the box doesn't exceed the limits for a two gang box, you can use those and worry about upb later. A free on line version of NEC with the tables and calculations is here:

http://www.nfpa.org/freecodes/free_access_document.asp

 

[Event5]

wired up,

There are many possibilities; here are some ideas.
When planning an entrance switch plate, you usually want to control some outside lights as well as inside lights. One solution would be to install a 2 gang box with one switch, closest to door, controlling an outside load (or scene) and one switch controlling an inside load or scene. This would require putting another box in a closet nearby for all the other loads (or all the loads). Or you could use inline modules. To a guest or in general it would seem normal.
With UPB, Theoretically you will only have to touch each switch or UFR once at setup and from then on use UPStart to create scenes and change features on the devices.
In homes I have done, I have started using a standard setup in each room. For example, in a dining room with 3 loads(can lights, chandelier, and ceiling glow ring) it would have a 3 gang box with a switch for each load. I use 2 standard UPB switches and one US240 with a toggle on top and 4 buttons on the bottom. One of the loads is controlled by the toggle switch on the US240 and the room can have 3 scenes and an off. I used the lower left button as off in every room.
At the front door I use a US240 as an 8 button controller with some buttons working various scenes outside and some for whole house or local control. All this is on existing home conversions, not new construction.
If you haven't seen it I have shared an UPStart file Here of a home with 80+ devices. From it you can get ideas. Please follow the thread and instructions so the file will run on your UPstart application.
Dave

 

[wired-up]

Thanks for the input,
It looks like the triple leviton switches are certainly the most cost-effective solution, about $36 for a triple.
To do it with UPB, I'm guessing I need some type of multibutton universal transceiver (like the SA 8-button which includes one load) and then some type of UPB load control for all of the other loads. Is this correct?

 

[Event5]

As an example the Basic Starter Pack shown Here Is basicly what I used for all rooms in the home. At an enterance I use the single rockers (available from Simply Automated, Powerline Control Inc. and HAI) and an 8 button US240 shown Here There are many choices and options with the SA switches. You can also see all of the products available from SA.
One nice thing about the SA switches (and others) is that they can be easly changed from a dimmer to a non dimming later if you change lighting types.

Hopefully you have deap boxes installed(too late for you, if you do not) expecially if you use the Leviton multi-load switch. Most HA switches are lareger than conventional switches (not so with Insteon) and need more room for wire and wirenuts.

Also if you install a single gang box with 3 loads controlled by one switch, you may run into problems down the road if you want to use conventional switches or another HA switch, because you will not have anywhere to fit them. The retrofit to add switches is not easy to do. You would have to use the in-line modules hidden behind the fixtures(also a tough job sometimes)

Dave