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I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

robdobson.com

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Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#301

Post by lostlogin »

dkarp wrote: post #86
WalterBright wrote: post #63

I installed an automatic sprinkler system with several "regions". I struggled with that thing for years. Programming it required reading a hefty manual. The user interface was near the worst I'd ever seen (the worst is on my automated cat feeder). I was constantly repairing the lines, the heads, the valves, the control box. I'd winterize it, de-winterize it. The coyotes would chew on it. Finally I simply turned it of…

I've looked into automatic sprinkler systems with scheduling based on the weather or moisture sensors, but they to have too many failure modes: moisture sensors corroding, incorrect weather readings, blocked outlets. I'm now planning to use a simple drip irrigation system. A long hose with nozzles plugged into the mains water that has to be manually turned on. It may not be automatic, but turning things on and off wh…

I couldn’t understand how smart watering systems were so expensive. I bought a TP-Link smart plug and a solenoid that defaults to off. It took 48v so I got a transformer, plugged it into the smart plug and wired up the solenoid. Once this was done it was just a matter of making it smart.

I set it to water for 10 minutes after sunset in Home Assistant.

I’ve always intended it too hold off if it rains, but our weather forecasting is too inaccurate for that so have been messing about with soil moisture sensors, but haven’t had success yet.

Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#302

Post by t0mas88 »

hondadriver wrote: post #232
slmkbh wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

not GP, but I use Xiaomi 2-gang switches, IKEA 5 button remotes, the old IKEA dimmers, and their on/off remote. At the moment I'm eyeing LIDLs remotes as well... In Denmark Everything is controlled via Homeassistant+Deconz and a Phoscon Zigbee Dongle. It's even possible to hack the IKEA switches into the danish wall switches.

Here friends of hue Gira and Ikea 5 button remotes mounted on a blindplate. Still wondering what @t0mas88 is using... The upcoming Lidl remote is very interesting indeed, because it has 4 buttons which could be wired to a regular 2 button up/down push switch (e.g. Gira 014700) as cheaper friends of hue alternative.

The Gira here as well, and left physical switches behind them. So in an emergency I can pull them off the wall push the switch that's behind to turn off power.

Also 3d printed a holder for a few places that slots into a Gira frame and holds the Philips Hue Tap button. Allows more control of scenes etc, but the color isn't exactly the same.

Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#303

Post by t0mas88 »

hondadriver wrote: post #218
t0mas88 wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The easy solution is to have the intelligence in the lightbulbs the way Philips, Osram and IKEA did on their Zigbee based systems. I have all lights (100+) in the house on Zigbee but without changing any wiring. Only non standard is that I replaced all the wall switches with a variant that's electrically "always on" and sends a Zigbee command when pressed (and can be pulled out to access a traditional physical switch…

Can you please provide a name /brand of the switches you use? Friends of Hue (Gira and others) with EnOcean comes close, but you'll typically bridge the switch AC wires, so there is nothing to pull out and manually control things as backup.

I use the Friends of Hue but left physical switches (in the on position) under them. So if you pull them open you can turn off the power in an emergency.

And 3d printed a holder for a few rooms that fits the Gira frame and holds a Hue button. Works to control more things (and used it that way in my old house), but the color of Hue isn't exactly the same as the frame.

Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#304

Post by t0mas88 »

pmlnr wrote: post #167
t0mas88 wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The easy solution is to have the intelligence in the lightbulbs the way Philips, Osram and IKEA did on their Zigbee based systems. I have all lights (100+) in the house on Zigbee but without changing any wiring. Only non standard is that I replaced all the wall switches with a variant that's electrically "always on" and sends a Zigbee command when pressed (and can be pulled out to access a traditional physical switch…

I tried the IKEA bulbs. They have coil whine turned off any made my unable to fall asleep. Apparently it's a known issue: https://i.reddit.com/r/tradfri/comments/arlyiz/coil_whine_an... At the moment I have standalone lamps with Sonoff D1 dimmer and halogen (yes, really) bulbs that can actually be dimmed 0-100%.

The Philips bulbs are much better. Ikea also doesn't dim as low as the Philips Hue. But the Ikea bulbs are cheaper so I still use those for storage rooms where the quality is less important.

Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#305

Post by parliament32 »

ur-whale wrote: post #139
stinos wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry should have been more clear; I'm an eletronics engineer so I know what crosstalk is, it's just that I didn't understand how this would be an actual problem with CAT5. Phone line, that's something else though. If an electrician had done it, it likely would have been 10 or 20x more. Hmm, that is like twice the amount one would typcially pay here. Still, don't froget the working hours you put in there :) plus the…

They're maybe getting it for cheaper than you do, but if you think that's what they're actually charging you, you're deluded. The typical electrician gets it indeed for cheaper than market rate, then charges it to you retail rate plus 20% to account for the "trouble" of sourcing and purchasing it.

From my experience in trades, you just double the price of all materials.. which conveniently is roughly the same price homeowners will see if they spot-check at Home Depot.

Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#306

Post by hondadriver »

wmeredith wrote: post #144
t0mas88 wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The easy solution is to have the intelligence in the lightbulbs the way Philips, Osram and IKEA did on their Zigbee based systems. I have all lights (100+) in the house on Zigbee but without changing any wiring. Only non standard is that I replaced all the wall switches with a variant that's electrically "always on" and sends a Zigbee command when pressed (and can be pulled out to access a traditional physical switch…

What Zigbee switches are you using?

Also found this : https://www.samotech.co.uk/product-category/samotech-adapter...

Made for UK wall switches.

Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#308

Post by walshemj »

WalterBright wrote: post #252
MaxBarraclough wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and the runs where What happens if you somewhat exceed the 100m limit? The only sources I can find boil down to just don't do that but I can't find a chart showing what happens to performance/frame loss. Would it help to have a heavily shielded cable?

It may work if you run it over RG6 coax.

10BASE2 uses Rg58 :-) not even sure if you can buy adaptors that could use Rg6

Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#309

Post by pathartl »

avianlyric wrote: post #275
abstractbarista wrote: post #246

Wow, this guy is either willfully ignorant of ZWave technical realities, or just doesn't have as much knowledge in the realm as he purports to have. Basically every gripe listed has to do with using old original ZWave devices. If you started a 150-node mesh today with strictly ZWave+ devices, an Aotec ZWave hub, and perhaps Home Assistant to control and automate it all, you'd have a much more consistently positive ex…

OOI where are you finding ZWave dimmers for less than $50? Here in the UK, £50 per device is about the going rate. Finding something for about £40 is pretty good going. But even then just doesn’t compete with a £10 Shelly.

https://inovelli.com/black-series-dimmer-switch-z-wave/

I've also bought Zooz switches, but wouldn't recommend them. Inovelli has had major issues with stock in the past, but otherwise makes a good product.

Re: I Ripped Out a £6k Lighting System

#310

Post by avianlyric »

pathartl wrote: post #309
avianlyric wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OOI where are you finding ZWave dimmers for less than $50? Here in the UK, £50 per device is about the going rate. Finding something for about £40 is pretty good going. But even then just doesn’t compete with a £10 Shelly.

https://inovelli.com/black-series-dimmer-switch-z-wave/ I've also bought Zooz switches, but wouldn't recommend them. Inovelli has had major issues with stock in the past, but otherwise makes a good product.

Ah, that’s the difference. It’s a complete physical switch and dimmer module.

Unfortunately it’s an American style switch with isn’t compatible with UK style switches. Ours are smaller and square, so are our wall boxes, so these simple wouldn’t fit.

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