|
Untitled Page
ARCHIVED FORUM -- April 2007 to March 2012 READ ONLY FORUM
This is the first Archived Forum which was active between 17th April 2007 and
1st March February 2012
-
06-01-2007 10:21 AM
|
|
-
Fil
- Joined on 04-17-2007
- Posts 90
|
Hi I'm thinking about getting a Lutron Grafikeye . Are they worth it? Are they easy to install? Thanks in advance for any help/feedback Fil
|
|
-
-
Keith Saunders
- Joined on 04-16-2007
- Technical Advisor, Little Ann, Hampshire, UK
- Posts 3,810
|
The Lutron Grafik Eye is a very good product and provided you buy the B&O version it will also work with the Beo4. They are certainly a good purchase, not cheap, but well made and have facilities well beyond most people's needs If you are installing the unit in a new build situation or a major refurbishment, then there will not be to much problems, however if you intend to install it in a room or rooms in place of existing lighting circuits it could provide you with some challenges. The following are some issues to consider:- 1) The mounting box is 3" deep and requires its own 15 amp mains power breaker. 2) If you are in countries like the UK where the neutral wire are not normally taken to the wall switches, it will require new wiring to be added. Both live and neutral must be taken back to the Lutron box. 3) The units can be purchased to support up to 7 zones, with 4 zones being a typical case. So if you have multiple lights all on teh same circuit, this will have to be changed. I suggest you describe where you were proposing to use the lutron unit and how many lighting circuits will be used etc.
|
|
-
-
-
Fil
- Joined on 04-17-2007
- Posts 90
|
Crikey! Thanks for you swift replies Keith and a link to the installers guide. I think a phonecall to the local rip off sparky is called for,at least then he can have a gander at the house and that rather complicated ( to me anyway) guide ! Thanks again for your help Keith. Fil
|
|
-
-
Doc
- Joined on 04-17-2007
- Posts 585
|
What's the difference with the lc2 from B&O; dis-/advantage lutron? Marcel
|
|
-
-
Keith Saunders
- Joined on 04-16-2007
- Technical Advisor, Little Ann, Hampshire, UK
- Posts 3,810
|
Other than the obvious fact that they both control lights the LC2 and the Grafik Eye from Lutron are very different products for different applications. However Lutron do make a product which does a similar job to the LC2 called Rania, a double version is shown below and is priced similar to the LC2. However, the Rania range do provide a remote control, but are not Beo4 compatible, you would need to use something like a Lintronics box if you wished to use a Lutron Rania with a Beo4. There is also a product called Dinalight which fits into a standard wall socket and is Beo4 compatable and costs about 50 Euros. In terms of how they work the LC2 and Dinalight are very similar, but look very different. The Grafik Eye is a multi zone device which can control lighting up to 750 watts which is a lot of lighting. Units can be connected together to allow multi-room or even the whole house to be configured. The units do not have to be in the actual room in which they are used, you can have multi-function switches connected to the main unit via low vaoltage 4 wire cable (not mains vaoltage). They are not cheap, a 7 zone B&O compatible unit will be about £1,200 depending where you buy it. The LC2 was designed really for use on a cable to a lamp and whilst it can be fitted to the wall, it still is only a single way variable switch. I have one fitted to a wall as shown below
|
|
-
-
-
-
Fil
- Joined on 04-17-2007
- Posts 90
|
|
-
-
Keith Saunders
- Joined on 04-16-2007
- Technical Advisor, Little Ann, Hampshire, UK
- Posts 3,810
|
Fil, Thanks for the link. For those people interested in Lutron products which work with B&O products should pick up a brochure from their dealer on the subject. Only a few dealers appear to keep these brochures which provides a very good overview. I have copied two pages from this brochure which you can download from HERE
|
|
-
-
-
®
- Joined on 04-01-2007
- UK
- Posts 970
|
I there anything inline for a lamp like the LC2? Wall mounting isnt an option like this but Beo4 compatible?
|
|
-
-
JOV
- Joined on 04-28-2007
- Germany
- Posts 62
|
Hi, I have 3 B&O Grafik Eyes with 6 Zones each connected together in my one room loft. It's really cool because you don't need any wall mounted dimmers and switches etc. 18 zones would mean 18 single dimmers at the walls... Now I have 3 panels at central positions. And with the Beo4 I can control 10 Scenes with 18 single lamps (or 4 Scenes with the buttons at the Grafik Eyes). Note: This scenario makes sense (for a monetary reason) if you are planning a completely new wiring. You need less cables, less dimmers, less holes in you wall, etc. But: The Grafik Eyes are very simple and limited in possible and useful functions (programming, etc.). If you are interested in details, let me know and I will try to explain my daily experience. Kind Regards, Jens
|
|
-
-
-
Keith Saunders
- Joined on 04-16-2007
- Technical Advisor, Little Ann, Hampshire, UK
- Posts 3,810
|
They do work like the LC2 in as much as you can store light settings, program the coloured keys and numbers etc. The LC2 is/was single zone switch whereas the Grafik Eye is a multi-zone switch which allows you to have various light levels on all the zones. Also the light power (watts) it can drive is much greater than the single zone LC2 Also the Grafik Eye controller is in one central place and all lighting cables go to it.
|
|
-
-
355f
- Joined on 04-19-2007
- Posts 655
|
They are a far better engineered product than the LC2 ever was and more reliable as well. As well as the points listed already you can operate curtains and screens from it ( which I do) and you can program fade and and fade out times on every scene, control any type of load ect
|
|
-
-
3400SJ
- Joined on 04-17-2007
- Posts 45
|
Where can I buy Dinalight dimmers, I have looked on Google with no success Stuart
|
|
-
-
355f
- Joined on 04-19-2007
- Posts 655
|
Dont think you can get dynalight now. In any event the ones that I had buzzed very badly and the response from Beo 4 is rather poor, you have to point very accurately at the dynalight to make it work.
|
|
-
-
Keith Saunders
- Joined on 04-16-2007
- Technical Advisor, Little Ann, Hampshire, UK
- Posts 3,810
|
I purchased two Dynalights from Joel Electric for review, but concluded they were not a good replacement for the LC2 The manufacturer is in Denmark and you can view further details HERE They sell via resellers and are often re-branded which is why you did not find many references via Google. The attractions were that they are fully compatible with Beo4 commands, their user manual reads just like the LC2 and even shows its use with the Beolink 1000. It also fits into a UK style wall switch box without to much problems, but does not have the power rating of the LC2 The touch plate works exactly as you would expect, but the IR receiver has a limited angle of vision due to being between the two touch plates meaning you have to use the remote within 30 degs of the unit. Whilst they are still available from some resellers, they are no longer manufactured. If you want one, I would be happy to sell you one of my brand new ones, just send me a PM
|
|
-
-
®
- Joined on 04-01-2007
- UK
- Posts 970
|
Looking at this diagram The Grafik eye is wired to the lamp. Would that require a plug socket at lamp level for the lamp to plug into? and wouldn't that socket be confusing as it would be on the lighting ring and not the main socket ring and be problematic if someone unplugged the lamp and plugged in the vaccum? I'm wondering if I could replace 3 LC2's attached to 3 lamps and rewire the lighting ring for a Grafik eye
|
|
-
-
-
®
- Joined on 04-01-2007
- UK
- Posts 970
|
Keith Saunders: proper lighting sockets would be fitted, so you could not plug in the vaccum.
Is this one?
|
|
-
-
-
njbbeo
- Joined on 05-15-2007
- Posts 2
|
Fil - regarding Luron with beo4 Lutron grafikeye series for beo is intended for new build or renovation - as already sataed you can see the range at http://www.onidserv.com/lutronshop/group/701/
if you have a 3 gang switch and you want to upgrade to dimming via your beo4, then you could fit the grafikeye gbo-3103 unit - it would need some building works to make the back box fit. this would work there is one other alternitive i have found, and that is from rako lighting see - www.rakolighting.com
this works quite different to lutron - you fit a RF controlled dimmers to the light fittings, then get a beo ir interface i think it is a rav-ir-beo - this then allows you to control lights via the beo4 this solution is more suited to existing wiring as it requires less work i hope this helps regards
|
|
-
-
®
- Joined on 04-01-2007
- UK
- Posts 970
|
So does this work exactly like the LC2? Rako
|
|
|
|
|