I need some help with the lighting control element for my theatre as I know nothing about it.

All I need is something that dims two seperate channels via Infra red control. So that I can use a Macro on my Marantz RC9500 color touch screen to control the lights.

What would you reccomend and where can I get it?

Thanks.

I need some help with the lighting control element for my theatre as I know nothing about it.

All I need is something that dims two seperate channels via Infra red control. So that I can use a Macro on my Marantz RC9500 color touch screen to control the lights.

What would you reccomend and where can I get it?

Thanks.

Not sure about any 2 channel capable IR dimmers. The Lutrons respond to a single signal only with no addressability so you can not put two in the same area and control independently. I think you may need to go for a small light controller or switch to Z-wave.

I just purchased 5 of the new Leviton Z-wave dimmers that just released on Thursday. I will probably add another 2 or 3 before the job is done. The advantage of Z-wave is that you can add up to about 120 devices on a single network. I also purchased the 4 scene controller, which again can set the state of all the Z-wave dimmers in the area. So in theory when I walk downstairs to my basement a single button push can turn on all my lights to the desired percentage. I can also then set the other three scenes for movie playback, pause, party mode, etc. and then trigger from my Harmony 1000 remote. The nice thing about the Z-wave 4 scene contoller is that it also accepts IR, so you can set up a small Z-wave network of 2 or 3 dimmers with the controller but simply make sure the scene controller is in front of your seats to receive the IR signal from your current Marantz remote control. I am not sure how much independent light control you would have, but I think it would do the basics with no problem. You can check out these new dimmers here Vizia Z-wave Dimmers (http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/Lighting/ZWave/Leviton-zwave/)

Have you looked into the Lutron Spacer system:

http://www.lutron.com/spacer/SpSystemDefault.asp?s=17000&t=17100

I will have a very simple lighting setup in my HT, 2 zones (may expand to 3) and only a few scenes (all on/off, TV, watching movie, pause movie). I was going to go with Insteon but it would have involved more equipment and setting up to get it working. The spacer system is basically a regular dimmer witch accepts IR signals and can be combined with other spacer dimmers to create scenes. I just bought 2 dimmers and no remote since I will be using an old Pronto I have and they have most of the device codes available on remotecentral. It's a more limited setup than Insteon or going to Graphic eye etc. but it is also cheap and easy for more simple setups.

Caveat: I haven't received my dimmers yet so I can't tell you if/how well this setup actually works so take everything I just said with a big grain of salt :p

Maybe someone who is running a Spacer system could chime in...

Eric

Yeah you should be able to do this no problem with the spacer system. Just make sure you get the right ones, there's like spacer dimmers available at home depot and places that are not appropriate. I forget exactly, because there's like "spacer" and "spacer system" or something like that. The lutron site explains pretty well.

Chris is right. There's Spacer, then there's Spacer :D

Make sure you look at the product number. If it starts with SP then it is for single location (I have one in my master bedroom and love it by the way). You want the dimmers that start with an SPS. I think they just carry the SP stuff at HD. Check out local lighting stores or online. As I live in Canada it was way cheaper for me to buy online. Even after shipping/crossing the border it will probably have cost me only 2/3 as much as buying from a 'specialty' lighting store. Also make sure you get the right dimmers for your application (correct wattage, are you using incandescent lights, low-voltage etc.) as they have a few different models depending on your application.

Eric

Can someone point me to the right directions as I have no idea what to get. Having the RF capability would be nice, but I don't have the RF remote yet, so can I still get one with RF capability and just use the manual dimmer switch for the mean time? If so, what's a good one that can control a total of 2 pairs of in ceiling lights, each pair with different brightness and on/off?

Can someone point me to the right directions as I have no idea what to get. Having the RF capability would be nice, but I don't have the RF remote yet, so can I still get one with RF capability and just use the manual dimmer switch for the mean time? If so, what's a good one that can control a total of 2 pairs of in ceiling lights, each pair with different brightness and on/off?

I am pretty sure that the spacer dimmers are NOT independently addressable unless these guys know about a different spacer module that is. I am pretty sure that they only due crude scene control by installing a scene controller in view of your IR remote and then remotely running IR flashers to each dimmer that you can gang together. So you can set up scene 1, scene 2 ect, but can not then take control of each dimmer and shut one off, turn the other on etc. I believe this is due to the fact that each Spacer responds to the same IR frequency. I have the spacer dimmer in my family room, but only one so I don't know for sure other than the research I did for my HT project.

Again, the spacer is OLD technology IMHO. I have had mine installed for about 7 years now. You can easily do this with the three Z-wave pieces I described (1 four scene contoller, 2 dimmer modules) while still keeping your current remote and USING IT to activate the scenes (not just manual control like you describe above). You can then expand the network or switch to an RF remote later on if you want more advanced features. The spacer is a dead end technology path for future upgrade.

Chris is right. There's Spacer, then there's Spacer :D

Make sure you look at the product number. If it starts with SP then it is for single location (I have one in my master bedroom and love it by the way). You want the dimmers that start with an SPS. I think they just carry the SP stuff at HD. Check out local lighting stores or online. As I live in Canada it was way cheaper for me to buy online. Even after shipping/crossing the border it will probably have cost me only 2/3 as much as buying from a 'specialty' lighting store. Also make sure you get the right dimmers for your application (correct wattage, are you using incandescent lights, low-voltage etc.) as they have a few different models depending on your application.

Eric

Do you know if the HD Spacer dimmer will work with a set of halogen track lights? I purchase a set of halogen track lights (RADIUM) from IKEA. I know halogen lights require a special dimmer. I don't want to short the lifespan of the lights or hear some annoying buzz sound while they are on.

Can someone point me to the right directions as I have no idea what to get. Having the RF capability would be nice, but I don't have the RF remote yet, so can I still get one with RF capability and just use the manual dimmer switch for the mean time? If so, what's a good one that can control a total of 2 pairs of in ceiling lights, each pair with different brightness and on/off?
Look at RadioRA from Lutron, which is essentially their Grafik Eye line with RF control.

Again, almost nothing offers control over individual lights - the common communications protocols don't support it. They offer preset combinations that for nearly all purposes is good enough.

I know halogen lights require a special dimmer.
Then you know wrong. Halogen lamps are about the same load types as plain old incandescent lamps. But they usually inhabit low voltage fixtures, meaning that there is a power supply between the lamp and the dimmer. It is the power supply that may (or may not) need a special dimmer.

Look at the instructions for your track lights. They will tell you what type of dimmer you need. Chances are that the standard Spacer dimmer will work fine.

Thanks!!