Control4 Lighting Question

I can't think of any.


They can basically be programmed to do anything you want (within the bounds of your lighting/shades/AV system that is controlled by C4). There's no reason the buttons can't be a toggle on/off with one press. I'm not sure why you're dealer would think it needs a double press to turn off. The button can be used as a dimmer only when being used to control 1 circuit of lighting. If the button is turning on multiple circuits, i.e. a scene, then it is only on/off.


I would consider more scene based programming personally. For example, I might make the top left button in each room turn the entire room's lights on to a preset level. Then I may use some of the other buttons to control and dim some individual circuits I know I'll want to adjust regularly. I would also probably have a "home" and "away" button by my entry doors. Perhaps a "goodnight" button by my bed. You might want some "path" type buttons - leading from one location to another. Maybe a "TV" scene - low light level in the family room for example. This type of programming is really subjective and personal choice - these are just some suggestions.


Hard to say, pricing for programming will probably vary depending on your locale and what the market will bear. The retail price of the dimmers is $129. In my opinion, $130 per device is a fair price.


Having smaller keypads is definitely more appealing than large banks of switches imo.

Sorry if I am being daft but do you mean $120 for the switch and $130 for programming e.g. $120+$130/switch or $130 includes switch + programming.

Also, M3AL, have you decided on an integrator? Will you be open to a phone conversation? I am deciding on all those things and it will be good to hear your thoughts as a fellow Houstonian.

I'm here in Houston and have wanted to get an automation system for some time. I went to ConnectOne and they showed me an HAI system I just felt like was dated. I tried the QWEBL system they're demoing at Gallery Furniture ... I even went by the QWEBL offices and got a demo. Liked it, but I'm not sure I want to have to turn on a computer or TV to access the interface all the time.

So now I'm learning towards Connect4, and I've been thinking about Aveon as the integrator, but I'm just not sure, and I'd like to feel more sure if I'm going to spend the money.

Im not a big fan of the Connect4 interface.



Kidding aside.. ask the integrator to walk you thru one of his completed projects. This will give you a better understanding of what Control4 and your integrator is capable of.

The 6 buttons are nice.. but if you are JUST using lighting they won't be so handy.. but they work great for volume control and what not...

I'm not sure of the going install rates.. but 130 for programming seems steep.. is he installing them also? or will someone else take care of that? I think i could get a second quote from a different dealer...

HAI has software (home automation studio) available now that allows you to customize your GUI. I think it only works with specific models of their touchpanels though but its s step in the right direction .

Actually, using a 3 or 6 button keypad is not a substitute for purchasing a lighting dimmer. You still need at least one $129 dimmer per lighting load. This is because the 3 or 6 button keypads do not actually have the ability to change the level of current that passes through to a light. All they can do is send commands to the C4 controller, which in turn can cause a lighting dimmer to change lighting levels (or send many other types of commands that can turn on/off multiple light switches/dimemrs, control AV equip, thermostats, shades, etc.)

Also, I'm not certain what is included in the programming, but $130 to program a light in C4 sounds quite high to me. The programming cost should be considered in the context of the overall project (i.e. installation and programming of all devices - not just lights.) How many lights are you intended to control? You also need a C4 controller in the project, which can control your A/V equipment. Have you discussed costs and programming for that?

I suggest you have a detailed discussion with your dealer to discuss all this in greater detail to make sure expectations are properly set between you.

I know you're a big fan of your funny pictures and all, but not all Control4 installs look the same, even today.



And soon, they will change quite a bit.

Your system will perform much better if you use a HC-1000 controller instead of the HC-500.

You will need a HC-1000 as well as a HC-300 to get the same functionality

I don't believe he was making any comment about the Control4 interface at all .

Exactly. They are control keypads and are additive, they in no way replace the need for light switches. Well, I suppose they could in one sense. You could use less 3-way and 4-way circuits and instead use a single dimmer or switch with keypads at the locations where the other side of the 3-way or 4-way circuit would normally be.

The HC-500 is discontinued. Given the size of the job an HC-1000 would be a better solution, make sure it's a HC-1000v3 as they feature better processing and more memory, hence better performance. You will want an HC300/200 for each room with a TV, and looking at the number of surround sound you plan on doing, you'll need several additional controllers beyond the HC-1000 for IR/serial control. You referenced having several 3 way loads, The C4 dimmers cannot do 3 way by themselves, it is done through a combination of dimmers/switches and 2,3, or 6 button keypads The 2 button keypads are $10 less so make sure the counts are specified in the bid. How many sources are you going to pump into your house audio system? Will you need an audio matrix switch, I don't see one spec'd. How many zones of distributed audio? Control 4 doesn't recommend pairing speakers on its amps. Make sure he runs a CAT5 to your tstats as well. C4 doesn't require the wire, but it's cheap insurance for the future. Make sure that CAT5 or CAT6 is run to all of the rooms getting surround sound systems as the C4 control network is much happier on wired vs. wifi.

FYI, My "funny picture and all" was in reference to the guy who spelled Control4 as Connect 4. It had nothing to do with the Control4 interface. But now that you mention it....

Neat, now you can change the background image. Control4 is catching up to 1995.

That's made me laugh. Thanks I needed that.
In all reality, that's not far from the truth.

how did I miss this thread? I used Aveon for my large C4 install in Houston. Interview everyone else and then talk to Robert or Dick and you will be thoroughly impressed. They were terrific to deal with and I still hound them with questions (which they answer within 24 hours!) for my next C4 install in Colorado. Let me know if you have any questions and good luck with your install.

tum

You don't need an HC-300 at each TV, but you should have some type of interface for each TV. It could be the lesser expensive HC-200s mounted behind each panel, or if you are using touch panels they can function as your interface. I've seen jobs where the integrator shared HC-300 interfaces for multiple TVs and I wouldn't recommend it. Too much opportunity to confuse yourself and the system.

What sorts of bad things have you heard about matrix video switchers? I've used them on literally hundreds of jobs and of course we have a few problems here and there, but nothing that would ever make me want to stop distributing video. There's no better way to distribute multiple sources to multiple TVs. However, I would stay away from HDMI matrix switching for now. That technology is not reliable enough imo. Stick with component video for now, and if you need 1080P blu-ray or gaming systems, locate the device at the TV with an HDMI cable and route the digital audio back to your headend.

You will certainly want a matrix switch to do what you want to. If you can get by with 6 sources the AudioAuthority AVX with CAT-5 extensions to each TV is pretty cost effective. We've used lots of them with C4 and they are flawless.

Actually, if you just want to select video sources, you do not need any on screen navigator i.e No HC-200/300. The SR-250 remote is all you need. Of course if you want a nice GUI for cameras, cover art, etc. you will want a nav screen on the TV. We've done quite a few fairly large systems where a single HC-200 navigator was shared among many viewing locations. As long as users know it can be whisked away by another user it works fine and folks find it to be quite acceptable.

Take a look at Zektor www.zektor.com . Their product has been getting a lot of buzz on the C4 forums.

Have then run 2 Cat6 cables.

No, I think it would only interrupt you if you were using the C4 interface at that time, navigating around, or listening to music, adjusting lights, etc.


I would do component now, but make sure an infrastructure is in place to allow a future change over. If it were my house, I'd run a minimum of 4 cat cables: 1 - video, 2 - audio (if needed), 3 - control/network, 4 - spare.