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Looking for a 3-way IR controlled light switch

post #1 of 10
2/8/13 at 10:30am
Thread Starter 
EDIT: Hi guys, yes I searched, and yes there are tons of threads on this, but most are a few years old. The few that I found that were newer didnt really cover the same issue I have. thanks in advance.

Hi guys, I am looking for an IR light switch that will work in a 3-way configuration, but also supports CFL bulbs. Does NOT have to be dimming, however if the only option requires dimming I will buy dimmable CFLs or LED bulbs - however I do not want to use incandescent bulbs. I have the Harmony 900 and one of my blasters point at my TV, and with the light switch right beside the TV it would easily hit the IR received in the light switch:



Ive actually moved my TV & entertainment unit over to the right about another foot to make room for a new couch so the TV is even closer to the switch now.

Anyways, I found the Lutron IR Maestro MIR-603THW: http://www.lutron.com/en-US/Products/Pages/StandAloneControls/Dimmers-Switches/MaestroIRDimmer/ModelNumbers.aspx

It does dimming, IR & 3-way, however it does not support CFL - even dimmable CFLs. I was thinking about just getting this anyways and not using the dimming feature however it dims the lights on/off by default which will toast the CFLs.

Then I found the Lutron CL switches which do work with dimmable CFL/LED bulbs however do not use IR: http://www.lutron.com/en-US/Products/Pages/StandAloneControls/C.Ldimmers/Overview.aspx


It seems most other products from Insteon & X10 have moved on from IR to RF, and the few that are still IR are no longer 3-way (I have a 3rd switch at the top of the stair case).

Does anyone have any suggestions for a CFL friendly, IR controlled, 3-way light switch???

Thanks guys!
Edited by burnski - 2/8/13 at 10:37am
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post #2 of 10
2/8/13 at 9:07pm
Insteon On/Off + Insteon IRLinc Receiver

Lutron SPSF-S6AM with SPS-AS

Or use the MIR-603THW and switch to dimmable LEDs. There are many that should still work with acceptable performance.
Edited by az1324 - 2/9/13 at 3:22am
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post #3 of 10
2/9/13 at 8:12pm
HAI also has an IR 3-way switch that is CFL/LED dimmable with IR.

35A00-1CFL (600W CFL/LED Dimmer)
38A00-1 (Scene switch with IR Control)
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post #4 of 10
2/11/13 at 9:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by az1324 View Post

Insteon On/Off + Insteon IRLinc Receiver

Lutron SPSF-S6AM with SPS-AS

Or use the MIR-603THW and switch to dimmable LEDs. There are many that should still work with acceptable performance.

From what I've been told, all CFLs and LEDs, that say they are dimmable, have to be dimmed with a specific dimmer that is designed for CFLs and LEDs.

I called Lutron today and they said they do not have ANY IR dimmers that will control CFLs or LEDs.

I'm looking for a solution to control three switches with IR. All are on the same switch panel. Lutron said they use the same frequencies for all of their contollers, so maybe using three different brands is the answer?????
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post #5 of 10
2/11/13 at 4:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffreyJonesBSME View Post

From what I've been told, all CFLs and LEDs, that say they are dimmable, have to be dimmed with a specific dimmer that is designed for CFLs and LEDs.

I called Lutron today and they said they do not have ANY IR dimmers that will control CFLs or LEDs.

I'm looking for a solution to control three switches with IR. All are on the same switch panel. Lutron said they use the same frequencies for all of their contollers, so maybe using three different brands is the answer?????

Most new dimmable LEDs will work with incandescent dimmers, but they may have some issues such as turn off at 10-20% dim level, buzzing or flickering at various dim levels, ... there are lots of threads around the web about various bulbs and how well they work.

The Lutron Spacer system has up to 5? separate channels. The insteon solution can control many channels.
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post #6 of 10
2/12/13 at 8:52am
Thread Starter 
thanks guys. I honestly dont even care if they dim... I just want on/off in a 3-way switch with IR.

The Lutron IR Maestro MIR-603THW does what I need but apparently even when the light is at 100% it still only (apparently) passes 105v through to the bulb which may still cause problems with CFL / LED bulbs.
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post #7 of 10
2/12/13 at 4:47pm
An LED bulb is going to convert the voltage internally to a low voltage anyway, so 105V is not a problem.
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post #8 of 10
2/13/13 at 7:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by az1324 View Post

An LED bulb is going to convert the voltage internally to a low voltage anyway, so 105V is not a problem.

Any idea if that also the case with CFL bulbs? Or do CFL bulbs ramp the voltage up?
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post #9 of 10
2/13/13 at 1:56pm
It's not really "voltage" it's the chopping of the sine wave and dimmable CFLs and LEDs have been specifically designed to get around the problems so I suggest you just see what people have used and try some.
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post #10 of 10
2/14/13 at 4:18am
I've done some research on the Insteon IRLinc Receiver. This is a pretty cool option. It is a plug in "box" with an attached cord with an IR receiver. The IR receiver and "box" sends the inputted IR signal through you electrical system to your entire house. Any Insteon dimmer/switches can be controlled in your whole home.

This may be my solution.
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