the definitive Grafik Eye master thread!! - Page 41

Fellow GE Owners...looks like this thread has not seen activity in some time but I'll ask the question anyway. Given that the GE has to have a min load of 25W I've been buying up Halogen PAR20s and Reveal A19s which are becoming harder to find. Has anybody here made the switch to CFL or LED with their GEs? If so, how did you do it? Synthetic loads or other. At some point is it just going to be cheaper to buy a new GE that supports LEDs or CFLs out of the box.

As a side note, I'm on the same set of incandescent light bulbs that I put in my GE 4 years ago - don't need no stinking energy savers.

Thanks,
Mark

I've had the Grafik eye on my HT upgrade list for 4 years now, there always seems some other "good cause" for me to spend the $600 or so on some other HT items.........yea I get the cool and wow factor........someday I will add it, for now it's dad asking one of the kids "hey, turn down/off the HT lights"....

Why pay full price when slightly used will do? I paid $99 for my 2 zone, 4 scene switch on ebay. After installing that switch, I decided to buy one for future upgrades and found a 4 zone model for $150. That unit did have a scratch, but I bought a new cover and it's good as new for way less than half of the new price!

Is anyone using "door switches" and hiding the actual grafik eye controller? Or what are you guys doing for your setups?

Would I need switch at top of steps and bottom if doing a basement build, and if so what is recommended?

I currently have a 3106 stashed away for my build.

Great idea!
I'd never think of used, will check eBay.


Sent from my 32GB iPhone4 using Tapatalk

I installed a two-button module used as an on-off switch at the door entrance. The GE unit is a little intimidating and confusing for someone unfamiliar to simply walk in and try and turn the lights on. The wall module itself, however, is admittedly rather expensive.

Like this: Lutron NTGRX-2B-SL 2 Button Switch


And when you push on, what scene do you get or can you set multiple?

...you configure each of the buttons to whichever scene you want. You also need to run 4-conductor cable (hot, com, and GRX pair) between GE and switch location.

My order info is below, color was brown.


001) LUT.SG-2BN-BR-E03 E 1 156.000 156.00
2 BTN WALLSTATION

What are y'all finding on eBay? All the GEs I find are like $450! I need a six zone and a two or four button wallstation or two. If I run all my wires from my lights to where I plan to put the GE, what do I run to the wallstation? Cat5? What is PELV? I plan on controlling my GE with a iRule through a Global Cache gc100-12.

It's a waiting game as well as knowing what you're looking for. Best to start looking when you start your build.. You should find something by the time you are ready to put the finishes on. I can tell you there are two nice deals on ebay right now.. because they are listed as GRX-IA. Look at the first post in this thread and you'll see what I mean.

Tim

Just thinking out loud here but what is the downside of just using Maestro dimmers? I can control them with iRule through ir the sane way I was going to use the GE abd I can configure my scenes with iRule. Seems to simple what an I missing??

Tim, what are the GRX-IA models? How are they different than say a GRX 3106?

If the first post of this thread is correct:
Also take a look at the sellers photos...

Tim

I have a GRX-IA model and the first post is correct they exactly the same thing as the 3500 series which makes them a great deal as you can see the first post MR.Tim quoted they have more features. Also people dont know what they are so they tend not to be bid on as much on Ebay and you can get a better price. More for Less its a rare find!

If anybody is looking for a good deal on a Lutron Grafik eye 6 zone with 2 wall switches and a switch with remote control. I have this on ebay for sale or I can sell it here. If you need additional pictures LMK. here is the ebay listing http://www.ebay.com/itm/130835807663?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 this is my auction.

I just got a Grafik Eye off of eBay and thought it was DOA when I tried to test it. Lutron tech support helped me figure it out. Turns out it was a dual-feed model. I had never seen that before, so head's up to anyone else that might end up in the same situation:
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1429098/the-medleys-neck-theater/0_100#post_22887152

And there's a future upgrade "issue" with them, so I'm finding out. If you want to integrate the GE into a RadioRA2 setup later, turning on the RF support in the GE will DISABLE the low-volt keypad interface. So any SeeTouch wallstations won't work.

I'll be doing a RadioRA2 install in my house sometime soon, but that limitation means I won't put the GE onto the system, and just leave my IR wired as is.

But, doing it over, I'd either skip the wallstations if I knew i was going to upgrade, or I would have run some romex in parallel to the PELV cable so that I could install a RadioRA2 keypad at those locations in the future.

(but I'd still run something to those locations - I agree that the GE is intimidating for 1st-timers walking into the room)

Jeff

[quote name="sqmzeea" url="/t/557480/the-definitive-grafik-eye-master-thread/1200#post_22805881"Given that the GE has to have a min load of 25W I've been buying up Halogen PAR20s and Reveal A19s which are becoming harder to find. Has anybody here made the switch to CFL or LED with their GEs? If so, how did you do it? Synthetic loads or other..

Thanks,
Mark[/quote]

I am considering replacing 7 perimeter soffit can PAR30 halogens (55W ea) with the LED replacements linked below. The detailed specs say "dimmable" but before shelling out $200, further research is needed to determine if they will dim satisfactorily on my 3106 GE, w/o an interface. Not sure if "CREE Led Chip" referenced in the description means anything helpful to someone knowlegable??

http://www.lightexports.com/servlet/the-8134/ultraled-par30,-par30-led/Detail

...I use the IR interface located in my equipment closet with an IR emitter attached to it. This interface is hardwired into the GE using the same PELV circuit as is the wall switch. I'm wondering if the same thing exists in the form of an RF interface in place of IR?

Well, yes, that would be RadioRA2... As long as your GE has the RA2 support, you can join it to the Main Repeater and control it over RF via RS232 or IP (at the repeater).

But that IR interface, also part of the wired interface direct the the GE, will also be non-functional once the GE unit is joined to the RadioRA2 system.

....my thought was to keep the GE out of RA2 mode for sake of the wall stations, and, if such thing exists, control the GE using RA2 through an interface.

...something such as this;

http://www.lutron.com/TechnicalDocumentLibrary/366-627G.pdf

Hadn't seen that, but it appears to be a RadioRA (1) device, not a RA2. I suspect they don't have a replacement since the GE models have RA2 support now... I will take a further look though, as that would accomplish the goal if it works!

Thanks,

Jeff

Ok, since the thread is alive at the moment, I'll ask a question for you other GE owners. I realized earlier this week that I still haven't ordered the custom engraving plates for my wallstations or the GE itself. I know what the scenes are, and what I'll call them, but looking for opinions on the "first" one.

As we've all noted, the GE unit itself is rather intimidating, and most folks wouldn't recognize it as a light switch. So I'm trying to figure out what would be the best phrase to use to "just turn the darn lights on", which would be my top button anyway (on the 5-button devices):

• ??? - All lights on to mostly full brightness
• Pre-Show - Dim, but bright enough to walk around and get used to the darkness
• Cinema - Very dim for movie
• Sports Bar - Brighter in the back of the room for watching sports / events
• Off

So what to call the first one that would be the most obvious to visitors"? I came up with: "On", "Lights On", "Welcome", "Lights", "Push this button to turn the lights on" (I don't think the last one will fit).

What have y'all used that worked? I think my leading candidate is "Lights On". Better than "on" if you don't know what the heck the GE unit is in the first place.

Jeff

You have lived with your wallstation and scenes longer than I have, but I'm currently calling the first one "Welcome". I'm going to live with it for a while before ordering the custom engraved buttons, but that's what I call it on the button I programmed on my remote. For me, "Welcome" and "Pre-show" are very similar, but "Pre-show" turns off the lights over the screen and dims the side cans a little bit more than their "Welcome" setting, so previews can be watched while people are still filtering in with their popcorn and drinks.

So, one vote for "Welcome".

I was thinking
"All On"
"Movie"
"Intermission"


Tim

...Jeff, my wall station is dk brown and located by the entrance door. The two buttons themselves are engraved with "ON", followed by a standard emblem of a lighted bulb, and "OFF", followed by a standard emblem of a darkened bulb. The engraved portions of the buttons are translucent and green backlighted. The are indeed small, but intuitive and feelable, and somewhat readable in the dark. The thing about the GE buttons is that they are so tiny and closely spaced. It may be a struggle to read whatever is posted beside them.

Oh, I completely forgot about the icon options, thanks! The dark/light bulb along with On / Off moves to the top of my list!

Jeff

I have a grafik eye 3106 and would like to run some rope lighting on one of my zones. Ive read that it was possible and I read that it wasnt possible because there was not enough wattage draw from the rope lighting. Can anybody clear this up for me please?And if somebody has done this how did they go about it? Thank you for your help and time.

RJ