Elvis Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 I want to add some Vera dimmers, switches, and fan controllers to my project. They are all working on the Vera hub and I can provide a remote integrator with data needed to add them. @AK1 -- anyone? Anxious to see how well this will work and integrate. Thanks. Gotta use this extra hour today for something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK1 Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 OK @Elvis shoot me the details please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 PM sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 As always, dealers on this forum are rockstars. Thanks @AK1 and @chopedogg88 for the quick help. Highly recommend them both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 @Elvis - You have mentioned Vera a fair bit recently. Can you elaborate on the pros and cons of using Vera with your C4 system. I guess the main pro is lower cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis Posted November 13, 2017 Author Share Posted November 13, 2017 Pros: If it works with Vera, it'll probably integrate into Control4. I have not explored beyond switches, dimmers, outlets, and fan controls. These items integrate as switches and dimmers. Gives you a choice of switch style. We used the paddle switches that look just like a standard decora paddle switch. Cost: 4 to 1 advantage in my case. Vera is local control and the C4 controllers communicate directly with it. So no trips to the cloud. If we move, I can leave a cheap Vera hub behind and the switches and still sell an automated house, while taking my C4 rack and gear with me. Significantly cheaper electrician bill. The switches I used have posts instead of pigtails. Plug and play replacement. I installed most of them myself. I would've had to actually change out boxes to make the C4 APDs fit in the same space due to large wire bundles already junction'ed in those boxes. 4 extra wire nuts can be a real issue. Both of my electricians particularly don't like adding braided wire into copper bundles. You can buy Z-Wave switches at any big box store. So you can DIY it on weekends and not break the bank in the process. Cons: C4 equipment is faster and more responsive. C4 equipment is a lot more customizable in programming and can be engraved. You can't dim the LEDs or change their color on my Z-wave switches. C4 configurable keypads -- there's no (acceptable) alternative in the Z-wave world and no idea how they'd integrate if there were such a thing. The one's I've seen look like something out of the 70's. C4 app sometimes is normally/usually out of sync with the state of the switch. Mostly applies to relay/binary switches -- not the dimmers. Adding Z-Wave devices to the Vera hub can be a pain. A lot of times you have to physically move the hub close to the switch. And then when you move it back, the switch can be orphaned and not find a node to join the mesh. Wand Remote interface does not allow dimming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic30101 Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Good breakdown @Elvis. I haven't had to pull my vera controller to move it closer for identifying yet. 4000sq ft and I have quite a bit of zwave plus dimmers so maybe that helps with coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis Posted November 17, 2017 Author Share Posted November 17, 2017 8 hours ago, sonic30101 said: zwave plus Big difference, apparently, from z-wave to z-wave plus. Mine are all straight z-wave. Bad timing buying them right before all the plus versions emerged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic30101 Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Didn't you buy GE in wall dimmers? Those are plus was it just not a large amount? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis Posted November 17, 2017 Author Share Posted November 17, 2017 21 minutes ago, sonic30101 said: Didn't you buy GE in wall dimmers? Yeah, but the logo in the bottom corner of mine just have Z-Wave, not Z-Wave Plus. And now ZWP has instant notification switches, but I don't know if Vera supports it. Wonder if Lutron is going to let it go or sue them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis Posted December 4, 2017 Author Share Posted December 4, 2017 On 11/13/2017 at 8:47 AM, Elvis said: C4 app sometimes is out of sync with the state of the switch. Mostly applies to relay/binary switches -- not the dimmers. Just an update. I should have said "totally out of sync" with the C4 iOS app. There is no rhyme or reason to what the C4 app shows and the actual state of the switch. This just came up with a recent trip over Thanksgiving weekend. I'd call up my C4 app and have no real idea what was the state of the lights in the house. I could control them by toggling them on/off/on. Or off/on/off and the lights would react. But if I turned the light off, the next time I called up the app, it would likely show it as On, even thought it was actually off. Not sure if this is in the way it is set up or just a flaw in the driver(s)? I should also note that you can't dim the lights with the 260 wand. Off or on only. They don't show up like a C4 dimmer. @chopedogg88 @AK1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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