loudsubz Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 We have a wireless dimmer controlling about 9 halogen pot lights in a basement. When the dimmer is at 1/2-full the lights work fine, but drop below half and they start to flicker at random times as f something is shorting. This happens on a 2 way switch as well as just a single switch setup.Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecranberry Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 I encountered the same problem trying to dim 8 lights. I moved the dimmer to a different room with only 4 lights and did not have any problem. I changed the one with 8 lights to a switch instead of a dimmer. I would still like to have a dimmer on the 8 lights, so let me know if you find a solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted September 26, 2007 Share Posted September 26, 2007 When you say 'halogen pot lights', what exactly do you mean?I know that if you try and control the halogen torchiere lights (which have a dimmer built in), you'll get funny non-linearity like you're describing, because the built-in dimmer in the light conflicts with the Control4 dimmer.It's also possible that the lights you're using were not meant to be dimmed.It's hard to say without more info.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loudsubz Posted September 27, 2007 Author Share Posted September 27, 2007 It has bulbs very similar to this in each fixturehttp://www.amazon.com/PAR30-Watt-Long-Halogen-Light/dp/B00064L0D6I think theres about 9 pot lights Im controlling on this one switch so around 675 watts. The dimmer is the only control 4 dimmer in the 4 gange box on the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Those should be dimmable, I would think, although I haven't tried any of that particular type.Have you de-rated the dimmer? i.e. have you broken any of the tabs off?It's 1000 watts, but if you break off one side, you de-rate it to 800, if both are broken off, derate to 600.It still shouldn't cause it to flicker.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlevine Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 We've had this issue before... Typically once the dimmer takes a firmware upgrade it fixes itself. However sometimes they just do that. You can try a different dimmer, identify it and make sure it takes a software upgrade. We've found leaving them overnight typically solves this weird anomaly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakecranberry Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 "de-rating" seemed to be my problem. I had removed both the tabs to fit the dimmer in a bank of switches. I moved this dimmer to a different room with only 4 lights and it worked perfectly. I put a switch in the room with 8 lights for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henniae Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 "de-rating" seemed to be my problem. I had removed both the tabs to fit the dimmer in a bank of switches. I moved this dimmer to a different room with only 4 lights and it worked perfectly. I put a switch in the room with 8 lights for now.I am curious, how does the switch know the tabs have been removed so it can de-rate? Or is it de-rated because there is less aluminum to use to dissipate heat and thus the dimmer just gets hotter and less able to carry current.Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted October 5, 2007 Share Posted October 5, 2007 No, it is up to the installer to de-rate the dimmer.That is, de-rating is *not* something handled by the dimmer, but something the installer must take into account when planning and installing the dimmers.It must be de-rated because, with the tabs broken, the heatsink size is decreased, and the dimmer can't handle as much of a load without damage to the dimmer and / or safety issues (heat / etc.)This is pretty standard for many electronic dimmers. In additiona, most don't do 1000W to start, unless you're using a 'pro'-line dimmer.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isanabria Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 We've had this issue before... Typically once the dimmer takes a firmware upgrade it fixes itself. However sometimes they just do that. You can try a different dimmer, identify it and make sure it takes a software upgrade. We've found leaving them overnight typically solves this weird anomalyDan, I am currently having this issue. Unfortuntely, I don't have spare dimmers to go around my entire 40Plus dimmers installed in my house replacing them.How do I make a dimmer to take a firmware upgrade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 You're responding to some old threads.What system version are you on?The only way to get the dimmers to take an update is to do a *system* update, which will update the firmware the dimmers use the next time they check in.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isanabria Posted April 4, 2010 Share Posted April 4, 2010 Thanks RyanE. I didn't realized this was an old thread.My system version is 1.7.3.How do I make sure a dimmer "takes a software update" as Dan suggested? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 The current 1.7 version of Control4 is 1.7.4.There were some dimmer changes, although I don't know if the flicker was specifically addressed in 1.7.4, I don't experience it with any of my dimmers, and did on some betas before 1.8.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isanabria Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Thanks for your replay RyanE. Is there a procedure by which I can reset a dimmer so that it updates it software and/or firmware? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henniae Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Thanks for your replay RyanE. Is there a procedure by which I can reset a dimmer so that it updates it software and/or firmware?The firmware update happens when the system (i.e. Controller) is updated. It is part of the system upgrade and there is nothing you can do to force the firmware to update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isanabria Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Alan, thanks for your reply.My C4 lighting system was installed step-wise as follows: 1. My electrician installed 40 Plus dimmers/switches (a mixed of new/used ones for sure and by the look of the wires and lack of stickers) 2. I installed eight speackes 3. The dealer came one afternoon and installed on a rack an HC500 and an Amp, and made an iPod work with C4 so that music could be played on a given room. That was 7 months ago. Period.Please don't ask me more about the C4 Costa Rica dealer, because everytime I have mentioned him my posts gets deleted from this forum (proven).Anyway, I am pretty sure he didn't updated the system (Law of Least Effort).Is there a way I could find out whether my dimmers/switches firmware is out of sync with respect to the Controler's OS version? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 When your dealer updates your system, the dimmers get updated automatically.They are likely not out of sync with the version you have installed, but a newer version may help your issue.This is typically only done by Control4 dealers.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isanabria Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 When your dealer updates your system, the dimmers get updated automatically.They are likely not out of sync with the version you have installed, but a newer version may help your issue.This is typically only done by Control4 dealers.RyanESo, if this is the case then if I had a fully functional system installed (I really wished ;-)) and I happened to add another dimmer that needs firmware updating, the only thing I could do to get this new dimmer to work properly is the update the entire system.Either Control4 extensibility and scalability hasn't been given a thought or we are definitely missing something, don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted May 3, 2010 Share Posted May 3, 2010 Once your dimmer is added to the project, it would automatically update to the current version.Adding the dimmer to the project is something a dealer would do, but it wouldn't require you to update your entire project, *unless* your project is on 1.7.2 or earlier, and the dimmer you purchased is a ZigBee Pro dimmer. If that's the case, then yes, your system (and the rest of your dimmers) would need to be upgraded to at least 1.8.If your system version is older than the firmware in the dimmers, yes, you would have to update the system for the rest of your dimmers to 'catch up' to your newest firmware dimmer.I'm not sure what you're implying that Control4 is missing in terms of extensibility or scalability... Control4 doesn't support downgrading dimmers, but will bring all your existing dimmers up to the version they should be running.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 These updates happen automatically. I installed a few two weeks ago and they updated in less than 10 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Downgrades, however (which it appears he is complaining about), do not happen automatically.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted May 4, 2010 Share Posted May 4, 2010 Downgrades, however (which it appears he is complaining about), do not happen automatically.RyanEYeah, I assumed downgrading is not possible....I've never tried.I hope to take the zigbee pro jump soon, just waiting to get some more devices installed so I only have to do one round of zigbee device updates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 It's possible, and there's likely a tech note describing how, but it's not something that's recommended.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Music Bear Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 Downgrades' date=' however (which it appears he is complaining about), do not happen automatically.RyanE[/quote']Yeah, I assumed downgrading is not possible....I've never tried.I hope to take the zigbee pro jump soon, just waiting to get some more devices installed so I only have to do one round of zigbee device updates.I had heard that the PRO stuff was very problematic, and was advised by my dealer NOT to upgrade at this time. I'm still buying the NonPro stuff. Was his advice wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveC4 Posted May 8, 2010 Share Posted May 8, 2010 I would say no, his advice is not wrong. I don't know that the PRO stuff is problematic, but the good thing is you can make the non-pro stuff pro whenever you want. You can't do the opposite.I think you made the right decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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