wireless switch vs wireless dimmer? What's the difference?

[C4Newbie]

What is the difference between the two? Also, does either act as a Zigbee repeater in the house?

[jbs]

You mean other than the fact that one's a switch and one's a dimmer? The switch is only a switch. Turns the load on and off, nothing in between. The dimmer modulates the load like a dimmer switch.

Neither is a zigbee repeater, though all zigbee devices receive and pass forward their signals.

[C4Newbie]

So what do I need to get if the Zigbee signal needs to be enhanced in my home? I have a 4000 sq ft house and the hc-300 is on one side of the house in a closet. Most of the thermostats are not communicating with the HC-300.

[c44me]

So what do I need to get if the Zigbee signal needs to be enhanced in my home? I have a 4000 sq ft house and the hc-300 is on one side of the house in a closet. Most of the thermostats are not communicating with the HC-300.

did you try doing a search? there are numerous threads on zigbee coverage.

[neil12011]

actually, the dimmers and switches I believe do act as repeaters since they are powered nodes. The difference btw the switch and the dimmer is that the switch simply turns the load off and on. The dimmer doesn't actually "dim" the load, as it does not vary the voltage, it modifies the AC waveform, and the light is actually turning off/on rapidly. So fan's or anything with motors cannot be used with the C4 dimmers.

[gcjacob]

Can i use the dimmer to turn fluorescent lamps on and off?

Or do i need a swicth to do that.

My concern is regarding the load type - i've read somewhere that switches cannot be used for incandescent lights. But how about the reverseve?

thanks

[henniae]

Can i use the dimmer to turn fluorescent lamps on and off?

Or do i need a swicth to do that.

My concern is regarding the load type - i've read somewhere that switches cannot be used for incandescent lights. But how about the reverseve?

thanks

If the CFL is dimable you can use a C4 dimmer. If the CFLs are not dimable you can't use a dimmer.

Both switches and dimmers will repeat the ZigBee signal.

[C4Newbie]

Is there a hardware repeater that is stronger than the dimmers? I'm having signal issues in my 4000 sq ft home and i have 2 dimmers. Maybe I should get a true repeater and if so, which one?

[RyanE]

There are no 'repeaters' per se, other than additional controllers.

The nodes themselves repeat the zigbee signal down the line, and some have had success using the CardAccess relay device (or contact device, as long as you're powering it externally) with the external antenna, since it gives more range to get back to the controller directly, and will relay for local devices.

RyanE

[thecodeman]

Is there a hardware repeater that is stronger than the dimmers? I'm having signal issues in my 4000 sq ft home and i have 2 dimmers. Maybe I should get a true repeater and if so, which one?

I have used the Card Access wireless contact extender with great success, in the middle a 4000sq ft home. It bridges dimmers at the far end with dimmers/controllers on the other. Buy more dimmers

[slemay]

I 2nd the Card Access... we use the Contact Sensor with external antenna and power supply JUST AS A ZIGBEE REPEATER and have had no issues at all. Greatly (!!!) enhances Zigbee range and coverage!

[tebery]

neil12011 wrote

actually, the dimmers and switches I believe do act as repeaters since they are powered nodes. The difference btw the switch and the dimmer is that the switch simply turns the load off and on. The dimmer doesn't actually "dim" the load, as it does not vary the voltage, it modifies the AC waveform, and the light is actually turning off/on rapidly. So fan's or anything with motors cannot be used with the C4 dimmers.

do ordinary, off the shelf, dimmers work the same way?

thanks.

[thecodeman]

neil12011 wrote

actually, the dimmers and switches I believe do act as repeaters since they are powered nodes. The difference btw the switch and the dimmer is that the switch simply turns the load off and on. The dimmer doesn't actually "dim" the load, as it does not vary the voltage, it modifies the AC waveform, and the light is actually turning off/on rapidly. So fan's or anything with motors cannot be used with the C4 dimmers.

do ordinary, off the shelf, dimmers work the same way?

thanks.

Pretty much. Though I have heard of the "lights turning on and off rapidly" explination, and of the voltage controled type.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimmer

[lvs]

Can you not use the dimmer to snap on (full 100%) and snap off (0%) and use it for fans and non dim-able CFLs?

[thecodeman]

You can have the dimmer ramp it quickly to 100% or 0%, but you can not use it for fans and can not use it for non-dimmable CFLs. You have to use a switch for those two devices as previously mentioned. As an example, the non-dimmable CFLs need a certain load % to turn on, and if you dim below that (say the threshold is 50%), the CFL will flicker and or turn off.

[neil12011]

I don't know about regular off the shelf type. I know that some vary the voltage, and can be used to control fans and such.

[slemay]

Neil - those are specially designed units made to work with certain fans. No dimmer works with a normal ceiling fan - though some fans have been designed to work with dimmers.

[neil12011]

sorry I did not clarify more. What slemay said