DLite Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 We are replacing a set of Somfy motors that are about 7 years old. We have not had a terribly great experience with the Somfy motors; they have required about 1-2 service calls per year, and they are louder than I expected them to be. I was thinking of moving to Lutron, because I've read (mostly on this forum) that their shades are extremely quiet and reliable, and work well with C4. Does anybody have recommendations on which Lutron motorized shade lines I might investigate for our context? Are there any concerns with Lutron that others have run into? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lippavisual Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Serena line can be purchased and installed DIY, requires a Caseta Smart Bridge Pro. Sivoia QS requires a dealer for purchase and uses the RA2 Select bridge. Both can run from either battery power or low voltage power supply. (Serena wired has to be purchased over a phone) Control for both is RF, so bridges/repeaters need to be reasonably close and need Ethernet. Theyre are higher lines of shades, but I don’t think you require them. DLite 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLite Posted September 28, 2021 Author Share Posted September 28, 2021 Do the Smart Bridge Pro and RA2 Select Bridge just require a plain old ethernet connection to my network? Or do I need a serial connection running directly from a C4 controller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lippavisual Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Ethernet. Driver is IP. But the bridges need to be close (50’ or less in my experience) to the shades for them to communicate with RF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLite Posted September 28, 2021 Author Share Posted September 28, 2021 28 minutes ago, lippavisual said: Ethernet. Driver is IP. But the bridges need to be close (50’ or less in my experience) to the shades for them to communicate with RF. Got it. Thanks for the helpful advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LollerAgent Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 3 hours ago, lippavisual said: Serena line can be purchased and installed DIY, requires a Caseta Smart Bridge Pro. Sivoia QS requires a dealer for purchase and uses the RA2 Select bridge. Both can run from either battery power or low voltage power supply. (Serena wired has to be purchased over a phone) Control for both is RF, so bridges/repeaters need to be reasonably close and need Ethernet. Theyre are higher lines of shades, but I don’t think you require them. Are the Sivoia shades much more expensive than Serena? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topfox Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I purchased Sivoia QS shades (battery powered) with two Pico remotes and a Smart Bridge Pro from Paul@hankselectric.net. His pricing was great, and they easily integrated with C4 and Alexa. Was way cheaper than the Serena I was looking at on Lutron site. LollerAgent 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinom Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Paul is my guy too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topfox Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 10 minutes ago, dinom said: Paul is my guy too Think you did the intro for me. Lol. He was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinom Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Glad he was able to help you out. Yes, he is a great guy, knows everything about Lutron and has great pricing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopedogg88 Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I am also a Lutron shade dealer, and of course would recommend them as the best shades on the market with great Control4 2-way integration. Happy to get you a quote, PM me if interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHSquirrel Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 I have 6 Lutron Sivoia QS Blinds in the UK using the RA2 Select Repeater everything about them is great (except possibly the price) they are really quiet and integrate really well into Control 4. The repeater just has an ethernet and a power connection, tested to a range of around 20 meters and its fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnGordon Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 I am a Lutron full shades dealer and have sold Lutron (with great pricing) to forum members here. Lutron shading is sold in three categories: Serena Shades (consumer): A DIY battery and wired for power line with Lutron's excellent Triathlon motors. Available in a full-range of fabrics and styles (roller shades, honeycomb shades and wood blinds with motorized tilt). A few options, such as Battery Boost are not available with Serena. Triathlon (professional): Triathlon is Lutron's step-up shading line. Like Serena, it can be powered via battery or by wire. Not nearly as many options as Sivoia (below), but for most, this line is great. You have the option of Battery Boost which will give you up to 7 years of battery life based on the shade size, material and usage. Other great Triathlon options include hembar alignment and more flexible mounting options. Sivoia (professional & full shades): Sivoia is the highest end Lutron shading. There are several different motor options (all wired), many different mounting options, numerous power and control options, and additional shading types: Horizontal Sheers (think Silhouette), Motorized Drapery Tracks, Kirbe Vertical Draperies, Roman Shade Motors, and Wood Blinds with Motorized raise/lower/tilt. Control: All Lutron Shading can be controlled with Lutron Pico remote controls. Additionally, Lutron Hubs such as the SmartBridge, SmartBridge Pro, Radio Ra2 Select and Radio Ra2 Main Repeater can control the shades. An exception is that Louvered products need Radio Ra Select Hubs or higher to control them. If you have Control4 or another 3rd party control system, you need the SmartBridge Pro or higher for integration. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. ejn1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LollerAgent Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 1 hour ago, DawnGordon said: I am a Lutron full shades dealer and have sold Lutron (with great pricing) to forum members here. Lutron shading is sold in three categories: Serena Shades (consumer): A DIY battery and wired for power line with Lutron's excellent Triathlon motors. Available in a full-range of fabrics and styles (roller shades, honeycomb shades and wood blinds with motorized tilt). A few options, such as Battery Boost are not available with Serena. Triathlon (professional): Triathlon is Lutron's step-up shading line. Like Serena, it can be powered via battery or by wire. Not nearly as many options as Sivoia (below), but for most, this line is great. You have the option of Battery Boost which will give you up to 7 years of battery life based on the shade size, material and usage. Other great Triathlon options include hembar alignment and more flexible mounting options. Sivoia (professional & full shades): Sivoia is the highest end Lutron shading. There are several different motor options (all wired), many different mounting options, numerous power and control options, and additional shading types: Horizontal Sheers (think Silhouette), Motorized Drapery Tracks, Kirbe Vertical Draperies, Roman Shade Motors, and Wood Blinds with Motorized raise/lower/tilt. Control: All Lutron Shading can be controlled with Lutron Pico remote controls. Additionally, Lutron Hubs such as the SmartBridge, SmartBridge Pro, Radio Ra2 Select and Radio Ra2 Main Repeater can control the shades. An exception is that Louvered products need Radio Ra Select Hubs or higher to control them. If you have Control4 or another 3rd party control system, you need the SmartBridge Pro or higher for integration. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Thanks for the info! A few questions.. Serena must be controlled by the SmartBridge (Caseta Pro) and not the RA2 Select hub, correct? Triathalon and Sivoia can be controlled by the RA2 Select hub? What type of wire should be used for a power pre-wire? Should this wire come out of the window frame? Do you happen to have any pics of a pre-wire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lippavisual Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 16/2 should work for just about any home. Could even get away with 18/2, as it's only 12v power. Wired shades come with a 15' power lead, which can be cut and re-attached, if you're handy. LollerAgent 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnGordon Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 On 9/29/2021 at 8:46 AM, LollerAgent said: Thanks for the info! A few questions.. Serena must be controlled by the SmartBridge (Caseta Pro) and not the RA2 Select hub, correct? Triathalon and Sivoia can be controlled by the RA2 Select hub? What type of wire should be used for a power pre-wire? Should this wire come out of the window frame? Do you happen to have any pics of a pre-wire? Serena Shades can be controlled by any of the hubs, same with Triathlon and Sivoia. But, you need the SmartBridge Pro or higher to integrate with Control4 and you need the RA2 Select Hub or higher to control louvered products. In addition, if you want to be able to use the Lutron app, you will need a SmartBridge, SmartBridge Pro, or RA2 Select Bridge. The Radio RA2 Main Repeater does not work with the app, but a hub can be added to a RA2 system so you can use the app. I have a chart that indicates which size wire you need. What will be your longest run? We typically have the wire come out of the corner of the jamb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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