Zbee Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 I see a lot of 'previously-owned' C4 gear on eBay and the like. Everything from switches to control panels and amps. Is it penny wise and pound foolish to buy that gear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTxAg Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 I've set up two independent Control4 systems in two different homes. Other than the two new controllers (since it was easier to have my dealer program the controllers while he had them there) and a couple new touchscreens (when I couldn't find the size/color that I needed second-hand), basically everything I bought was used. I have had one - only one - piece of equipment fail, and it was a touchscreen that died after more than two years of use. That would have put it outside the two-year warranty offered by Control4, so new/used would not have mattered. Even if it did, my total cost of each system was like 33% of retail for all of the equipment, so I came out far ahead buying used. Dueport 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob21 Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 If anyone is looking for T3 in wall touchscreens PM me. I have a few left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyknight Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 IF you have a dealer that is willing to work with 2nd hand equipment (far from impossible, but not all of them will) you can certainly save money using it. Just keep in mind that if you're unlucky, you could end up with a lot of duds - which will cost you (or at least cut heavily into the savings) in the end (you're paying for the dealer to spend time troubleshooting it). There's nothing wrong with it, but ensure you're well informed on what you're buying - old style lighting vs current gen, controllers and touchscreens that are no longer supported etc. Even if something is supported now, you could end up getting stuck to an OS version down the road well before a 'brand new' install would have that issue. Dueport and chopedogg88 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amr Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 2 hours ago, DTxAg said: I've set up two independent Control4 systems in two different homes. Other than the two new controllers (since it was easier to have my dealer program the controllers while he had them there) and a couple new touchscreens (when I couldn't find the size/color that I needed second-hand), basically everything I bought was used. I have had one - only one - piece of equipment fail, and it was a touchscreen that died after more than two years of use. That would have put it outside the two-year warranty offered by Control4, so new/used would not have mattered. Even if it did, my total cost of each system was like 33% of retail for all of the equipment, so I came out far ahead buying used. It’s a risk you have to take, you can have a mix of new/used, I don’t recommend C4 problematic gear like Video Matrix, Old Amps, etc but u can find incredibly low priced gear on eBay like EA1/3 Controllers for improving your ZB around ur prime rooms, used T3’s can be a bargain, u just have to be lucky, I just got one for $70 a month ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew luecke Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 18 minutes ago, Amr said: It’s a risk you have to take, you can have a mix of new/used, I don’t recommend C4 problematic gear like Video Matrix, Old Amps, etc but u can find incredibly low priced gear on eBay like EA1/3 Controllers for improving your ZB around ur prime rooms, used T3’s can be a bargain, u just have to be lucky, I just got one for $70 a month ago! Just a heads up. if there is any possibility of using drivers which create their own interface via webview, definitely use T4s instead. Whilst they seem like they have similar specs, there is a fairly big difference imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amr Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 1 hour ago, Andrew luecke said: Just a heads up. if there is any possibility of using drivers which create their own interface via webview, definitely use T4s instead. Whilst they seem like they have similar specs, there is a fairly big difference imho. Yes I agree with u, T4 will be snappier but again there are no deals around T4, u know scarcity makes it difficult to get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew luecke Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 10 minutes ago, Amr said: Yes I agree with u, T4 will be snappier but again there are no deals around T4, u know scarcity makes it difficult to get Also, it uses a much newer version of Android, and a significantly newer version of Chromium because the T3s were from Android 4 days (and because of these are likely easier for snap to upgrade in the future too). It's also why we maintain separate interfaces between the T3 and T4s on drivers like Contact Us and Scheduler. It's only an issue for webview though (but also keep in mind, the T3s were released 10 years ago) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amr Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 2 minutes ago, Andrew luecke said: Also, it uses a much newer version of Android, and a significantly newer version of Chromium because the T3s were from Android 4 days (and because of these are likely easier for snap to upgrade in the future too). It's also why we maintain separate interfaces between the T3 and T4s on drivers like Contact Us and Scheduler. It's only an issue for webview though (but also keep in mind, the T3s were released 10 years ago) Am running the Webview over a POE powered T3 and am fine with its speed really, not that bad, when T4 become available in 2024 we can get a couple on hot spots Neo1738 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew luecke Posted May 10, 2022 Share Posted May 10, 2022 2 hours ago, Amr said: Am running the Webview over a POE powered T3 and am fine with its speed really, not that bad, when T4 become available in 2024 we can get a couple on hot spots G'day, Just a clarification. It actually isn't the speed that's the issue but compatibility with new Javascript functionality. That means that modern code (and many modern websites) won't operate on them, and it probably won't be long before new webview drivers require T4's. A good example is the Shelly Web interface. If you try loading it on a T3, it doesn't properly render, and it won't operate, because it uses unsupported newer javascript functions. If you turn off legacy mode on our webview drivers, you'll also get a blank screen on T3's. I suspect it won't be long before the component shortage has run its course though.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.