stevens Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 I'm building a large home and have been contemplating using C4 for lighting, security, HVAC, and audio, while using Windows MCE and XBox 360's for video. The home is approx. 9500 sq ft and I'm worried this size of home may push the limit of C4 (both for mesh network and # of devices). Here's a draft of the initial design... while I'm sure it will change it provides an idea of the system:Item QuantityMedia Controller 1HT Controller 1LCD Keypad 104" Touch Screen 310.5" Touch Screen 1Dimmer 75Switch 72 Button Keypad 16Multi-Channel Amp 2Multi-Tuner 16" Pair of Speakers 158" Pair of Speakers 1Thermostat 4Alarm Sytem 1Motion Sensors 10Does anyone have experience w/ this type of installation (sq ft or # devices/loads)? I have heard that C4 works great in homes up to 5 - 6k sq ft, though above this it becomes problematic. I didn't get specifics on the problems created other than the number of devices in large homes started to "push the limit", whatever that means.Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as the house framing is close to completion so I need to make a decision soon.Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 We have done a system that was somewhat similar in size and content. I have to say that I feel like we have pushed the Limits of C4. I don't know what the problem is, but there seem to be ghosts in that system that we just don't get on our smaller jobs. It's almost like the C4 is trying to do too much, but again, I don't know what is causing all the little quarks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlevine Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Hi Stevens,This installation should work out just fine, does your Contol4 dealer feel confident in the installation?Where are you locatedDan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevens Posted July 3, 2006 Author Share Posted July 3, 2006 I'm in Salt Lake City. The dealer is confident but their largest installation is approx. 5k sq ft... which I walked through w/ their tech / programmer. I'm comfortable in their abilities, but worry that they'll run into C4's capacity issues. The dealer stated that the extra HTC should be used to separate the audio from the lighting control, which is supposed to help scale the system. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanE Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 stevens,My house is pretty close to that size of devices, although it's only 4500 sq. feet.I do have all my zigbee devices (about 50-60) controlled by a separate HTC, which does help keep the response time for zigbee down.I am somewhat biased, since I work for Control4, but we do have some installations with well over 100 zigbee devices, which are working fine.RyanE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmout Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 I seriously doubt the size of your home will be an issue. A Zigbee signal has a very large range. I was able to control lights in my house over 300 feet away down the street with the hand-held remote. The stated range is up to 250 feet so unless you have more then 250 feet between each Zigbee device, you should be fine.Since every Zigbee device is a repeater, the more devices you have, the better the mesh network. You’ll only have 112 Zigbee devices. Everything else is either wired or WiFi. If there are issues, it's not because of Zigbee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevens Posted July 10, 2006 Author Share Posted July 10, 2006 thanks for your feedback!! we're going w/ C4... i'll follow-up once we get it installed and working. it'll be a while as framing is approx. 80% done, so 5-6 more months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panamagixxer Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 stevens,How is your installation going? I am in SLC and just had a meeting today with an installer and discussed control4 as my option. Much smaller scale 5,000 sq ft. - 8 zones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juice Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Although I do not have a ton of knowledge or experience, although I have been to training, I would definitely say you have the possibility of pushing the processors in the HTC and the Media Controller a bit too far. It helps to have a bit more processing power in the home, so switch out an LCD keypad or two with an HTC on the TV and a 3 or 6 button keypad at the door/transient area. This is a more useful scenario for most bedrooms or TV centric zones. A theoretical limit is 250 zigbee devices per controller, but the suggested amount is around 100-125. Coverage should not be an issue due to the number of light switches, but leave a little slack for a few extra devices to fine tune your coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alinford Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 Stevens, where in SLC are you? I putting in a similar size system in Draper. What are you using for ceiling speakers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevens Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 panamagixxer: doing the pre-wiring now... actual c4 installation will probably be nov - dec.juice: thanks for the feedback!!alinford: 6" true audio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alinford Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Which TruAudio 6"ers are you using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panamagixxer Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Who are you using? I am working with Safe & Sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevens Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 need to ask about the specific 6" truaudio... whyr'd is doing the install. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATOH Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 The dealer stated that the extra HTC should be used to separate the audio from the lighting control, which is supposed to help scale the system. Thoughts?Using a HTC as just the Zigbee server will help in your system. This removes the load from the main controller. A very good option, and I would suggest it, as did your dealer. Since he's in SLC I would venture to guess that he's on top of things training wise, etc. I say add the additional controller for the lighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 How do you break out certain processing functions from the main MC to a 'satellite' HTC?Shane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlevine Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 You can disable the Zigbee Server on one Controller and Enable it on another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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