beachlife

Maybe as the OP I’ll try and end this thread. I think everyone here is correct and I’m not sure why everyone is arguing so much. The chaotic and fragile world we live today and more than ever there are so many bigger issues out there we could all spend our energy. When I started this thread 2 years ago I was at the beginning of my automation journey. I’m in Australia and was already down a path using Schneider Electric Clipsal CBUS for the lighting backbone. Why - I really like their switch plates especially their eDLTs. Also it’s hard to argue against it being a mature and robust wired solution and this was a new build allowing physical cabling. It has also been around forever and has great local support in Australia. Was there a better choice for the backbone - maybe. But I was already on this path. Before I started this thread and some on other specialist forums seeking advice I was suggested to only use CBUS for automation. And while Schneider Electric Clipsal CBUS does have various automation controllers it seemed to me that they haven’t invested the $s to make a complete user friendly automation interface. I’ve got their NAC as part of my system and it serves a purpose in the backend. But their Wiser product feels incomplete to me. They also bought Push Controls a few years ago and that’s been “coming soon” with a new version forever. 2 years later and it seems the products are both no further along in development. Maybe I’m wrong. So I think everyone here in this thread is correct. CBUS I think can do it all but from a UI perspective something like Control4 on top makes it much better for me. That’s my personal opinion. I really wanted a single app interface to bring the different components together. While I don’t mind tinkering myself the system needed to be somewhat “grandma friendly”. From my research and using both Control4 and Savant in person both seemed like really great systems. In the end I went with Savant as that’s the direction my builder and integrator were heading. Control4 would have done the job just as well I think and thank you to this forum for a lot of really useful information and advice. To close off this thread here is my final system. CBUS for backend lighting, blind control and shutter control. CBUS GPOs, wall switches including eDLTs SE powertags for breaker level energy monitoring Large PV system and 200kwh battery system with panel level TIGO optimizers/monitoring SE PLC for power management and load shedding CAT8 wired throughout connected to a Ubiquiti Unifi network using the dream machine pro with a fiber wan connection Ness M1. Also used to send a trigger to a fire suppression system based on heat sensor and thermal camera input. The M1 is probably the “oldest” component of the system but again it’s robust and been around a long time was part of the decision 2N access control and electric strikes for all locks including their commander system Coolmaster for HVAC VRF control AXIS cameras connected to their network DVR A/V I’ve got Sonos throughout, appletvs and a combination of integra receivers and Sonance indoor/outdoor speakers and amplifiers. A motorised projector and screen and otherwise a some gallery style flat panels Amazon Alexa in ceiling locations. Will be interesting to see how that one works with everything else Miele WiFi applicances. This one I do think was likely a waste of money Over the top - yes. The best out there - that’s personal opinion but probably not. Will it work - I hope so. Will I need degrees in electrical engineering and software development to operate - hopefully not. Would I do it differently next time - almost definitely. Thank you again to this forum for all the help and advice. I spent hours reading material on this forum. CBUS can do automation. Systems like Savant and Control4 can do it better from a user experience in my humble personal opinion. Control4 is a great system and would have worked for me even though it’s not what I finally used. I might use it next time. I hope this thread might help someone in the future thinking of doing a complete over the top system. Maybe it doesn’t. Over and out.

Hey Evo924, I went with CBUS with Savant on top. Plus Amazon Alexa for voice control. Been a long build. Handover in a few weeks. Cheers Paul

Thank you AK1 and also Wattsup. Very helpful information. CBUS does seem very solid and has the history and support in Australia for lighting. That's good advice too on a dealer who does both.

Hi AK1, not enamoured with CBUS. But yes it does have a big following in Australia and a lot of installers that are recommending it as the ONLY system to use. Hence why I came here to get another perspective before heading in a particular direction. Want to put in place the appropriate solution to achieve the desired outcomes. One option as you suggested is the CBUS lighting and wall plates and wiring etc and all interfaced to a C4 controller. Although I was concerned whether that leaves me in a situation in the future where Schneider tech says it is a problem with the C4 and C4 tech say it is a problem with the CBUS. Any thoughts on that mix and match issue?

Hi everyone, I'm brand new so please excuse my ignorance. I've been searching through this forum and a lot of resources online. Apologies if my newbie questions have already been answered somewhere else - perhaps direct me there. About to start on a brand new construction of a home in Australia. Was ready to include the Schneider Electric CBUS system and Wiser control as the home automation solution specification. But then I started doing some of my of own research and it appeared that the Schneider CBUS with Wiser control system and user software generally hasn't received a lot of love from Schneider and Control4 might better suit the outcomes I am trying to achieve. From my online research it also appeared that Control4 has a lot of user focussed online resources and information compared to CBUS. From an outcome perspective here is what I'm trying to achieve with a system: - Automated lighting control and scenes. There are a lot of lights inside and also outside and couldn't possibly control each individually - Electronic lock control for the external entry doors and a video intercom at the main entry - Basic media integration. I use an appletv to stream most media. If possible also the ability to make use of an enormous library of MP3s which are stored locally. Simple multi-room audio. Don't require multi-room video - Blind/shade control - Specifying a Mitsubishi VRF HVAC system. Mitsubishi has a pretty good wifi control app. A bonus but not essential would be integration of the HVAC with the main automation control system - Integration with the security system. Ness M1 with Hikvision IP cameras is what was recommended but can look at alternatives if better integration - Integration with keypad and RFID access control on the external doors - Away/Home features - Remote viewing of camera and security event alerts - User adjustable settings. Not the whole thing but little tweaks to lighting scenes for example or which physical buttons control what - Price is a secondary consideration. Reliability and user friendliness rank first - Home will otherwise be wired with Unify switches and access points Next step I will speak with a Control4 dealer and get a specific proposal. But I thought it might be good to check with this community first for their biased (or hopefully somewhat unbiased) views on the good/bad/ugly of C4 and in particular why they chose it over CBUS. Or perhaps why someone chose CBUS over C4 if they are on this forum. Of course not wanting to start any arguments. Just a newbie looking for some advice. Thanks in advance. And again sorry if this has already been answered a 1000 times before. Point me toward those answers and I'll leave everyone alone.