NEW CONTROL4 WIRELESS PUCK DIMMER SWITCH

[ILoveControl]

Sorry for such a noob question, but what does this (NEW CONTROL4 WIRELESS PUCK DIMMER SWITCH) do. Is this a nice way of controlling multiple dimmers in one room without having hundreds of dimmer switches on the wall?

[Pounce]

Is this new as in a recent release or is this referring to the puck that's been around?

A puck is typically installed in the junction box of an existing switch or can be installed before the load. It can allow you to use a non smart switch to make it smart.

I like this image of hundreds of dimmer switches on a wall. Very post modern.

[Amr]

I have these Pucks and my experience with them is super great, very reliable and just works, I used them around the house to have a well distributed Zigbee Network as well ...

[ILoveControl]

Awesome - thank you want to get a few of them this just convinced me. 

[LollerAgent]

Anyone have a link to these pucks?

[JMcNaught427]

Looks like they have been around for some time, and for 240v loads only (not for USA customers) if this link is correct.

 

https://www.installation-international.com/case-studies/new-smart-switch-dimmer-solution-from-control4

 

[tdougray]

So can these be installed into a standard back box then controlled by any touchscreen, keypad, app etc. to act in the same manner as an adaptive switch/dimmer exc double triple tap function?

[Amr]

47 minutes ago, tdougray said:

So can these be installed into a standard back box then controlled by any touchscreen, keypad, app etc. to act in the same manner as an adaptive switch/dimmer exc double triple tap function?

Yes, I installed 20 around my house, just make sure your box have enough depth to hold the puck, I also used toggle switches to operate them.  This allows me to have a normal looking switches all over the house.

The rest of the house I used toggle switches hooked to IO via cat6 and Loades to 3 DIN rail panels, the entire house is now controllable via C4 interfaces, panels, remotes, etc.

[Pounce]

2 hours ago, JMcNaught427 said:

Looks like they have been around for some time, and for 240v loads only (not for USA customers) if this link is correct.

Yea. You have no idea how much time I have spent trying to find a similar solution for the US that works with C4. I was hopeful they finally came out with something.

[blub]

.
The rest of the house I used toggle switches hooked to IO via cat6 and Loades to 3 DIN rail panels, the entire house is now controllable via C4 interfaces, panels, remotes, etc.

What do you mean by that "IO"?

[Amr]

1 minute ago, blub said:

 

 

What do you mean by that "IO"?

 

IO extender

[blub]

Those "pucks" are around since 2014 or 2015 when I remember correctly.
They are designed to fit into UK/EU wall boxes, in the EU those are called UP60 boxes meaning 60mm in depth - depending in how many cables are in the box it is a tight fit.

You the connect toggle switches with any decorative faceplates you like to the puck.
It's the n controlled at the box via the toggle switch and via Control4.

As far as I can remember double and triple tab is not available and there is also no "keypad puck" available - so there are some limitations.

The new Control4 240v dimmers and switches also fit in the same boxes and work as any US version however the drawback is that they cannot be matched with available decorative faceplates available in the EU - so those will always look kinda out of place.

I have never understood why control4 never designed keys compatible for EU 55mm faceplates systems - they only need keys and a trim plate to accommodate the faceplate. Could probably be done in less a month

[blub]

IO extender

How does that work?

Toggle switch - connected to cat6 - IO extender - load control?

What brand and make is the IO?

[ILoveControl]

With out this becoming and let's not derail the post - what really blows my mind is most equipment in today's ecosystem support 120v-240v. This different switches for different V to me personally doesn't make sense.

 

Again a personal pet peve is that control4 has no real answer to a single gang multi leaver switch system without either chopping your walls up to add a million switches to your wall OR rerouting your electrical wiring to support the switches at the distribution board.

 

The pucks seem to be a great option to attempt to deal with my second point above in large houses where you have one switch controlling multiple lights. 

[Amr]

13 minutes ago, blub said:

How does that work?

Toggle switch - connected to cat6 - IO extender - load control?

What brand and make is the IO?

This is for new homes only, am not sure this can be done for existing homes, the idea is to use the 8 relays of Control4 IO extender unit. This is the most economic solution if u don’t use C4 modern Dimmers/Switches which in my case was not needed at all to keep the house as normal as possible.

Anyways, u pull a cat 5 or 6 cable from each switch box you need to control to the Control4 IO extender to use the relays.  Electrical loads wired normally to the Control4 DIN rail Units, each can control 8 On/Off loads or Dimmers.

You dealer program each relay that corresponds (binded) to a specific load, etc.

 

 

[ILoveControl]

One other option (which I am exploring) is using non C4 switches / dimmers I am currently testing the sonoff kit they have a sing gang 4 lever wireless switch and they really look sweet! 

 

 

[Amr]

3 minutes ago, ILoveControl said:

With out this becoming and let's not derail the post - what really blows my mind is most equipment in today's ecosystem support 120v-240v. This different switches for different V to me personally doesn't make sense.

 

Again a personal pet peve is that control4 has no real answer to a single gang multi leaver switch system without either chopping your walls up to add a million switches to your wall OR rerouting your electrical wiring to support the switches at the distribution board.

 

The pucks seem to be a great option to attempt to deal with my second point above in large houses where you have one switch controlling multiple lights. 

Am not sure what you mean by multiple, do you mean one switch for multiple loads? Meaning one switch for 3 On/Off loads for example?

[ILoveControl]

1 minute ago, Amr said:

Am not sure what you mean by multiple, do you mean one switch for multiple loads? Meaning one switch for 3 On/Off loads for example?

Yeah simplistically in a normal house you might walk up to a light switch that has two to five different on off buttons for different sections of lights in a single room.

 

Example: Main bedroom

Single gang switch five on off buttons:

1. Bathroom

2. Vanity lights just for her vanity area in bathroom

3. Same as above for his vanity 

Both don't turn on the entire bathroom lights..

 

4. Main bedroom lights only and not bath room

5. Lights just above TV instead of entire main bedroom.lights being on.

Not to sure if this is common in the US but very common everywhere else.

 

Theses are usually simple on off switches but you can get a multi switch single gang with mixed on off or on off and some loads dimmers.

[Amr]

1 minute ago, ILoveControl said:

One other option (which I am exploring) is using non C4 switches / dimmers I am currently testing the sonoff kit they have a sing gang 4 lever wireless switch and they really look sweet! 

 

 

Yes, but you will need to reflash them and use David’s Berto driver to have a local MQTT setup for a reliable control. However this is a WiFi solution, my experience with WiFi is not that great, it not as reliable as C4 Zigbee or any Zigbee BTW.

Am moving out of WiFi to Zigbee for everything, so WiFi lamps, Water Leakages detectors, Sockets, etc are all phased out and replace by Zigbee either For Control4 or another solution.

[ILoveControl]

9 hours ago, Pounce said:

Yea. You have no idea how much time I have spent trying to find a similar solution for the US that works with C4. I was hopeful they finally came out with something.

Have you looked at the sonoff sing gang switches?

[Amr]

1 minute ago, ILoveControl said:

Yeah simplistically in a normal house you might walk up to a light switch that has two to five different on off buttons for different sections of lights in a single room.

 

Example: Main bedroom

Single gang switch five on off buttons:

1. Bathroom

2. Vanity lights just for her vanity area in bathroom

3. Same as above for his vanity 

Both don't turn on the entire bathroom lights..

 

4. Main bedroom lights only and not bath room

5. Lights just above TV instead of entire main bedroom.lights being on.

Not to sure if this is common in the US but very common everywhere else.

 

Theses are usually simple on off switches but you can get a multi switch single gang with mixed on off or on off and some loads dimmers.

Yes I got you, one Puck for one load, I some time use one pick for parallel loads but they all go ON or OFF, the only way is to use Control4 IO and DIN rail units, these are all 240 in my case and it’s an excellent solution, probably more economic as well ...

[ILoveControl]

Just now, Amr said:

Yes, but you will need to reflash them and use David’s Berto driver to have a local MQTT setup for a reliable control. However this is a WiFi solution, my experience with WiFi is not that great, it not as reliable as C4 Zigbee or any Zigbee BTW.

Am moving out of WiFi to Zigbee for everything, so WiFi lamps, Water Leakages detectors, Sockets, etc are all phased out and replace by Zigbee either For Control4 or another solution.

Yes,

1. You do have to reflash them which takes 5 mins and provides much more from a functionality perspective.

2. Whilst I agree as a protocol zigbee is a better protocol in terms of strength it has its own issues. Example C4 mesh is locked down (which is good due to security) but very little ability for interop.

I have the Vera system which works with Z wave devices and whilst works well with C4 is still very limited to a light switch or two integration.

 

I have had to write my own drivers for the other sensors 

[ILoveControl]

Just now, Amr said:

Yes I got you, one Puck for one load, I some time use one pick for parallel loads but they all go ON or OFF, the only way is to use Control4 IO and DIN rail units, these are all 240 in my case and it’s an excellent solution, probably more economic as well ...

This could be a great solution thank you. Just so I understand you run Cat cable from the light switch box say in the room all the way back to the distribution board and then connect this to the c4 DIN and control each load off the C4 DIN? But then what interface as a switch do you use for the user? 

 

Example what does my wife press to turn the lights on and off in the different sections  

[Amr]

15 minutes ago, ILoveControl said:

This could be a great solution thank you. Just so I understand you run Cat cable from the light switch box say in the room all the way back to the distribution board and then connect this to the c4 DIN and control each load off the C4 DIN? But then what interface as a switch do you use for the user? 

 

Example what does my wife press to turn the lights on and off in the different sections  

Normal Toggle Swiches, this works as change of state from on to off or vise versa, so basically all toggle switches with cat goes to my rack that have 3 x C4 IO units.  The electrical wires that is attached to my loads goes to the distribution board that have 4 x C4 DIN rail modules.

Binding each relay to each cicuit of the DIN rail to control each load! The only draw back is no dimming capabilities, but with Alex in every room, u just turn on the light and dim it if u want or u can initially program it to go to 50% with first toggle and a second one take it to 100%, it’s what we exactly needed to keep the house as vintage as possible!

[Amr]

As you can see here is an example of 2 loads on a normally looking faceplate, 2 toggle switches that control 2 loads in my case here one goes to C4 IO extender module and the 2nd I used a Puck to have a distributed Zigbee mesh!

In some other locations all loads goes to IO extender for example. We Don’t have 5 gangs switches only 3 max, so you use 2 if you need more ...

 

[blub]

This is for new homes only, am not sure this can be done for existing homes, the idea is to use the 8 relays of Control4 IO extender unit. This is the most economic solution if u don’t use C4 modern Dimmers/Switches which in my case was not needed at all to keep the house as normal as possible.
Anyways, u pull a cat 5 or 6 cable from each switch box you need to control to the Control4 IO extender to use the relays.  Electrical loads wired normally to the Control4 DIN rail Units, each can control 8 On/Off loads or Dimmers.
You dealer program each relay that corresponds (binded) to a specific load, etc.
 
 

Ah ok via Control4 centralized lighting then. I get it now!. Thx

We are currently trying to figure out how to retrofit a house built in 1998 with control4.
It doesnt look to be easy without pulling new wires and a major issue is lighting and heating control since many Control4 products or solutions are not available in Europe or just look plain ugly