Wireless Home Theatre Lighting control ???

Hi guys,

I have built myself a Home Theatre room that i would like to hook up some sort of lighting control to. Its a retrofit so i was looking at the wireless C-Bus stuff and as i only have 1 set of wall lights and 2 groups of down lights.

I want to be able to dim the wall lights.

I also want to be able to turn on and off my down lights but i would like to split them into 2 groups so i can turn the ones in the front of the room off only and leave the back ones on or turn them all on or off together.

Now here's the trick. I want to be able to control them at the wall switch like a normal light switch but i also want to be able to control them with a IR universal remote i use for the rest of my HT system.

Is this at all possible ?

I currently am using a HPM IR dimmer/touch plate switch on the wall lights and a HPM IR on off switch for down lights but while it dose work its unreliable at times and i want something more stable that works every time.

What would be my options do you think?

Thanks guys.
Tim.

 

Hi,

Although the wireless units are easy to install in a retro-fit situation, they have some limitations that may make wired a better choice in your case.

The wireless units do not have any direct IR support. There is a remote, but it uses RF signalling. In order to get IR control you will need to add a wired to wireless gateway, a C-Bus power supply, a USB or ethernet interface and a wired IR receiver.

Also, it sounds like you have three circuits that you want to control; the wireless units come in 1 and 2 channel versions, so you would need two units to control 3 circuits.

If you go wired you can use a 4 channel dimmer with power supply and a switch unit like the Neo that has inbuilt IR.

I don't know how your room is constructed, but it may be worthwhile getting an electrician to come and have a look. There are lots of tricks that professionals can use to pull wire either from the ceiling space or under the floor. Even if you are on a slab and have an upper story a couple of small holes in the wall/ceiling that are easily patched may be all that is required.

Paul