Wireless plug adapter switch unit and CFLs

In the Wireless Users Guide, it says, page 6:

Some load types such as CFLs are incompatible with... electronic switches. Do not use these with C-Bus wireless switch units (unless specially modified by your installer)...

Could Clipsal be a little more explicit what they mean by this???

Thanks.

PS - can you ask the documentation department not to select the PDF option that blocks using copy with documents, as I had to type the above, rather than just copy/pasting from the document. Tedious and unnecessary.

 

Well, thats not actually the answer I was expecting.

I may have been programming for too long, but to my logic parser "don't use Compact Fluoro lamps with the wireless switch units" is slightly different to "Do not use these with C-Bus wireless switch units (unless specially modified by your installer)"

Its the underlined but I'm querying, not the non-underlined bit.

 

Cople of issues,

where the electronic device being used for control is a dimmer (typically phase angle control type C-bus wired wireless or other) the Compact Fluro will not be able to be dimmed.

where the electronic device used for control is a C-bus wireless relay (which is a two wire device that 'steals a little bit of power from each half wave) there is a minimum load requiremnt so that sufficient current flows through the load (even in the off state) for the electronics to still function (run the RF stuff and be able to do somthing when you press the button etc). Typically a compact fluro will not present sufficient 'off state leakage' to allow the relay unit to work.

where either dimmers or two wire relays are used they have elctronic components shunted across the switching mechanisum (TRAC or Relay respectively) to limit electronic 'noise' (EMC) these components will add to the off state leakage requirments and can, when Compact fluros and small Contactors are the load, cause the furo to fliker when off or contactor not to drop out when off.

depending on the exact details the minimum load and flickering issues (but not the dimming) can be fixed by adding an additional load across the compact fluro (in the form of an incandescent globe, mains rated capacitor etc) but this requires the correct type and value of component to be selected and a suitable (safe) mounting spot to be available.

 

Yep, happy with all that, and it did occur to me that "Do not use these [CFLs] with C-Bus wireless switch units (unless specially modified by your installer)" could be interpreted to mean either the C-Bus unit needed to be modified, or the CFL.

I was just hoping Clipsal would say what they mean

An earlier draft of that reply did point out that I knew a thing or two about controlling "difficult" loads with solid state devices, and thus I could have saved you a bit of typing, but it got deleted when I started again as the whole original message came out far too abrasive, almost accusitive and combatant.

And as for leakage currents - my 1989 built house has PDL light switches, and these pass enough leakage currents that some CFLs blink when off. Its pretty dark here when the moon is off at night, and if the outside CFLs are off you get wierd flashing from the distance...

Would still like an official answer, even if its - "oops, we'll remove it from the manual on the next print, we really mean dont try to control CFLs from these bad boys"