dtximages Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Hey guys, my remote went bust on me this weekend. Ive been looking at universal remotes like the Logitech Harmonys. I like them alot but I thought I would inquire about the possibility of finding a good universal remote with the capability to dim lights as well. Ive heard of the x-10 stuff and it looks pretty neat. I know some remotes come with the ability to control x-10 products. What all is involved here and is there a cost effective way of doing this without buying one of those huge touchscreens you see in $100k theaters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 To do it well you need a PCS X10 dimmer (one of the ones that can be programmed for scene lighting), a box to configure the PCS dimmer then an IR to X10 transceiver. The PCS dimmer allows you to program in a number of different lighting levels with varying ramp times. Then using the IR to X10 transceiver you send one IR command which sends the scene command to the PCS dimmer and that activates the scene. That lets you go directly to various lighting levels easily and makes for very cool effects. For example on a macro capable remote you can make hitting play quickly dim the lights down to movie level. Hitting pause on the remote brings up the lights a little bit and hitting stop brings them up slowly to full brightness. Looking at around $100-$150 for everything you need to control one circuit. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 The dimmer... http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/PCS/Item/SS1LS-600-X/ The controller to configure the dimmer... http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/X-10-Pro/Item/PHC02/ The IR to X10 transceiver... http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/X10pro-IR-RF-Dist/Item/IR543/ Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 clspruiell: My HT system room uses a Lightolier PLC Compose X10-compatible dimming system that I control either with the credit card remote that you can buy with it, or I have programmed my theater's universal remote, a Phillips Pronto TSU-3000 to do the dimming control for me. The main system controller is the keyboard on the right below. The small hole is the system's Infrared sensor. EDIT: Although the Pronto can be used as an RF remote, too, I am using it and the credit card remote in INFRARED mode only to control the Lightolier dimmer. RF is not needed even though this is an X-10 compatible system. The system controls all 8 of my lighting zones and has 4 user-programmable scenes (A thru D). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatrixDweller Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 X-10 is radio frequency so you'd need a fairly high end remote unless you had an IR to RF module (added cost). I went with a Lutron GraficEye with 2 zones for my basement (yet to be completed). If you only need one zone the Lutron Maestro is very affordable ($40 or so) and is IR not RF. I control my GrafcEye with a Logitech Harmony 550. Any learning remote will do the trick though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkp Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 I have an Integra Chad remote (same as the Pronto Neo) that I will be selling because I just replaced it. I would think it's worth about $50 plus shipping. If you're interested, just send me a pm. I picked up these two units not too long ago along with the Lutron Maestro IR dimmers. The remote will control all three bays of lights in my theater together, but they can also be separated with the unit in the second link. http://www.universalremote.com/product_detail.php?model=36 http://www.universalremote.com/product_detail.php?model=42 -David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 As you consider the above options, it's important to note which ones require your remote to be able to "hit" their IR eye. If your lighting control panel is not in easy line of sight of your remote, it may not work. The cool thing about X-10 is you can put the IR-to-RF transcoder in the front of the room where it can see your remote, and then send the X-10 control signals through the wiring to any other X-10 switch/function you need to control. The cost of that transcoder (reference above as http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/X10pro-IR-RF-Dist/Item/IR543/) is about $31. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 X-10 is radio frequency so you'd need a fairly high end remote unless you had an IR to RF module (added cost). MatrixDweller: Although, you are absolutely correct in most cases, this is actually not true in the case of the Lightolier system shown in my post just above yours. The system is both X-10 and Infrared compatible. Please read the part I added after the word "EDIT" in reply to your post. You will also note that I did call attention to the fact that the little hole is actually the unit's infrared sensor. Just about any inexpensive IR learning remote will work with my controller. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 I would check out the Intermatic Home Settings ZWave system. http://www.homesettings.com/pressroom.htm http://www.z-wavealliance.org/modules/iaCM-ZW-PR/readMore.php?id=42991616 Reasonable online pricing is available from Westside Wholesale. A 16 channel programmable control unit is ~$42 while the remote modules are ~$34. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted October 16, 2007 Share Posted October 16, 2007 As you consider the above options, it's important to note which ones require your remote to be able to "hit" their IR eye. If your lighting control panel is not in easy line of sight of your remote, it may not work. The cool thing about X-10 is you can put the IR-to-RF transcoder in the front of the room where it can see your remote, and then send the X-10 control signals through the wiring to any other X-10 switch/function you need to control. The cost of that transcoder (reference above as http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/X10pro-IR-RF-Dist/Item/IR543/) is about $31. dougdrake: Regarding my HT's dimmer, you are definitely spot-on about the accuracy of hitting the dimmer's IR sensor "right-in-the-eye"! Mine has a very narrow acceptance angle and the remote (or infrared emitter from a repeater) must have almost "deadly aim" in order to hit it just right, otherwise the controller will ignore you. I use a Niles Infrared repeating system in our theater so I can aim my remote at the screen and it throws the signal to the back wall of the room for me and "floods" the front of all of my equipment in the rack. I also have a glue-on emitter that is affixed with a supplied plyable gel to the IR sensor on my ceiling-mounted projector in order to allow the repeater to "talk" to it. However, I find that I must actually aim my remote directly at the dimmer in the back of the room, thereby bypassing the repeater system to get it to respond. That's because I do not have the repeater's IR emitter (called a :flooder") mounted low enough on the wall to shine directly into the dimmer's small sensor. The proper remedy for this is rather simple: I can either move the repeater's IR flooder lower on the wall (it's currently near the ceiling) to lessen the angle it needs to shine on the dimmer. Or, I could add a second flooder halfway down the wall. The best method may be to use one of those glue-on emitters like the one on my projector. I have seen other dimmer systems just like mine and the glue-on emitter was they way they all went. In that configuration the system behaves flawlessly according to the owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatrixDweller Posted October 18, 2007 Share Posted October 18, 2007 With the Lutron Grafik Eye system you can purchase an IR ceiling mounted eye (GRX-CIR-WH) or auxiliary wall stations with IR that connects to the main switch unit via low voltage wire. I am considering this for my set up. Of course they're not cheap. There is also the GRX-IRI which you can connect an IR repeater. I managed to get my GRX-3102 for under $200 on Ebay. They retail for more than twice that. I think the ceiling mounted IR retails for $200 or so. I wouldn't say Lutron is the cheapest for sure. I just got a deal on mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Well I went out and bought the Logitech Harmony 890 last night and set it up. Setup was difficult if youre not tech savy. I set up my HK AVR8000 receiver. It will perform most all of its functions, but AINT easy. For instance, changing front speakers from Large to Small took an hour to figure out. Kinda reminds me of taking a nice organized Excel document and dumping it into a Notepad document. Info is there, but confusing and not something you want to use. My other complaint is this. When I want to change channels, you select "Cable Box" on the remote. It operates my Charter Digital box fine. But to turn the volume up or down, you must go back and select AV Receiver. Thats very annoying. To my amazement though, I plugged in the RF receiver with a couple of IR emmitters just kinda hanging there, pressed "Watch a DVD". EVERYTHING CAME ON! Keep in mind, i have components up front left, projector on ceiling, and cable box mounted on ceiling behind the couch. This thing must be sending out some potent IR waves or something. Anyway Ill keep playing with it and maybe i can get comfortable enough to keep it. Roll Tide this weekend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Oh one more thing. Im kinda realizing that these stupid remotes are great ideas on paper, but really arent that great in real life (imagine that). Does anyone have any opinions on a great one? I mean one that performs just like you feel it should? Do the $10k Crestrons work any better or are they only cooler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 "My other complaint is this. When I want to change channels, you select"Cable Box" on the remote. It operates my Charter Digital box fine. But to turn the volume up or down, you must go back and select AVReceiver. Thats very annoying. " There should be a way to deal with that. I haven't used a Harmony but most receivers off a way of keeping the volume control and mute the same no matter what device you are setup on. Some call it Punch Through or things like that. If you can't figure it out give their tech support a call and they should be able to square that away for you. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 "Im kinda realizing that these stupid remotes are great ideas on paper,but really arent that great in real life (imagine that). Does anyonehave any opinions on a great one?" Kind of depends upon what you are looking to spend and how much time you are looking to put into it. Two I really like are the MX-950 and the MX-3000. The features that really set them apart is the ability to hold boolean variables (can do all sorts of things with that) and that you can perform nested macros. That lets you setup very complex actions very easily. If you use the nesting properly it also allows for very easy device changes down the road without having to touch the complex macros you have configured or change hardly anything in the remote. I'm not too sure how many people know to set them up that way though. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkp Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 sfogg is correct about the "punch through" feature offered on some remotes (see the link to mine above the tx-1000). I was annoyed with the same issue you mentioned but now have my remote set up so that I may simultaneously control my dvd player, volume, lights etc at the same time without having to change menus. I have yet programmed any macros, but plan on adding one or two soon. -David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtximages Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 what is this booleen stuff yall are talking about? sorry.. so do you think I might like the universal better than the logitech? it looks better and the buttons certainly look easier to use. I also like the screen. however it seems more expensive. where could I buy one to try it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.