Radia Lighting Control Installation Questions
amxhobbyist
Posts: 90
Hi folks,
When AMX Radia units are used in a new construction installation, how are the wires from the lighting fixtures typically terminated? Do installers run Romex directly into the Radia controllers, or is a patch panel used? If a patch panel is (or can be) used, can somebody recommend appropriate products and technique?
Given my experience with low voltage structured wiring, I can see an immense advantage in doing the same with my lighting circuits. The advantage, of course, is the ease of future reconfiguration: If you want to change from incandescent to compact fluorescent, you could patch from the fixture's termination point on the panel over to the appropriate Radia module. With wiring home-run directly to Radia controllers, it seems you would be effectively stuck with that lighting configuration (unless you left long lengths of Romex spooled near the controllers, but that seems like quite a hack). My problem is, I've never seen a patch panel for standard household voltages and while I can imagine a variety of creative ways to do this, none would pass an electrical inspection. I'm hoping existing products are available?
Next question: What is typically used at the wall switch location to activate the lighting? Do people pretty much stick with AMX keypads & the occasional touch panel? What other sorts of wall-mounted switches or controllers are common in the industry? I'm interested in keeping a traditional look in parts of the home and would like to find a basic Decora style momentary switch that can activate lighting scenes. The key is "momentary" - I realize I can use any standard light switch to close a circuit and change state, but I don't want the switch to be "up" when the lights have been turned off via another controller, etc.
Thank you!
When AMX Radia units are used in a new construction installation, how are the wires from the lighting fixtures typically terminated? Do installers run Romex directly into the Radia controllers, or is a patch panel used? If a patch panel is (or can be) used, can somebody recommend appropriate products and technique?
Given my experience with low voltage structured wiring, I can see an immense advantage in doing the same with my lighting circuits. The advantage, of course, is the ease of future reconfiguration: If you want to change from incandescent to compact fluorescent, you could patch from the fixture's termination point on the panel over to the appropriate Radia module. With wiring home-run directly to Radia controllers, it seems you would be effectively stuck with that lighting configuration (unless you left long lengths of Romex spooled near the controllers, but that seems like quite a hack). My problem is, I've never seen a patch panel for standard household voltages and while I can imagine a variety of creative ways to do this, none would pass an electrical inspection. I'm hoping existing products are available?
Next question: What is typically used at the wall switch location to activate the lighting? Do people pretty much stick with AMX keypads & the occasional touch panel? What other sorts of wall-mounted switches or controllers are common in the industry? I'm interested in keeping a traditional look in parts of the home and would like to find a basic Decora style momentary switch that can activate lighting scenes. The key is "momentary" - I realize I can use any standard light switch to close a circuit and change state, but I don't want the switch to be "up" when the lights have been turned off via another controller, etc.
Thank you!
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Comments
Eric: I do appreciate your good intentions, but your statement is inaccurate. First, I don't know who would sue me for rewiring my own home. Second, I'm reasonably well versed in electrical code & safety, and it's perfectly legal for a homeowner to do his own electrical work as long as it's inspected and approved. I've installed countless circuits, from your humble 15 amp 120 volt household circuit to a 100 amp 240 volt feeding a detached garage subpanel, all legal, all meeting code. Third, I don't exactly live in the big city. I know several area electricians and EEs and none of them have seen residential lighting control equipment and have no idea how to deal with it. If they're going into the job blinder than I am, well, that doesn't give me a lot of confidence.
I do as much of my own work as possible. That way I know it's done right. I've seen a lot of really shoddy work done by so-called professionals. When my last home was built the electricians terminated the coax with a standard pliers, so that tells you how aware they are. I do ask for advice when I'm unclear on something, which is what I'm doing here, to ensure I can do what I want to do and keep it all legit.
Hi Guys,
Did someone knows where I can find, or knows how to setup the Radia dimming curves for the new LED lights?
Radia was designed before LED tech. You can't dim LED's well by variable voltage as you do incandescent bulbs. LED's dim by chopping a steady voltage into variable on-off pulses, with the longer the pulse the "brighter" we see the light. Radio can't do that. Period. You can get some dimmable LED's that behave so-so on old tech dimmers, but generally the brightness curve will be steep, with little mid-brightness range - mostly off, then a short ramp before full on. But you can't depend on the bulb-to-bulb consistency of light....
Ok, Thanks. Maybe is time to migrate to Lutron o something else.