I need help figuring out dimming many lights in sync?

Other Devices & Integrations Lighting & Load Control
1

Please help, I’m having trouble finding a solution covering WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor).

Today I have a room with 16 12V 35W halogen downlights. There are 4 electronic transformers which are linked and synced with switch-DIM. They are both dimmers and transformers in one and they have to be replaced obviously because they can not be dimmed externally. For every transformer there are 4 downlights.

Giving me a total of: 4 transformers x 4 bulbs x 35W = 560W.

Requirements (because of WAF)

[ol][li]1 physical z-wave switch to synchronously dim all 16 downlights. In reality that means 4 transformers needs to be dimmed in sync. This switch needs to be associated to the dimmer(s) so even if VeraEdge goes down they can talk directly. Or have I misunderstood how z-wave works?[/li]
[li]Preferable trailing edge dimmers. I have only found Qubino to be trailing edge. There will be a day the halogen lights will be replaced by 12V LEDs. [/li][/ol]

I have talked to Qubino support but I’m not sure I get it. What I asked is, can one dimmer control other dimmers through association, keeping them in sync. The answer i got was: “Gateway must support function to delete association group 1. Some gateways can do this according our guys from R&D (can?t tell you exacctly which).” I do not understand why I have to do this and if Vera UI7 can do this.

I had hoped to use 1 qubino dimmer as master dimming 1 transformer. But can I add association for switch 1 to also control other dimers?

If you are not familiar with Qubino dimmers they have 3 switch inputs for connecting external momentary/bistable switches. Input 1 is linked to it-self and should control the dimming out of the box.

Thanks
Stian

2

No one knows if it is possible to have a z-wave switch dim multiple z-wave dimmers?

Sent fra min Nexus 6 via Tapatalk

3

I am not say anything definitively but I see no reason why one switch cannot control 4 dimmers by association. I have one paddle switch controlling another dimmer by association and according to most info I have seen you can usually associate 5 or 6 devices.
My TKB dimmer will not work for you as it is not for LV lighting but the basics are the same.

If it helps and you get nothing else I can change mine to control two dimmers from one paddle to test.

4

[quote=“Slartibartfast”]I am not say anything definitively but I see no reason why one switch cannot control 4 dimmers by association. I have one paddle switch controlling another dimmer by association and according to most info I have seen you can usually associate 5 or 6 devices.
My TKB dimmer will not work for you as it is not for LV lighting but the basics are the same.

If it helps and you get nothing else I can change mine to control two dimmers from one paddle to test.[/quote]
Thanks. I just needed to confirm if this should be possible. Do you know if any paddle/switch can dim a dimmer? Or do they need to support it specifically?

5

Use a momentary (Push Button) to control the Qubino from terminal I1.

http://www.qubino.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&path=61_65&product_id=55

They should sync once associated.

6

[quote=“strips, post:4, topic:187808”][/quote]
Thanks. I just needed to confirm if this should be possible. Do you know if any paddle/switch can dim a dimmer? Or do they need to support it specifically?
[/quote]

The data sheet for the paddle switch should state that it can do this. Read the spec sheet for whichever paddle you are looking at to be sure. It should also support association.

In my case i am using the second paddle of an on/off switch as a secondary controller for the dimmer giving me two way dimming control.

7

This is difficult to answer.

I’m not sure what your paddle switch is?

I use TEM switches, they may not be available in your region? (see this link…http://www.qubino.com.au/index.php?route=product/category&path=62_67 ) These are available as a PB or On/Off, I think you need to do some research as to what is available locally.

Make sure that you use a PB - Momentary - Off/on/off on the I1 otherwsie you risk frying the controller.

8

Thanks

I have not bought any dimmers or paddles for the lighting control yet. I’ve had some issues with associating a SRT321 thermostat to a Gen5 Aotec smart switch and come to the realisation mixing generations might not always work. So I need to look for combos that should work together.

I think the Qubino Flush dimmers would be my best bet. Hopefully I can get one dimmer to rule them all :smiley:

I did e-mail Qubino about this a month ago and maybe some of you could enlighten me more? Maybe he did not understand me or I’m misunderstanding his answer.

To have one dimmer controlling others:

In fact you need to disable one function in the controller in order they will work, but can?t say which controllers support this function. This is valid for 300 series Z-wave modules, while new modules working on Z-wave plus (500 series) might not require controller to disable that function. We are in the process of conversion to Z-wave plus for all our modules, but we didn?t test this functionality yet.

I asked what function needs to be disabled:

Gateway must support function to delete association group 1. Some gateways can do this according our guys from R&D (can?t tell you exacctly which).
9

I do not think you need to disable group 1 association from controller. I have this association and it still works. I have Vera Edge which with latest firmware does not let you remove this. Yours may or may not.
Note: I can only say this for my TKB switches so cannot confirm for your choice.