[quote=“cdw3423, post:1, topic:191254”]I have noticed that the “Lamp Modules” are in the $40 to $60 range. Some have dimmers and some don’t. Some will switch the full 15 amp current an outlet is rated for. My question is, why are they so expensive[/quote]Z-Wave products are generally more expensive than other technologies because of licensing the proprietary Z-Wave protocol and the fact that people are willing to pay for it. The latter being the most significant part.
and why would you want one when you can get an LED bulb for only $15? Am I missing something?
Individually controllable bulbs are relatively new and there are very few Z-Wave ones. Also, the Z-Wave ones are still $40. If you're seeing controllable LED bulbs for $15 they are almost certainly Zigbee.
Zigbee control is completely new to Vera. Only the new Vera Plus - released one week ago - has Zigbee capability. Further more, due to incompatibilities caused by the countless proprietary implementations of Zigbee, the number of Zigbee devices that Vera is able to control is a very limited subset of devices advertised as Zigbee compatible.
There is also the matter of people wanting to control devices other than lamps or lamps that do not have compatible controllable bulbs that will fit. A lamp module(appliance module) can be used to switch a fan, or a Christmas tree, or a lamp that uses funky little halogen bulbs, or a strip light…
For many people, myself included, individual bulb control is an undesirable “feature”. It may or may not be suitable for an individual lamp, but when a ceiling has 15 recessed lights, I do not want it to be using individually controlled bulbs nor do I want to have to use some ridiculous remote control or smartphone app to turn on the lights.
I want my lights to be controlled by a switch on the wall that does not require the use of a smartphone or cloud based service. By using a Z-Wave switch, I have a switch that controls the lights in a perfectly normal way, that anyone can use without training, and no dependency on controllers or cloud services. I also have lights that I can control automatically via a wireless controller, when I want to.
The great news is that we now have many more choices in devices and bulbs and our choices are increasing at a rapid rate. We can use whatever we want or need for our particular circumstance. Want to have a connected bulb or two in an apartment? You can do that. Want to automate every single light, outlet and appliance in a 5,000 square foot house? You can do that too.
Even if you have 4 or more bulbs you want in a group, having bulbs you can also control independently is a lot more value than one of the lamp modules.
Perhaps for your specific use case, but as describe previously, many people don't feel the same way. I'm often guilty of forgetting that not everyone lives the same way that I do or has the same means. You may not have been aware, but Z-Wave and Zigbee control and automation technology is dirt cheap in comparison to more comprehensive home automation systems that can easily cost $40,000. A house full of $50 switches is ridiculously cheap in comparison.
It seems the dimmer switches for installed lighting are also much more expensive than just using connected bulbs.
I strongly disagree with this. A Z-Wave dimmer of $50 controlling 4 or more standard bulbs is less expensive than your four connected bulbs. It will also be cheaper long term as replacing the bulbs will be significantly less expensive than the connected bulbs. You don;t actually believe that the connected bulbs will last half as long as they claim, do you? The need to replace at least some of them is an absolute certainty. Z-Wave dimmers fail too, but far less frequently than bulbs failing.
Also can anyone recommend a good Zigbee keypad or fob and motion sensors to control the lights?
Sorry, I can't. Vera Plus is too new and the devices that work with it are still being figured out.
Since the Cree Bulbs I ordered are Zigbee, it seems it would be best to have a keypad or fob that is also Zigbee, but so far I haven't found very many options.
I hope the bulbs work for you. It seems that they should work with Vera Plus, but that is not certain. I've seen several reports on this forum that they do not work with Vera Plus, at least not yet.