I’m a newbie to Vera, having purchased my first Vera Lite a couple of months ago. I just built a custom home and had a partial Crestron system installed (lighting control and security system for starters). I’m tired of calling my integrator for even the smallest of changes. Despite my extensive efforts at finding SIMPL windows the other Crestron tools necessary to do my own integration, I still have not found them. Thus, Vera Lite seemed like the next best choice. Lua doesn’t scare me; no different than learning any other programming language (or spoken language, for that matter).
I started off by purchasing a few Evolve light switches. Now, coming from Crestron, I am accustomed to a few niceties in a switch. 1)Light touch on/off, 2) up/down rocker for on/off, 3) Instant response to the touch - no noticeable delay whatsoever 4) Quiet nice “click” when pressed (that’s right, it matters), and 5) Turns on ON THE PRESS instead of waiting for the release. These Crestron switches really are the gold standard and I have quickly found out I will REALLY miss them… For each brand below, I bought at least 2 switches to make sure I didn’t have a defective one…
Evolve: My first switches were the Evolve line. They’re cheap, require a neutral (which is good in my house of LEDs), nice look. The meet requirement 1 & 2 above, but that’s about it. They don’t turn on until you release the switch, and they have a small delay. Between the two of those, the delay was annoying at first. Got a little better with time, but still I REALLY wish they’d make it switch on the press instead of on the release (take note Evolve!). Also, the “click” it makes when it turns on/off is more like a hallow cheap sounding “thunk”.
Leviton: Attempt number two at the “perfect” Crestron like switch (yes, Crestron’s switch is my version of “perfect”). They accomplished 3 respectably, and 4 kinda, and a solid 5 (yay!). I love that they turn “on” on the press, with little noticeable delay. The “click” is a little loud, but not the cheap “thunk”. But that goofy bottom press on/off is just too trippy for me. It even looks funny to me popping out so far from the wall. And the dimmer version has this goofy button on the top to adjust the dim, but it’s cheap feeling and flimsy.
Cooper: I had high hopes for Cooper. They’re soft, quickish, respond on the press, and look OK. But, the whole side button thing just didn’t do it for me. I thought it was pressable pretty much anywhere on the button, however it turns out the “right hand” side of the button presses, but not the left. It’s just a little weird. I like the vertical dim button, but the whole side-press thing just ruled it out for me.
GE/Jasco: Last, I finally broke down and tried GE, knowing that I wouldn’t use their dimmers for lack of neutral. These switches are almost identical to the Evolves. However, they have a painfully long delay from the time you click on/off and when the switch reacts. I noticed it’s actually quicker to respond when I click on/off from the Vera interface, which means it’s the mechanism transmitting it’s own button presses that cause a delay. Also, their clicks are a little less “Thunkish” than the Evolve.
At the end of the day, “yes”, I am very picky and have redonculous high standards for my equipment. I am totally convinced that Harry Potter has nothing to do with Crestron. It’s not magic, just superior design and testing. I REALLY hope some of these other manufacturers step up the game. I think my Crestron switches were $110 per. I’d be happy to pay the exact same for a Z-Wave switch if it was the same quality.
In the meantime, I will be going with Evolve and all its thunkish glory. I will be putting the pairs of other brands I bought in the switches that I never see (I have a couple of banks of hidden switches around the house) - waste not, want not. Evolve’s were not the fastest response, but faster than GE. They have the regular old up/down rocker, and they’re not weird. Yes, I’m settling for less than I want, but at least I can program my own junk, which NARROWLY makes it worth it. Really, it’s the hope of better equipment, and the broad z-wave selection of devices that really make it worth it…
Cheers!
(for the record, I’m a gen X’er through and through).