Rob99

@Thorfun good spot this 👍 Just had a look at the specs. As with Mike's other products it's well thought out and designed. Similar max power throughput (8A) as Loxone but higher single channel at 3A (instead of Loxone's 2A) but the biggest difference is the PWM rate. Loxone is 123Hz which is quite low and some people can sometimes detect a hint of flicker, also very noticeable if you've ever taken a video on your phone with the lights on. White wing is 750Hz which is massively different and no chance of any unwanted effects.

I have a dealer account with FA. Drop me a PM if you want help with this.

Am planning on a couple of shed builds over the next 6-12 months, small one (2m2) for garden tools and a larger one (8m2) as a workshop. Intending to use 45x45 framing, OSB roof and shiplap or T&G cladding. Will a second fix nail gun be better than screws, especially for the cladding?

You can sign up to Octoprice ( https://www.octopriceuk.app/missingData) using your Octopus API key and it will tell you whether there is any missed half hour data from your smart meters. It also has other useful stuff on tariffs.

Complete with something in the middle to aim at 🤣

Hardware failures of the Miniserver are relatively rare but if they do happen then swapping it out for a replacement is fairly quick and straightforward. It's more complicated if you are swapping a Gen1 for a Gen2. I do keep a couple of spare Gen1 and Gen2 Miniservers just in case a client needs a quick replacement to get their system back up and running. The main failures are more likely with the SD cards, so always keep a back up with a recent copy of the config file. The Miniservers are just the hardware, all the system config software is on the SD card.

They are WAGO Single Height Fused, Ref 2002-1681

Niche is ok as long as its cheaper, better and less flaky than other options. I don't know anyone who has installed or is using Velbus so can't comment on how good or bad it is but it seemed to me a bit like a KNX bus type system. The programming software did look a bit clunky, although that could be the way the guy was demonstrating it. Lots of people on here have used Loxone (me included), some also use KNX, probably fewer with Control4 or Crestron. Some initial questions I'd be asking are: How popular is the system in the UK and who sells it (if not the manufacturer) What support is available (e.g. community forums, manufacturer, installer) and is it chargeable. Maintenance/software/firmware updates (how, who, how much?) Can you make changes to programming yourself, or is it an "engineer" only system (and therefore chargeable)

You need seperate MPAN's for import and export, and they aren't the same as the numbers etched onto your meter. It's not a requirement that Octopus obtain the MPAN, nor are they exclusively the ones able to do it. You should be able to obtain an MPAN from your DNO yourself, if they have had all of the paperwork required for the installation from your installer. Our installed requested an export MPAN at the same time they submitted the paperwork and we had it by return email. I sent this to Octopus and was set up for export in a matter of days.

That phrase always rings alarm bells with me. Which specific grant scheme is this? Just because they are funding it doesn't give them the right to impose poorly designed installations which it appears may not even comply with MCS standards.

I'm a Loxone partner and have previously looked around for metal enclosures for the control panel builds I do but always kept coming back to the Future Automation ones. They're very well built and robust and I like the fact they are designed to accommodate Loxone equipment which looks really smart when done right. Here's one of my previous builds as an example of how they look. Some clients leave them like this without the door on as they like the look of them.

Thanks @Kelvin, you've installed that nicely in a very tight space 👍

As @Dan F says, it’s usual to use operating modes for this type of control. Operating modes are hugely useful for lots of stuff. I use them for whole house evening and night modes, individual bedroom modes, heating/ventilation, guest mode, at home, away, holiday etc. They can be used with schedules, triggered by other logic or using switches and other inputs. Incredibly useful. If you used the config planning tool and auto config then it will create a whole range of operating modes automatically.

You should start by using the project planning part of config. Input all of your room, circuit and equipment details and you can automatically create a complete config file. It will create most of the blocks and logic for whatever you have said you need and put them on separate pages named for the rooms. It’s not perfect but will be easier than creating everything from scratch. You then just go through and make changes or add additional logic.

Just a heads up - you can only configure the miniserver network settings in the first hour after powering up. Beyond that you will need to power cycle it to make any changes.