PeterW Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Anyone come across these before ..?? Seem to be a cost effective controller for wiring multiple circuits and not having to chase walls or replace batteries. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/QUR304.html I can see how useful they could be in reducing the amount of wiring needed especially in complex areas such as vaulted ceilings or multi way switching. So what am I missing ..?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Yes, I looked at them a couple of weeks ago, when they were discussed on another forum. My experience with the HomeEasy/Byron remote switches is that the practical range for us is around 2m to 3m maximum, not sure why, as I have the receivers mounted in the ceiling void, in direct line of sight with the transmitters, with just a layer of skimmed plasterboard (not foil-backed) between them. The Quinetic system uses the same frequency band, 433 MHz, but may be more immune to interference than the HomeEasy/Byron units, as they use frequency shift keying (FSK) rather than the amplitude shift keying (ASK) that the HomeEasy/Byron units use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 I may order one or two to play with as they are quite neat but may also solve a problem or two with some oddly placed lights and an internal designer who seems to like to change her mind .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) I've been tempted to buy some to replace the HomeEasy stuff, which was added to allow extra light switching in the kitchen, after the wiring had been done (and yes, there was some "influence" from someone deciding, long after the installation was completed, to make some changes...............). This system looks just as easy to use as the HomeEasy system, which also uses 32 bit encoding. The receivers can be programmed to receive codes from several switches, so we have four switches and three receivers, to allow different lighting combinations and a single on-off switch that controls all three receivers. Edited March 23, 2017 by JSHarris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I can see a use in BATHROOMS! But saying that is there any IP rating on them? Thinking more corrosion of the switch internals than from a safety point of view which isn't really an issue tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) 30 minutes ago, Onoff said: I can see a use in BATHROOMS! But saying that is there any IP rating on them? Thinking more corrosion of the switch internals than from a safety point of view which isn't really an issue tbh. They are IP56, but as they are SELV, in effect (although they have no power supply, as such), then they are safe for use in bathrooms. The only thing to worry about would be whether they were rendered inoperable by water damage. I've taken one of the battery-powered HomeEasy switches apart and it was reasonably well protected from water ingress, and fairly well-sealed from condensation damage, so I'd say they are OK for Zone 2, possibly OK for Zone 1. Edited March 23, 2017 by JSHarris typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliG Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Those seem very inexpensive. Am I being unduly suspicious to think they are too cheap. I have been thinking of using Fibaro z-wave switches partly for the same reasons. Switches for outside lights in particular would need routed to multiple rooms so it may be easier to have wireless switches and the cabling saving may pay for the nifty smart home capability. I see this product goes a step further in that the switch is self powered by the kinetic movement. Hence the name presumably! It does seem that often these devices often start to become unreliable after 5 or 6 metres despite quoted ranges. 433MHz is supposedly more prone to interference than 866MHz that z-wave operates on, Jeremy is the one with the real experience. I should get my electrical plans tomorrow from my architect. I will have to have a good look to see if my switches are too far apart for the z-wave devices to create a mesh network. The fact that my interior walls are blockwork and the upper floors are concrete won't help. It looks like I am going to need a Wi Fi repeater in almost every room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mackers Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 You should all check out Casambi! It also now interfaces with EnOcean Kinetic wireless switches. It all works over Bluetooth 4.0 in a mesh configuration. Download the app and have a play and see how simple it is to use and configure. Its not expensive either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Pity the Quinetic ones don't offer a dimming function. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 MK on the kinetic switch bandwagon now: https://www.mkelectric.com/en-gb/Products/WD/Echo/Pages/default.aspx Good things come to those who WAIT! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richi Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 @Onoff thanks for bumping this thread. Very timely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Just as a heads up, I've been chasing up suppliers for the MK Echo switches and receivers, as I'd like to replace the Byron ones we have that are prone to 433MHz interference ( the MK Echo series run on 868MHz, so are almost certainly less prone to the interference that plagues the 433MHz band). The big shock is the price. A double gang MK Logic Plus Echo wall switch is around £90 (each) and the 10A receiver is around the same price. We have MK Logic Plus stuff all through the house, so these switches would match well. To change out our two double gang Byron switches and two in-ceiling receivers would cost the best part of £400, so I don't think it's something I'll be doing until the price comes down a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 2 hours ago, Onoff said: Good things come to those who WAIT! Sadly, by the looks of it, good things only come to wealthy people who wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliG Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 (edited) I have installed Fibaro 2 dimmers behind my light switches. These cost around £50 each and turn a 2 way and off retractive switch into a dimmer switch, whereas a dimmer might cost £20-30 more than a normal switch anyway. They are currently working as dumb switches and working very nicely. In the next couple of weeks we will have the internet up and running and I can connect to the control centre and try working them wireless but so far looks like an inexpensive and straightforward way to add smart functionality to any switches. They also automatically fade the lights out when you switch them off which is a nice touch. Edited March 9, 2018 by AliG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share Posted March 9, 2018 At £90 a pop that means my entire house would be £2000.... or £370 with Kinetiq... know what we are using ..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 (edited) I've just purchased some Quinetic gear after confirming something that had been bugging me for a while but I've now figured. The Quinetic 2-gang wireless dimmer switch (QUD12W) bumpf says it needs to be paired with the appropriate dimming receiver (QUR301). It DOESN'T. The dimmer switch will operate the standard 6A receiver (QUR303) to give on / off, no dimming function. I went into TLC earlier and they didn't know but were happy to open boxes and we wired it up on the bench. So it works that one gang of the dimmer will control / dim the downlights via the dimmer receiver. The other gang of the dimmer will do the ambient, non dimmable lighting, LED strip and Bluetooth receiver via a standard 6A receiver. Guessing they just assume you will want to use dimmable kit with a dimmer switch so highlight the need for a dimmer receiver and don't mention it will also work with the standard receiver. Edited June 8, 2018 by Onoff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee J Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 2 hours ago, Onoff said: I've just purchased some Quinetic gear after confirming something that had been bugging me for a while but I've now figured. The Quinetic 2-gang wireless dimmer switch (QUD12W) bumpf says it needs to be paired with the appropriate dimming receiver (QUR301). It DOESN'T. The dimmer switch will operate the standard 6A receiver (QUR303) to give on / off, no dimming function. I went into TLC earlier and they didn't know but were happy to open boxes and we wired it up on the bench. So it works that one gang of the dimmer will control / dim the downlights via the dimmer receiver. The other gang of the dimmer will do the ambient, non dimmable lighting, LED strip and Bluetooth receiver via a standard 6A receiver. Guessing they just assume you will want to use dimmable kit with a dimmer switch so highlight the need for a dimmer receiver and don't mention it will also work with the standard receiver. Chatting to the wholesaler today about a related quinetic issue... standard switches in a simple on-off situation lose orientation after power loss. I.e. normal down=on ... if power is lost when switched on, on recovery it powers up in the off state, so now becomes up=on. Not a great problem, and invisible in multi switch situations. Except if you have one switch controlling several lights on separate circuits. Lose power on one circuit while the lights are on, and then you have one circuit switching in the opposite sense! Easy to reset, but might not impress the customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 3 minutes ago, Dee J said: but might not impress the customers. That's the importance of sitting customers down before fitting things, and stating clearly the pros and cons, so they make the choice not you. Has saved me a thousand arguments. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Tbh they are function over form. You can get them only in white or chrome that they call "silver". The chrome style is supposed to wear off quite easy. The switch style is pretty much like those giant accessible switches...the whole front is all switch(es) They do 1,2 and 3 gang standard switch in white or chrome. You can't get the dimmers in chrome and they don't do a 3-gang dimmer. But they work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Some folk are happy to compromise with a reliable Ford, when the budget doesn't allow for a smart Mercedes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 27 minutes ago, Dee J said: Chatting to the wholesaler today about a related quinetic issue... standard switches in a simple on-off situation lose orientation after power loss. I.e. normal down=on ... if power is lost when switched on, on recovery it powers up in the off state, so now becomes up=on. Not a great problem, and invisible in multi switch situations. Except if you have one switch controlling several lights on separate circuits. Lose power on one circuit while the lights are on, and then you have one circuit switching in the opposite sense! Easy to reset, but might not impress the customers. These dimmer switches I have, you can only switch them down, let go and it springs back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 1 minute ago, Nickfromwales said: Some folk are happy to compromise with a reliable Ford. Or 4 Fords in various states of disrepair... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 Just now, Onoff said: These dimmer switches I have, you can only switch them down, let go and it springs back. So if you prod them quick do they switch on and off on a normal receiver ..?? Just thinking that using just dimmers would make sense as they can never fail “on”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 1 minute ago, PeterW said: So if you prod them quick do they switch on and off on a normal receiver ..?? Yep, give a dimmer a stab and it turns on a normal receiver, though there's nothing official I've found that says it works. Stab again and it turns off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 2 minutes ago, Onoff said: Or 4 Fords in various states of disrepair... You and I are peas in a pod. My customers jobs are 100% complete, with merits, and my bath panel has been missing 5 tiles on the end for 3 years. My wife has stopped nagging now, is that good or bad. ? I guess you do what brings home the bacon........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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