Anyone installed a Futronix dimmer?

[fufna]

I'm about to get one of these and want to know if it's compatible with my wiring

I have two seperate junction box-switched sets of halogens

[Godfather]

You need a neutral wire at the switch to use a Futronix dimmer. Mine doesn't have it and apparently most standard UK light switches don't. So I opted for a Lutron Telume instead which took about 5 minutes to install myself.

[thedoc]

I have had a P800 installed by an electrician at the time our house was being built -- but I am fully up on the specs of these.

It is true that you need a neutral, in fact the best way to set one of these up is to have a seperate "slot" on your consumer unit for it, and supply it direct.

It is a fantastic device, and I would venture (--at risk of being flamed !) far more adaptable than a lutron, with many more scenes, more customizable dimming options, timer, fade & delay rates etc, and cheaper to boot...

If you can manage I would suggest strongly considering a "re-wiring" session if you are dead set on a futronix.

If re-wiring is not an option, then have a look on www.letsautomate.com -- they have some basic remote dimmers there that will run with a standard UK switch.

Have a look at Rako as well, they do an RF solution which works well, and is compatible with standard UK wiring AFAIK, although a little more expensive I believe it is a little more customisable than a basic dimmer.

I think they're at www.rakocontrols.co.uk -- if not do a search on google...

What sore of effect were you trying to achieve anyway ?

Ian

[fufna]

I am building the cinema myself and installed all the wiring (junction box switched for each of the two sets of halogens...)

All I want to know is whether the Junction box switched way of wiring means that I am able to use one.

Most people's house is wired all into the ceiling rose I believe

[themadhippy]

junction box or celling rose dont realy make much diffrence,noremally youd run a 2 core (twin reds if were doing it correct)and earth from the junction box/celling rose to your switch postion,,in your case you need to run a piece of 3 core and earth from the junction box to the switch,blue for neutral,red permanent live and yellow for the switch return

[thedoc]

What do you mean by switched junction box ? I am not clear on this -- could you show us a wiring diagram or post a photo ? Where are the junction boxes ? (in wall, ceiling etc?) If you can post a diagram of what existing wiring, junction boxes, lights & switches you have - one of us could make some suggestions to try to help.

I guess you're meaning that you have a live, neutral, earth in to the junction box, one wire out to the halogens, and one wire out to the switch. I presume your live input is wired to the switch, the return ("switched live") from the switch wired to the live for the halogens, and the neutral from the halogens wired to the neutral on the input wire ? Is this what you mean ?

Bottom line is you really need a dedicated live, neutral, earth supply to your switch position to run a futronix.

If you're dead set on futronix then (sadly) rewire it all, if all you want is to dim the two sets of halogens independently then look at rako or a similar product.

[fufna]

http://www.diydata.com/planning/electric_lights/electric_lights.htm

The second diagram is how I wired up the room...

If Futronix can't accomodate that, it looks like I'll have to replace the Varilights with dual Lutrons

[themadhippy]

just replace the wire going from the junction box with a piece of 3 core and earth,use the yellow wire instead of the black showen going to the switch from the junction box and wire the blue wire to the neutral on the dimmer and the terminal were the 2 black wires are connected together in the junction box

[thedoc]

I agree, I think that's one way to do it ...

You have wired up the junction boxes as I thought... but is the "supply" wire to the junction box on a seperate DIN rail breaker in your consumer unit ? This would be ideal, and is recommended for the larger of the futronix units IIRC. If it isn't seperate, you should work out the loads of the room you are working on & any other rooms you are running off the supply first.

Where is your junction box ? You could consider placing your controller at the site of your junction box if it were in a suitable place.

If not, it seems that the previous suggestion of 3 core & earth is a viable work around and would work for a futronix, although you would have to put in at least two core & earth from the controller to any other "channel" of lights you wished to run off the one controller.

My suspicion is that for what you want, the lutron controller or rako controllers are going to be easier to retrofit, as it is sounding as if you are going to have to do some rewiring anyway.


Anyhow, what was it you were wanting to achieve (forgive me if I have not understood this from the beginning of the thread) with your lighting ? Were you wanting to run two channels or were you hoping for something more elaborate ? If it was the later, and you are still finishing the room, it may be better to bite the bullet and rewire now, rather than ending up doing it months or years down the line ?!

Hope this helps in some way.

[Alan Westy]

I've fitted a Futronix dimmer in my room and must say that I am very satisfied with it and can't think of anything I would like to achieve that it can't do. I was told by an installer that the only reason that they all fit Lutron is not because they are better but because they don't like the fact that Futronix sell direct to end users.

[ntslik]

we've deal with futronix, lutron and rako, all fantastic products, the only issue with the futronix is that it doesn't use a UK back box, i also recently fitted a Rako system which i thought was great for the money, and as you can retro fit if needed they really are a great choice for an install.

[mark.carline]

I have installed a futronix P100, see my link:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=125440

I found that even when using a 47mm backbox that it was still tight so i got round this by using a woodern switch surround (see my pictures).


Be carefull with halogan lights and the futronix - somthing about power and leading edge transformers or somthing.

[ReTrO]

Some dimmers can only do leading edge transformers for low voltage halogens and some can only do trailing edge. Most small transformers are trailing edge.

Check your dimmer equipment information carefully and also the specs of the transformers.

Regards

Richard
UK Domestic Polaron Lighting Distribution (Marata Vision)

[psi3]

BEWARE: I have a Futronix P100 controlling two sets of normal filament lamps (standard 60W bulbs) everytime one of these blows, it takes out the Thyristor in the controller. I have changed this device 3 times, it causes the thyristor to go short circuit and hence the lights are stuck on. I have my own electronics company so this sort of repair is simple but for the general public its not a good situation

Simon

[mark.carline]

thats not good...

Can you give us details of what the part is (code no) and costs for a replacement part?

I'm fairly handy with electrics so it shouldnt be a problem if this happens to me.

[psi3]

From memory it's a TIC225 this is a TO220 package device, the way its fitted and the heatsinking arrangement is quite poor, however if you know which end of a soldering iron is hot it should only take about 5 minutes. The pillars which space the pcbs from the front panel are the trickiest part.

[psi3]

bttt

[BmthBob]

I have installed 2 P100's in a previous home, and was very pleased with reliability. No part failed when bulbs blew. They did require a neutral wire, but this was easy to achieve by taking a new feed from the cieling rose as described by an earlier Mail. The futronix people are very informative and very friendly. A new product, the P50 does not require a neutral.
However, in my new home I going to install a Solo+ from www.awe-europe.co.uk . This is like the P50 but with an extra scene (4 scenes). The only reason I am going for this as opposed to a P100 is because you can't turn the bright led scene number display off on the P100 and its intrusive when trying to watch a film.
I've never considered Lutron becuase they are two expensive. The Telume is cheaper but is more basic then the Futronix or the Solo+, however it does have 2-way capability.