Review of Control4 Wireless Switch/Dimmer
Reviewed by JCL Automation (www.jclautomation.com)
Control4® Wireless Switch Dimmer
The Control4 Wireless Switch/Dimmer is fully programmable and works seemlessly within a Control4 system.
Overall Rating: 8.8 out of 10
Features
The Control4 Wireless Switch and Dimmer enable lighting control by programming on/off, brightness level, and ramp rate as part of a lighting scene which can be invoked by time of day, motion detection or a single button. A unique feature is the on/off LEDs located at the top and bottom of the switch paddle. The color of these LEDs can be programmed to match the home decor. For example one consistent color throughout the home can be used for the "on" state, while a room matching color can be used for the "off" state of the light. These switch/dimmers can handle a 1000 watt Incandescent/Halogen lighting load in a single gang box configuration, dropping to 800/600 watt loads each in a double/triple gang box.
Communication with these switches/dimmers is intelligent, reliable, wireless connectivity using the 802.15.4 mesh networking (ZigBee) standard, which means there is no additional wiring involved other than the line voltage wiring already present for a manual switch/dimmer.
With plug and play ease the unit works right out of the box. It has stand-alone capabilities and operates as an independent switch/dimmer even without a home controller present. The Control4 network integration also makes this switch/dimmer immediately controllable from a Control4 Keypad, Touch Screen, or System Remote Control.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Ease of Installation
This switch/dimmer can be installed by a knowledgeable homeowner or an Electrician in addition to Control4 Dealers. This unit connects to standard 120 VAC 60 Hz house wiring. In a new home the Electrical subcontractor can install this unit and test it's manual operation. In a retrofit the Dealer will likely recommend the best resource to replace the existing switch/dimmer with this unit. In all cases the Dealer will add this device to the Control4 configuration and add desirable lighting scenes and other programming to complement the flexible user programming via the system interfaces.
The Dealer is backed-up by a capable technical support staff at Control4 who can access the Control4 system remotely via the Internet to assist the Dealer in troubleshooting.
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
Reliability
We have yet to experience a field failure of the wireless dimmer, and just one failure during the warranty period with a wireless switch. The only minor issue we have seen is the potential for the switch or dimmer to stop recognizing ZigBee commands. This state is normally easily cleared by resetting the switch/dimmer.
In 2007 Control4 increased it's warranty coverage to 2 years for all products based on reliability improvements achieved via an in-house quality program. This has significantly reduced the need to reset the switch/dimmer due to the minor issue described above.