Lutron

The Lutron RA2 Select system is a simple and easy to set up (and use) smart home system. In this article we offer a comprehensive guide on how to setup and install your Lutron RA2 Select system, and use its many features. The whole home lighting system allows you to enjoy personalised smart lighting and shade control, in whatever type of home you live in. It offers increased peace of mind and greater management of your home’s ambience - even when you’re not around. We here at Sparks hope that these series of instructional videos (along with our explanations) will make setting up your Lutron RA2 Select an easy affair. Our directions will be simplified, so make certain you watch each video in its entirety. Lutron RA2 Select System - System OverviewThe RA2 is a smart home system that can be wirelessly controlled by the free RA2 Select app. The system is managed via Pico controls - whether they be remote apps, pedestal mounted or wall fixtures. The Pico grants you control over features such as altering lights and blinds, in-line dimmer switches or audio systems. System integration allows for interaction with many other popular home systems including Nest, Google Home, and Alexa. We will explain each individual feature in more detail under the appropriate video. Lutron RA2 Select Dimmer Install InstructionsWhen installing a Lutron RA2 Select dimmer, ensure the power is switched off for the area you are working in. Remove the light fitting in the setting to access the cabling. The live, neutral and earth wires will connect with their respective terminal in the dimmer. Next, repeat this process with the additional ‘load-out’ output cable to the dimmer. Install the strain relief, tighten the screws and finally screw in your end cap. Attach the output to the lamp you want to be dimmable - and as easily as that you have added a dimmable light to your Lutron RA2 system! Lutron RA2 Select - System setup (Contractor version) Download the Lutron app from the iTune App Store or Google Play Store and connect to your home’s WiFi. Agree to the terms and conditions and then tap on ‘contractor’ setup to enter key information, such as your company name. Connect the Ethernet cable to the router and then plug this into a wall outlet. Tap a button to connect with the ‘main repeater’ of the RA2 system. Add your Lutron devices, following the on-screen instructions: here you can manage the room it will be located in, which lights will be dimmable and other control features. Lutron RA2 Select - System Setup (Contractor) - continuedAfter adding additional Lutron devices, it is time to communicate with the homeowner. In the Devices part of the app, click on the ‘Send Homeowner invite’ button where you can enter the homeowners email address or update your own contact details. The email will automatically contain important information on how you have set up the system - just add a personalised message (and additional pertinent details). The Lutron RA2 Select Pico Install InstructionsAs discussed previously, there are a variety of Pico control types. This video looks at the 4 button picture control with a single faceplate. To install, firstly unscrew and disconnect the existing screw from the wall. In the now empty wallbox, terminate the now useless wires with caps. Screw in the Pico backbox, and slide the Pico picture control into place. Put the final outer plate on and there you have it: a smart Pico control installed for a smart system! Lutron RA2 Select - How to Add a SensorSensors can be added to your RA2 Select to add motion detection to your home. They can then automatically turn on or off your dimmers and switches in the appropriate room. Simply go to your Lutron Select RA2 app and then go into Settings, before clicking ‘Add Device’. From here, choose occupancy or vacancy sensor. Press and hold the lightbulb icon on your physical sensor until the LED light begins to blink rapidly. Tap the room where you want the sensor to be located and then press ‘next’ to finish the set-up. Lutron RA2 Select - Create a Favourite Scene ‘Scenes’ is a useful tool for managing a room’s atmosphere using shades, light levels and audio systems. Go the the RA2 app and the ‘Scenes’ menu, before clicking on ‘Add Scene’. Enter basic information about your scene: it’s name and a descriptive icon. Now select the devices for the scene: you could choose either table or floor lamp (for example). Pick the level of brightness you desire, and create the mood you want for your personalised space. The RA2 Select: smart home lighting at an affordable price As described in this guide, the RA2 Select is an excellent home lighting option, which offers many smart features, all easily controlled via the ‘Pico’ units. The In-Line Switch uses Clear Connect RF technology that allows for contact between all RA2 Select devices. The key advantages that the RA2 Select offers to your home lighting are: Scheduling - It automatically adjusts at set times of day. Geofencing - The system controls lights based on your location. This is useful as it can, for example, tell you when you left the lights on in an unoccupied home. Smart Away - this feature randomly turns lights on and off in the evening (in an unoccupied house) to ward off potential thieves. Remote Access - you can control your lighting wherever you are in the world. We hope this guide has shone light on any questions you may have had about installing the Lutron RA2 Select system, and its many applications!

The RA2 Select system from Lutron allows you to enjoy personalised smart lighting in your house. This system gives you comfort, increased peace of mind and control over your home - even when you aren’t in. Once purchased, you can implement this system by simply downloading the free Lutron app, available on the Google Play store (Android) and App Store (iOS). Get up and running with Lutron RA2 Select The Lutron app allows for convenient system setup. The app automatically configures light settings for typical everyday activities and chores, such as cooking and dining. The device used to control the RA2 Select is called the ‘Pico’ and comes available either as a keypad or as a remote. The engraved Pico ‘scene keypad’ gives every keypad in the home an intuitive name, such as ‘Bright’, ‘Entertain’, and ‘Relax’, with their own preset lighting modes. Lutron uses its patented Clear Connect RF technology, which is highly reliable and safe from interference. You can trust your system will work with precision and accuracy, free from conflict with neighbouring systems. The Pico remote is easy to install, as you can flush mount it to your wall without the need to cut a hole, or do any wiring. The screwless wall plate design adds a sleek, modern touch to the appearance of the keypad. You are able to mount the Pico wireless remotes on a tabletop pedestal, and they are available in single, double and triple configurations. This once again adds to the convenience of the RA2, as you can choose to have access to multiple remotes. Features of the Lutron RA2 Select With the RA2 main repeater, you can control all your lights - using your smart phone or tablet - from anywhere in the world, using the Lutron app. The RA2 enables you to schedule exterior lights to turn on or off before you arrive home at the end of a workday. Then, you can switch on entry lights with the app’s ‘Home’ button to present yourself with an illuminated path to your front door. If you are heading out, the ‘Away’ button ensures that you will never leave the lights on for protracted amounts of time (and waste money on energy bills by doing so). Furthermore, you can easily set the RA2 to optimum levels that emit just the right amount of light for your household chores. Below is Lutron’s table (page 4). It offers suggested light coverage for different household settings. Household setting Ceiling Lights Island Lights Pendant lights Bright 100% 100% 100% Cooking 100% 100% 50% Dining 20% 65% 50% Out Off Off Off Full control of your home lighting With the RA2 Select, you can fully get to grips with your home’s interior lighting ambience. It gives you the ability to create the perfect atmosphere for entertaining friends, with light and audio control ready at your fingertips. You could, for instance, watch your favourite movie without fear of glare disturbing your experience. All you have to do is remotely turn your lights off - just as the opening credits start to roll. It isn’t just your social life that will be improved by the RA2 Select. It will give you a relaxing start to the day, by perfectly lighting your morning grooming routine. This gentle level of light gives your eyes the chance to gradually adjust in the morning and to relax in the evening. You can tinker with your bathroom lights brightness before you even enter the room, thus avoiding having to use an inconvenient pull-cord. After your gentle morning start and relaxing end to the evening, you will likely be ready to fall straight into bed. With the ‘Goodnight’ button, this is extremely simple; a single switch will turn off all the lights in your home. If you were to hear a rustling disturbance in the dead of night, you need only hit the ‘Alert’ button to turn on the hallway lights. This would certainly give a potential intruder a nasty fright. Lutron has thought of everything with their intuitive design. For instance, if you are a nocturnal animal and your partner is not, you may fancy some night-time reading. In this case, you can use a wireless Pico remote to turn on the lamp on your side of the bed. We here at Sparks sell many of the key components that make up the RA2 Select system including the crucial main repeater, and Pico remotes. The RA2 Select from Lutron: a smart home system for modern living The RA2 grants you all the tools at its disposal to give you a smart home lighting system. You can achieve this domestic bliss by taking advantage of these features: Scheduling: program the lights to automatically adjust at a certain time of day. Geofencing: this controls the lights, dependent on your geographical location. The feature will automatically turn lights on for you - when you arrive home - and turn them off when you leave. Smart Away: this feature turns lights on or off at random times during the day, to trick any would-be intruders into thinking there’s someone home (when you’re out). The RA2 Select is compatible with a wide variety of popular home systems, including Amazon Alexa, the Apple Homekit, Google Assistant, Honeywell Wi-Fi thermostats, Nest and Sonos. This essentially means you can expand your smart home to become even more advanced if you already have any of the above systems in place. The Pico keypad: Ultimate convenience and control The Pico wireless keypad is battery-operated and requires no external power or communication wiring. It provides easy access to scene control in the following Lutron systems: Caséta Wireless, RA2 Select, RadioRA 2 and HomeWorks QS. Furthermore, they can be reconfigured depending on your needs, either as a wall-mounted keypad, or a tabletop keypad. The keypad can provide control of lighting devices within a range of 9 metres through walls and has an impressive 18-metre line-of-sight range. Every individual button on the Pico is programmable using the system’s app or programming software. They are available in gloss and selected satin colour finishes, to fit the setting of any rooms decor. Lutron: know that you are in safe hands with the RA2 home system Lutron is known for providing premium quality when it comes to installing and using LED lighting and lighting control systems. More information about Lutron and their selection of LED lights can be found here. Careful inspections by Lutron have ensured that thousands of their bulbs, drivers and fixtures have been tested for compatibility. LED report cards demonstrate strong performance results from features such as trim settings and the maximum number of lamps allowed. The RA2 Select is a natural step forward for Lutron, a company that has always strived for lighting perfection. If you are a fan of smart home features, then we highly recommend you look into investing in this excellent smart-light system.

Everyone in the know will tell you that LEDs will dominate the lighting world, having made their proper breakthrough in recent years. However, there remains the problem of ‘retrofitting’ dimming LEDs, wherein consumers are looking to swap their CFLs and traditional incandescent bulbs to dimmable LEDs. The problem of retrofitting dimming LED lighting It is no wonder today’s consumers are looking to buy LEDs over CFLs, which have off-putting and unseemly designs. And as for traditional incandescents, who would choose to pay so much more in energy bills if they could just make the switch and help the environment in the process? Especially since now LEDs have been designed in many cases to resemble traditional incandescent bulbs. A big problem with the LED ‘revolution’ was the switchover to LED dimmer lights. However, companies such as Varilight and MK Electrics stepped in to make a huge variety of new dimmers for the swathe of LED lights that were being produced. Dimming Retrofit LED Lamps - 9 General Rules 1. Ensure that you are purchasing an LED light that is compatible with your existing LED dimmer. It is a common misconception that every single LED light can be dimmed. It is essential to choose lamps that the manufacturer has described explicitly as  ‘dimmable’ in their literature. 2. Stick to recognised brands. Unfortunately, many manufacturers are all too happy to incorrectly label their lights as ‘dimmable’. This is mainly due to a lack of an industry standard that establishes a precedent for dimmable LED drivers. We would heartily recommend choosing from the most established lighting manufacturers. Setting dimming considerations aside, bigger names are more likely to offer you better warranties, longer lamp lifetimes, and more customer support. In this article, we discuss three Manufacturers who made reliable dimmer compatible LEDs: Varilight, MK Electric, Danlers, and Lutron, though there are many more who do the job well. This article discusses the issue in more detail. Varilight's various ranges of 'V-Pros' are recognised for their silent operation and programmable intelligent functionality, for instance, the ever-popular Varilight JQP252W, which can be purchased here. 3. Do read the label. The brightness range of a bulb must be considered carefully if you are replacing an incandescent bulb with an LED, as it may not be worth your while. This is due to the great advancement in the number of lumens produced by LED bulbs, which have achieved halogen-mimicking ‘white light’ type of looks. Some LED bulbs can produce as much as 100 lumens per Watt. So, if you are using a vintage LED lamp that is emulating the old-school low lighting of traditional bulbs, then LED dimmers shouldn't be of any concern to you; you’ll be sticking to a single dim light anyway! 4. Ask Manufacturers about Compatibility Most renowned lighting brands will publish data on their websites concerning compatibility when it comes to switching light types. Dimmer switches have been tested to discover what type of lights they will be compatible with, when looking at loads, lamp performance and so on. These trustworthy manufacturers will give grades, or even a compatibility guide, as a useful reference point which can help considerably when choosing a dimmer for your LED. This can be ultimately confusing when navigating international sites that do not use the same grading standard. If you are in any doubt you should contact the company to ask for their recommendation for a light switch. 5. Don't use a standard dimmer Some lamp manufacturers state that LEDs don't need a specialised dimmer and that a standard dimmer will do the trick: don’t be fooled! The LED technology is advancing, but we are not there yet: even though the likes of Megaman come out with LEDs that can be dimmed with both a trailing-edge and leading-edge dimmers, we cannot yet recommend using a regular dimmer for LED lamps. Standard dimmers tend to be under-loaded in most LED applications, leading to unpleasant flickering and strobing effects, which dramatically reduce the lamps lifetime. Standard dimmers are never even equipped to exploit the full brightness range of an LED bulb like a specialised remote could do. 6. Choose a dimmer designed for LED lighting The most top of the range, sophisticated dimmers will likely deliver the best possible performance you can expect from your LED light. Some, such as Varilight’s LED Dimmer have several dimmer modes that enable you to gracefully dim across the various and diverse driver technologies across the entire market. Another advantage of this dimmer is that it accounts for the difference in maximum brightness between brands. This means you have an easily adjustable minimum brightness setting that will enable you to harness the full brightness potential of your lamp. The adjustable minimum brightness also ensures that a lamp will not experience the flickering, malfunctioning behaviour outlined in point 5. 7. Don’t buy your lights without first selecting a Dimmer Don’t buy your lights without first selecting a Dimmer - make sure your LED light is dimmable! See the Integral LED Ciclo LED Outdoor Wall Light 11W, to be purchased here. Like all dimmer switches, those designed specifically for LED lighting have a minimum and maximum load recommendation. Your lighting installation should be designed in a manner that means you don’t exceed the maximum load of dimmers available. Dividing the load across more than one dimmer could provide you with a brilliant solution by giving you great light control levels that can be zoned within a multi-functional space. Until very recently it was problematic to find a dimmer that was capable of controlling upwards of 100W of LED lighting. However, the launch of Varilight’s V-Com series has opened the door for potentially much larger loads - upwards of 600W. 8. Do read the Instruction Leaflet Don’t rush with your LED dimmer switch as you may be missing out on a lot of fun! LED dimmers come with features solely intended to enhance their performance, but this may require a little bit of programming first. For instance, with Varilight’s V-Pro remote control dimmers, there is are enhanced scene-setting features, unlocked through the innovative ‘LightScene’ handset. Many manufacturers have ‘how to’ videos featured on their website. 9. Dispose of your old lights Responsibly When it comes to old, still-functioning halogen lights, you need to throw them away or recycle them. You can find more information on doing this here. Never throw CFLs into your general waste as they contain dangerous mercury. Further information on this topic (and inspiration for our article): LED lighting information (via the guardian) The best LED dimmers for your LED lights (via sparks blog) Varilight LED dimming and dimmable LED guide (via varilight) Top picture credit: here.

Following our event-filled visit to LuxLive 2017, we here at Sparks are thrilled to see LuxLive 2018 on the horizon, coming up this November (we registered to go, by the way). One of Europe’s grandest annual lighting events, exhibiting companies will include some of the biggest names in the lighting industry, including a Sparks favourite and mainstay - Astro Lighting. Sparks of course has a vested interest in visiting this event; it is the prime location to discover new innovations and to see how leading companies are driving changes in the industry. We can save an invaluable amount of time by visiting: all of the best lighting suppliers and manufacturers will be under the same roof for two days - prime time for a bit of networking! There are too many interesting events going on for us to take all in one go, as demonstrated by our 2017 visit. There will be speeches, conferences, exhibitions and the grand Lux Awards (won of course by Astro in 2017).Exhibits at LuxLive 2018 we are most excited to visit While Astro is a firm favourite of Sparks, they won’t be the only exhibitors we deal with professionally. There is the Gooee’s award-winning Aurora as well, an IoT Enterprise Ecosystem, who sells fantastic products such as the Aluminium IP68 Fixed Halogen Walkover Light, as well as a host of inspiring garden lights.Yet another Sparks favourite will be making an appearance: Lutron, a Silver sponsor of Property Technology Live. Lutron has long been a leading provider of wireless lighting solutions that tackle large-scale problems. This includes the pioneering Lutron Grafik Eye QS 3-Zone, an ingenious energy-saving solution for construction and renovation projects.We sincerely hope there will be time to visit all of our friends, including Rako Controls, who will be unveiling their new RAK8, a product we are extremely excited about. The same size as the standard RAK4, the RAK8 has 8 outputs and can be fitted with any combination of different plug-in modules to suit a variety of loads. Also exhibiting their wares is the esteemed Italian company Fabbian who are internationally known for their vogue lamp designs, such as the Fabbian Bijou Chrome Flexible Tube If we’re talking about innovators, then Fabbian are one of the many companies we'll be keen to get the latest on. Another exhibitor on our list to visit is Wago, an essential, if less glamorous name in the lighting world. They have provided us with such wonderful necessities such as the Wagobox 51257303, an unsung hero in the electrical installation world. Turning our attention to our eco-friendly responsibilities, Teucer will also be in town. Teucer has long offered one of the most comprehensive ranges of LED strips, drivers, profiles and accessories. They are also introducing the new 'SkyLux', which offers smart artificial daylight for areas lacking in natural light, and we'll be chomping at the bit to check that out. Taking in all LuxLive 2018 has to offer LuxLive 2018 is the place to go if you wish to discover all the new breakthroughs in design and lighting: the best place to contemplate the future of illumination. Although Sparks has a vested interest in home lighting, there will be a slew of conferences regarding lighting in other areas: talks on lighting for museums and galleries, transport and infrastructure and lighting for safer city streets. With over 50% more senior decision makers already registered to attend, this will be one of the most educational experiences about the lighting industry. We are looking forward, for instance, to hear from the 'Escape Zone' conference, about the importance of emergency lighting and carrying out risk assessments. Who knows if we at Sparks will be able to see everything we wish to at LuxLive 2018 (probably not, going on last years evidence). However, one thing is for sure: we will be delighted to participate in one of the largest and most prestigious lighting conferences in the world!LuxLive 2018 will take place at the ExCel, London from the 14th-15th November. You can register here.

The Lutron Grafik Eye 3000 is one of the most popular and most affordable single room lighting control solutions, allowing you to create "lighting scenes" as needed! Many businesses use it in a commercial environments like restaurants, bars, pubs, conference venues, meeting rooms, offices, etc. But there are two places where you would have never thought this system can be used, and today we will tell you why. Grafik Eye 3000 - Not Only for Commercial Venues If you love certain lighting scenarios at home and you don't mind investing a little (not much) in it, you will notice that the Grafik Eye 3000 will not empty your bank account. Rather, it will revolutionize the room in your home where you install it. Really! We have several customers who installed this system and they are extremely happy with its settings. Bottom line is, the Lutron Grafik Eye 3000 system is NOT only for businesses or commercial environment - it can also be installed at home, and it will help you adjust the mood and set the atmosphere as you desire! Here's what Lutron says concerning the Domestic Installation of the Grafik Eye 3000, Preset scenes and programmable fade times create a true movie theater experience with smooth transition between lighting scenes. GRAFIK Eye 3000 integrates with audio/video, home automation systems, controllable shades, and projection screens available from other manufacturers. Two Places You Never Thought You Could Install Grafik Eye 3000 We asked our consultants over the counter in our showroom, What are Two Rooms at Home that People Install the Grafik Eye 3000 in? Without a pause to think about it, they all confirmed - the living room and the kitchen! It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? When you are cooking, you need a certain kind of light in the kitchen, and when you're eating around the table or just reading something, you need a different setting. In a similar way, in the living room you do NOT need all the lights on at the same time, and turning some ON while making sure others are OFF is such a pain! Why not set some scenes like: watching a movie scene, reading a book scene, guests scene, etc...? Grafik Eye 3000 can create a dramatic environment while drastically reducing the energy expenses in your own kitchen or living room! How does this System Work? Full technical specs and details about how to install and set up the Lutron Grafik Eye 3000 can be found online at Sparks, but in brief, you can create certain scenes both for your room or for a whole house lighting system. You can create paths of lights from one principle living space to another, set up different lighting for food preparation or evening dining for two, etc at the touch of a button on the main control panel, which switches to the set up scene. You can define and preset the lighting scenes for multiple uses - in a very simple way! Then, you can control all the lights in the room (or the house) without remembering the settings - either at the click of a button or via the wireless infrared remote control. Tip: The most recommended systems are the 2 zone or 4 zone Grafik Eye 3000 - check them out! Where do You prefer to install the Grafik Eye 3000 System? Or, where Will You Install it after you Buy it? Let us know in the comments. Pictures credit: Lutron site here and here.