My RA2 is self installed by myself, but looking at shades and have questions!

Hi everyone,So I installed RA2 in my house myself by doing the essentials training and going through all that which was pretty easy. I have about 100 dimmers/switches/keypads etc and have had it for about 2 years with no issue.I want to get automated shades in some of the rooms and would prefer ones by Lutron that integrate with RA2. I just had a few questions regarding them I was hoping someone could help out with before I reach out to dealers and get on their sales radar. :)1) I assume these must be purchased via a special quote from a dealer which probably must be installed by them? No self-install? I'm okay with that but just curious if it's ever possible to just order what I need. Not overly keen on having someone in my house right now with Covid so would probably wait.2) Assuming it has to be sold and professionally installed, would there be any issue with me self installing my RA2? Like ideally I just want the dealer to install them, but I'd want to pair them to the main repeater and program them but wondering if that's normally okay, or if a dealer would insist on managing the whole system and so on. I really just want to buy them, have them installed, and then I program them on RA2 and the keypads etc.I use HomeSeer, Hubitat, HomeKit etc, so I have lots of ways to integrate RA2 keypads with any automated blinds but figure it's easier going with Lutron. Just wanted to check if anyone had any feedback on the above before I start looking at getting quotes. Thanks so much.Uh what the hell, I posted it and it removed all my spaces after periods and all my line spacing. Hopefully everyone can still read this as no matter what I do it keeps saving it as one giant paragraph. :/

Ha! Isn't that fun when all your formatting is lost!

It IS possible to install the shades yourself...both the physical install and the programming. It's a matter of finding a dealer who will work with you on ordering them, even though the shades lines you'd use with RA2 are designated as "dealer-only." (Serena shades are Caseta-only.)

Do you know which shades you're interested in?

Thanks! Yeah not sure what happened there hopefully this one works better. I honestly haven't even started to look at them yet to know the differences. I do use Caseta also but prefer to have shades that work with RA2 specifically. The ones they are replacing are just standard roller shades that are blackout style, where they are white/cream inside and then more of a grey on the outside to darken the room. I see it shows Sivoia QS Triathlon and Sivoia QS Wireless on the RA2 page but I haven't checked the differences. Maybe I can try emailing some dealers to see what they say. I'm not totally against them installing them, I just wasn't sure if they can be added to RA2 myself or if the dealer has to, or if it requires that dealer only version of RA2 like the Grafik keypads do.

As PAR said, it's all up to the dealer.

Triathlon are battery powered but can be hardwired. They are crazy easy to install. They are limited to roller shades and you can not do black out channels. You can also get them with a fabric wrapped fascia that gives them a more residential look.

QS wireless are QS wired shades with a RF transceiver attached. You can get roller, roman, wood blinds, drapery track, horizontal sheer, and probably something else I am forgetting. A little more complex install but if you can operate a battery drill and a tape measure you are 75% of the way there.

There is a battery/hardwired honeycomb.

Keep in mind, Essentials has a 100 device (radio) limit and 5 of those are reserved for repeaters. If you are near that limit now you would need to add a 2nd repeater and switch to Inclusive. Inclusive is generally only available to dealers.

Just a slight clarification to the above:

The battery/hardwired honeycomb shades are part of the Triathlon line. So that "brand" has both roller shades and honeycomb. The QS Wired and QS Wireless lines have a lot more different shades options, as randyc mentioned, but they don't include a honeycomb option anymore.

Great thanks everyone! I think I will skip Lutron blinds and go with Somfy or another brand, as I was posting on Reddit and other automation forums and I pretty much get the same responses about Lutron every single time "....well if you can stomach the cost of Lutron..." which makes it seem like it's not worth getting a quote if it's going to be that extreme. I think I had 5 or 6 different people on different forums tell me that so I might shop around first and see what other alternatives there are.

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Originally Posted by 416to305

Great thanks everyone! I think I will skip Lutron blinds and go with Somfy or another brand, as I was posting on Reddit and other automation forums and I pretty much get the same responses about Lutron every single time "....well if you can stomach the cost of Lutron..." which makes it seem like it's not worth getting a quote if it's going to be that extreme. I think I had 5 or 6 different people on different forums tell me that so I might shop around first and see what other alternatives there are.

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I'm sorry if we contributed to scaring you away from Lutron shades! In a RA2 system, I don't think you can beat the smooth, flawless integration. It's worth noting that Lutron shades are usually the quietest option as well....that actually makes a big difference in the "professional" feel of the whole system. Noisy shades scream "DIY" and seem clunky by comparison.

As for cost, it depends very much on which Lutron line you buy. Triathlon are actually pretty reasonable (but only come in roller and honeycomb options). QS Wired and Wireless could be over twice as much (but offer all types of window treatments). Palladiom roller shades are crazy expensive but offer an unparalleled high-end look.

For your situation as described, Triathlon sounds like a perfect Lutron option (assuming you want roller or honeycomb shades). Their powering flexibility is great for retro-fit situations....hard-wiring is nice wherever you can run the wiring, but it's handy to have a matching battery option if you have some locations you can't hard-wire. Installation is easy. Programming is easy in the software you're already using. And like I said, that smooth RA2 integration is SO nice...very cool to have the shades quietly adjust themselves with your lighting scenes, all programmed together in one place.

I'm not trying to sell you anything....honest! Just don't rule out Lutron because some Reddit posters are generalizing about the price!

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Originally Posted by 416to305

Great thanks everyone! I think I will skip Lutron blinds and go with Somfy or another brand, as I was posting on Reddit and other automation forums and I pretty much get the same responses about Lutron every single time "....well if you can stomach the cost of Lutron..." which makes it seem like it's not worth getting a quote if it's going to be that extreme. I think I had 5 or 6 different people on different forums tell me that so I might shop around first and see what other alternatives there are. ovo game

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yes, I think so

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 416to305

Hi everyone,So I installed RA2 in my house myself by doing the essentials training and going through all that which was pretty easy. I have about 100 dimmers/switches/keypads etc and have had it for about 2 years with no issue.I want to get automated shades in some of the rooms and would prefer ones by Lutron that integrate with RA2. I just had a few questions regarding them I was hoping someone could help out with before I reach out to dealers and get on their sales radar. :)1) I assume these must be purchased via a special quote from a dealer which probably must be installed by them? No self-install? I'm okay with that but just curious if it's ever possible to just order what I need. Not overly keen on having someone in my house right now with Covid so would probably wait.2) Assuming it has to be sold and professionally installed, would there be any issue with me self installing my RA2? Like ideally I just want the dealer to install them, but I'd want to pair them to the main repeater and program them but wondering if that's normally okay, or if a dealer would insist on managing the whole system and so on. I really just want to buy them, have them installed, and then I program them on RA2 and the keypads etc.I use HomeSeer, Hubitat, HomeKit etc, so I have lots of ways to integrate RA2 keypads with any automated blinds but figure it's easier going with Lutron. Just wanted to check if anyone had any feedback on the above before I start looking at getting quotes. Thanks so much.Uh what the hell, I posted it and it removed all my spaces after periods and all my line spacing. Hopefully everyone can still read this as no matter what I do it keeps saving it as one giant paragraph. :/ now tv canlı

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This post addresses important considerations for integrating Lutron automated shades with an existing RA2 system. The author seeks clarification on the purchasing process, installation requirements, and compatibility with their DIY-installed RA2 setup. They express a preference for minimal dealer involvement due to COVID-19 concerns and aim to self-program the shades post-installation. Community feedback on these aspects would greatly assist in their decision-making process before obtaining quotes.