RadioRA Centralized Dimmer Bank Install - Your Pics/Ideas/Lessons Learned

The training said within 25 feet of 2 devices and 75 feet to a (not 2) processor.

Clear Connect X is Lutron's implementation of a mesh using 802.15.4 standard radios. It is not Zigbee. Nor is it Thread (or Matter). Even as it presumably is using significant aspects of both those standards.

Lutron is on the board of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, which is the former Zigbee Alliance. The CSA is in charge of the upcoming Matter communication/language. They are also responsible for legacy Zigbee, which included both radio and communication/language. It's unlikely there will ever be a new version of Zigbee. If you look at the CSA web site, Lutron is not mentioned at all in any Matter material. That makes sense.

Lutron is also on the board of the Thread group. Thread is one of the radio standards that Matter will use. Thread is meant to replace the older Zigbee radios. It in theory is faster and more reliable than Zigbee. Note that there is significant overlap of industry participation between the CSA and Thread group.

If Thread is as successful as it intends it will be interesting to see if Lutron would make any adjustments. Thread's mesh design could reduce the need for Lutron's 25/75 requirements.

I'm still waiting for Lutron to comment how after a decade of bashing mesh networks and how unreliable they were, all of a sudden Mesh networks is their new darling and being pushed. What changed? They bought a company that used it so all of a sudden it's good?

Here's what I'm struggling with, as I look to implement a moderate sized RA3 system in my home:

On RA2, everything worked through one technology. RA 3 is released, and is backwards compatible, but it's more like dual protocol than backwards compatibility. Now, Lutron has only some devices available on RA3, and then you are supposed to also use RA2 devices, such as a 6-button up/down keypad. I've decided that for the Kitchen/Dining/Living room, I will bank dimmers together in a closet, and just use the RA2 keypads. However... I have other areas that will be wired conventionally. However, now I need to also add some single RA3 switches next to my keypad, so I can have them as a 'bridge' for the mesh, since they have to exist every 25'? Now I have 3 devices on each wall again.

It is rather complicated, and that leads to risk and uncertainty.

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Originally Posted by ross1

It is rather complicated, and that leads to risk and uncertainty.

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Lutron's silence is deafening. Nobody wants to spend thousands (or 10's of thousands) of dollars on a product that will soon be obsolete or discontinued. If Mesh is the way going forward then Lutron should come out and say it. If Mesh is just a novelty like that touch screen thing they made 10 years ago, then they should come out and say it.

I would consider plywood backing and surface mount boxes. I would also consider conduit for this area, either behind the boxes in the wall or surface mount. It would be more of a commercial style install, but would be more flexible and serviceable down the road.

I tpyically use 4 gang boxes and like these because they are nice and deep. Arlington | FA104 Product Information (aifittings.com)

You could probably install a HomeWorks panel for about the same price as installing all that…
Just saying, as it’s made to be centralized

I think it’s smart to use both. Yes the 802.15.4 stuff initially came in with the Ketra stuff, and they had to open the hood to go from KetraNet to Clear Connect X. Once you’ve invested, there are a few good reasons to use 802.15,4. One is that the radio type can be used across many countries, where 434 and 868 tend to have more regulatory restrictions.
I think you will see both continue. Clear Connect A seems to be well suited to battery power as it is very quiet and low power when not communicating.

We use these a lot. They are expensive but probably costs the same as having someone layout multiple banks of dimmers. http://www.pcslighting.com/pulseworx...ellaneous/lcpu

Those are pretty cool especially if you are moving away from an old Vantage or LiteTouch panel and want something with standard dimmers. $900 bucks for something that only holds 20 dimmers though...oof. It'd be a lot cheaper to just put up 5 4-gang boxes and maybe a big junction box to run off of. I had been looking for something like this for a while though so I guess they're the only game in town.