Multiple Smart Bridge Pro on the same Job?

[PACHAWAII]

We are bidding a job and the designer has 2 Smart Bridge Pro and 2 Repeaters. One each upstairs and one each downstairs. Can devices on one system be controlled by a pico on a different Bridge?

[Matt H.]

Once a Pico remote is paired to a device on one bridge system it will only be for use on that system and would not be able to be added to a second bridge to control devices.

[davisadm]

I beg to differ. A Pico is a one way device. Meaning it only transmits, but does not receive any information. A Smart Bridge Pro has no way to know if the Pico is paired to another bridge.

[Matt H.]

There is nothing to prevent a customer from programming it to work that way. However, this should not be recommended as it will most likely cause intermittent issues and lead to more problems than it will solve. Basically, you'll end up with 2 systems interfering with each other, both trying to do things at the same time. Sometimes they will both work, sometimes one will work and the other won't, sometimes neither will work. You may also see delays in one or more, sometimes some devices will respond and others will not. The system is truly not designed to be used in this way which may lead to the behavior mentioned.

[davisadm]

I have installed a number of Caseta systems which have 2, and even 3 Smart Bridge Pros. They all work just fine. I don't see how one system interferes with another. You have to create a separate email for each account. It is almost like having 2 (or 3) houses in one. But with the added convenience of one Pico controlling more than one system at a time.

[randyc]

As part of the initialization process the bridge looks for nearby systems and will choose a channel that doesn't interfere. Unless you have 2 bridges doing initialization at the exact same time, there should be no interference.

[Skyking]

A few weeks ago I joined the forum so that I could see if perhaps I could get some design suggestions. My post was never approved, you can't email the moderator(s) and so I just gave up. Today, researching the matter again I decided to see if I had been authenticated - and I had! But my post was never approved. It was held for moderation and in a rookie mistake I did not copy and retain what I had written... Maybe if a/the mod sees this post they can look for my previous submission and approve it?

I have dabbled with Z-wave technology and I am a highly experienced home network builder. I am finishing up a new construction build on our very rural property. We are two hours from the nearest major city so I am on my own with design and implementation. I would like to get it right the first time without learning that I cannot do what I want after buying a bunch of gear. I want to do a lot, but I am going to boil it down to these factors:

1 - Current 2500 square foot residence that is long to maximize our view into the woods.
2 - Current outbuilding that is about 70' away.
3 - Just completing a 5000 (50'x100') square foot shop with an apartment inside and a welded steel storm shelter under the slab below the apartment.

The furthest point is from the east end of the existing home to the west end of the new shop and that distance is ~250'. And the shop is steel so effectively a Faraday cage. Ditto the storm shelter. A Faraday cage inside of a Faraday cage. That is the setup.

I am running a mesh network with seven routers, so I have WiFi everywhere. Even in the storm shelter. But lighting control is vexing me. My electrician loves Lutron products and so I am trying to see if I can do a Lutron solution.

Again, I want do a lot of things throughout all three buildings, but the distances involved present issues. At the far end of the shop there are a couple of light switches I want to integrate into my setup so that I can turn them on and off via a phone app or some other method so that I do not have to physically go there. From the apartment to that far end is about 75’. From the other buildings on the property it is obviously much further than that. Basically all options are on the table, except for the fact that I will have to do this myself.

Using a single Smart Bridge Pro, even with the one range extender (Why is that limited? It seems like a real impediment to my solution and something Lutron should try and fix.), won't get it done. Z-wave controller manufacturer's (Wink, SmartThings) are going to a monthly subscription model. Where I formerly could hook several Z-wave controllers up with Ethernet and essentially have a mesh setup, now I would be looking at paying the monthly fee on maybe 5-6 of them. That is nuts. Sure, I'll pay a monthly recurring fee for one, but 5-6? No.

The OP started this thing asking about using multiple Smart Bridge Pro devices on the same job. I hoped when I opened it someone would have really fleshed out how to setup something that I could replicate, but I don't see that from the replies. So, how do I get to where I want to be with this project?

Thanks!

Phillip

[Garrett S.]

For an application like this, you can use more than one bridge. One bridge will cover about 2500 square feet and if you use the PD-REP, you can cover about 5000 square feet. Because of the distance between the main residence and the outbuilding, you will most likely need to use another bridge out in the outbuilding. For the best performance, you will also most likely need to use another bridge + a PD-REP in the shop location.

[Skyking]

All,

I joined this forum because it looked like a good source for information from people experienced with Lutron gear in general and Lutron smart home gear specifically. Since responding to this thread - one week ago - over five hundred people have viewed it. In spite of that not a single person has responded. Am I to believe there is no solution to my problem? How frustrating... Anyone?

Thanks,

Phillip

[evankirkhart]

Use RadioRA2, it is the correct system for a residence of this scale. It is likely possible to cobble together multiple Caseta systems, but it will never be 100% correct.