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Lighting
Control questions
Advantages of Lutron RadioRA lighting
control systems.
Builders,
Contractors
and Home Owners recommend RadioRa for it's ease of
installation, and for Lutron's responsive Technical
support. The system is 100% reliable, quiet and does not
require labor-intensive wiring, thus allowing the owner
to assign zones and set dimming scenes as often as
needed: simply pressing and holding buttons on the
master keypad and then switching dimmer switches on to
assign loads, then adjusting the light to desired
levels.
Q1: What is
RadioRA?
RadioRA is a whole-home dimming system that uses radio
frequency communication. RadioRA helps manage and
monitor house lighting for convenience, security, and
energy savings. RadioRA sets the mood for daily
activities by recalling lighting scenes. RadioRA uses
radio signals for communication, which means the
system is installed without any additional wiring.
Q2: Is RadioRA a power line carrier product?
No, RadioRA is not a power line carrier product. Power
line carrier products utilize the house wiring for
communication purposes. RadioRA uses radio signals.
Therefore, RadioRA is not susceptible to other
household product cross talk through the power lines,
which can cause interference or erratic system
behavior.
Q3: What kind of special wiring do I need for the
RadioRA system? None! RadioRA utilizes similar
technology to a portable phone so that no extra wires
are needed for the system to work.
SYSTEM RELIABILITY
Q4: Will RadioRA systems in neighboring houses
interfere with one another?
No. While it is true that all RadioRA systems operate
on the same frequency (418MHz), the RadioRA Repeater
codes each system uniquely during startup to prevent
cross system interaction. RadioRA has over 250 unique
codes available, so that even condominiums and
apartment buildings will not be a problem.
Q5: Do other radio frequency devices inadvertently
turn on my RadioRA system?
No. Lutron® built in multiple safeguards to ensure
that RadioRA will not accept stray signals. Rigorous
testing and proven installations throughout the US
have demonstrated that RadioRA technology is
completely reliable.
Q6: Will the RadioRA system interfere with other
equipment in my house?
No, RadioRA uses a dedicated frequency and will not
interfere with remote controls, cellular/portable
phones, or other wireless devices.
Q7: Can lightning or surges harm RadioRA in any
way?
RadioRA components utilize circuitry similar to that
found in surge suppression outlet strips to help guard
against lightning and surges. While it is true that
nothing will survive a direct lightning strike,
RadioRA will remain unharmed by normal electrical
storms and static electricity.
Q8: What happens to a RadioRA system after a power
outage, or if I unplug a master control?
Nothing. RadioRA utilizes an EEPROM memory chip, which
maintains all system programming and addressing for a
power outage of up to ten years! Furthermore, after a
power outage, RadioRA's power failure memory restores
the system to its pre-outage state. In other words, if
the lights were off before the power outage, they will
stay off when power is restored. If lights were on,
they will come back on to the same level.
Q9: Is RadioRA available outside the United States?
Yes. RadioRa has Distributors in many countries, call
the closest Lutron office, they can help you determine
how and if a RadioRA system can be properly installed
in your country.
SYSTEM LAYOUT
Q10: What are the system limits for RadioRA?
A RadioRA system can have up to: 32 Dimmers and
Switches (total, not including Accessory Dimmers and
Accessory Switches) 14 Master Controls and System
Interfaces 4 Repeaters (1 minimum) Dimmers and
Switches also include GRAFIK RATM units, GRAFIK Eye®
Interfaces, and SivoiaTM Controls.
Q11: What does the RadioRA Repeater do? Why do I
need it?
You need the RadioRA Repeater because it performs four
important functions. The Repeater ensures that the
system communicates reliably and maintains the signal
range. The Repeater enables the programmer to set-up
the system and diagnose problems. The Repeater gives
each home a unique digital code. The Repeater allows
the homeowner to add controls in the future.
Q12: Where should the RadioRA Repeaters be located?
All RadioRA Devices (Master Controls, Dimmers,
Interfaces, etc.) must be within 30 feet of a Repeater
in any direction, including up and down. (This does
not include Accessory Dimmers or Accessory Switches,
which can be located anywhere.) The RadioRA Repeaters
can be placed under sofas, in closets, or on top of
furniture in order to reach all devices on different
floors. Repeaters must be within 60 feet of each
other.
Q13: How big of a house can RadioRA cover with the
specified 30 foot range of the Repeater?
Lutron modeled a "worst case" home,
including construction techniques such as cement,
metal studs, stone walls and foil wrap. It was
determined that in this worst case world, a
conservative range for the Repeater is 30 feet.
Assuming the average height of a room is ten feet, a
RadioRA Repeater could cover six floors (three floors
above the Repeater and three floors below it) or a 60
foot diameter sphere (30 foot radius). The coverage
area of a Repeater is approximately 2,800 square feet
per floor. Using all four RadioRA Repeaters, you could
cover a floor as large as 10,000 square feet, or a
volume of over 450,000 cubic feet.
Q14: Are there RadioRA dimmers to control special
load types or high wattages?
RadioRA has dimmers to directly control up to 1000W of
incandescent, 1000VA of magnetic low-voltage (MLV),
500W of electronic low-voltage (ELV), and 5A of
fluorescent (requires Lutron Tu-Wire® dimming
ballasts). There are also interfaces available to
control larger loads of incandescent, MLV, or ELV, and
an interface to control up to 16A of fluorescent using
Lutron 120V dimming ballasts.
Q15: What does the RadioRA Switch control?
A RadioRA Single-Location Switch or Multi-Location
Switch will switch 8A of permanently installed
lighting loads, including incandescent, magnetic or
electronic low-voltage, fluorescent,
neon/cold-cathode, and high-intensity discharge.
Q16: Can I expand my RadioRA system after it has
been installed and programmed?
Yes, you can add all types of RadioRA devices at any
time. However, they must be within the appropriate
distance of a Repeater: 60 feet for a new Repeater, 30
feet for Dimmers, Switches, and Master Controls (Note:
This does not apply to Accessory Dimmers and Accessory
Switches) and adding them must not cause the number of
devices to exceed the system limits.
Q17: What is the range of the Car Visor
Transmitter?
The RadioRA Car Visor Transmitter (RA-VCTX-WH) has a
typical range of 150 feet. It can control both
lighting and your garage door(s) from this distance.
SYSTEM INSTALLATION
Q18: Are RadioRA Dimmers and Switches difficult to
install?
No, RadioRA Dimmers and Switches are easy to install.
RadioRA Dimmers and Switches can replace existing
switches and wire just like standard wall switches.
Q19: How do I add a wall-mounted master control if
there is no wallbox?
There are a few different options. Please see
Retrofitting RadioRA Master Controls into an Existing
Home to find out more about how it can be done.
Q20: What is a Room Button on a Master Control?
What is a Scene Button on a Master Control?
Room Buttons are used to turn room lights on and off
with the touch of a button and to monitor room light
status from an entryway or bedside. Scene Buttons are
used to activate whole-home or individual room
lighting scenes by turning on one or more lights to
the levels you preset.
Q21: How do I program a Master Control?
RadioRA Master Controls are programmed manually by
pressing the desired Master Control button and walking
around the house to set dimmers and switches to
desired levels. It is just that simple, and described
in the RadioRA Setup Guide. No computer is required
and changes can be made at any time!
Q22: How do I connect a security system to RadioRA
so that, when the alarm is tripped, the interior
lights turn on and the outdoor lights flash?
The RadioRA Multi-Function Entry Master Control and
Switch Closure Interface have security contact closure
inputs, which connect to your security system. Local
Dimmers, Switches, and Master Controls will be
"locked out" whenever the security system is
activated. To learn how to connect and program the
devices, please see Interfacing RadioRA to Security
and Fire Alarm Systems.
Q23: How do I control my RadioRA system with an
infrared remote control?
With the RadioRA Infrared Interface, you can control
your RadioRA system with the Lutron GRX-IT and GRX-8IT
infrared remote controls. The infrared RadioRA
commands can also be programmed to learning and
programmable remotes.
Q24: Where can I get more RadioRA information?
For more information, please visit the Lutron website
at www.lutron.com
