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(More customer reviews)I have spent countless hours searching the web, looking for a specific kind of dimmer that would integrate well into my existing home theater. I found what I was searching for in these Leviton VR dimmers. But first, let me provide some background...
Many years ago I installed a set of dimmers in my home theater that were based on X10 technology. That technology required a separate RF remote controller and a plug in receiver to send the signal to the dimmers. It did the job, but it would not allow me to create scenes (combinations of preset lighting cues) for watching movies, reading, full illumination, etc. You had to change each light separately to get the lighting mood you wanted, but it was the only option I had at the time. A few years after that I replaced my older multi-function infrared (IR) based remote with a Logitech Harmony 890 remote with an RF option that is designed out of the box to work with Z-Wave technology dimmers. So in looking to upgrade my dimmers my primary requirement was that they needed to be controllable using my 890 remote. I also wanted to be able to create different combinations of lighting intensities between my three sets of recessed lights that were appropriate for whatever it was I was doing at the time, preferably as a part of an 'Activity' macro sequence on the remote.
Although these dimmers are a little more expensive than I'd hoped, they fit the bill perfectly.
Installation was a breeze, as long as you are comfortable working around electrical switches. Mine installation was simple since I only had one set of switches to replace (single pole circuit), although these dimmers are designed to work on three way circuits as well. After making the connections I reprogrammed my Harmony remote to tell it I had installed several new Z-Wave devices. It guided me through the pairing process to identify each dimmer individually. Once that was done, it was just a matter of creating scenes in the Harmony software to tell dimmer 1 that lights the wall behind the Plasma to go to 25%, and dimmer 2 that lights the theater seats to go to 35%, and dimmer 3 on the book cases in the corner of the room to turn totally off for a scene I named "Watch Movies". I then created several other scenes with different lighting intensities and saved them under the Z-Wave tab in the Harmony setup software. The last step was to include these lighting scenes by name into one of my existing 'Activities' (macros) used with my home theater on the remote. Then I had the Harmony software update the remote and the RF extender. Now, when I select 'Watch Blu-Ray' on the remote, all the AV components turn on and switch to the right settings, AND the lighting dims to the scene levels I specified in my set up. It's exactly what I was looking to accomplish.
Once the setup is completed, the Harmony remote also provides a selection on my main menu for controlling the lights individually. So you can, for example, turn all lights to 100% on or off, choose a specific dimmer and increase or decrease it's light output, and activate any of your preprogrammed scenes individually.
Let me also mention that most documentation for the Z-Wave dimmers tells you that you need to use their separately purchased remote to program them. If you have the Harmony RF based remote, you can use it to program the dimmers instead. You do not need to buy anything beyond the dimmers.
If you have a Harmony RF capable remote like the 890 and are looking for a way to integrate your lighting into your automation process, then you can order these dimmers with confidence.
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Leviton VRI06-1LZ Vizia RF + 600W Incandescent Scene Capable Dimmer, White/Ivory/Light AlmondVizia RF + 600W Incandescent Scene Capable Dimmer for single pole, 3-way or more applications, with LED locator and brightness display. White face assembled on device, ivory and light almond faces included - White, Ivory and Light Almond, UPC: 07847738900
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