Does Lutron Caseta work well with HS3?

[ryuvann]

Hey everyone,

So I have a bunch of Z-Wave devices and Insteon but always loved the look of Lutron gear. I'm debating on getting a Wink Relay with the Hub just for the touch screen controls but my Insteon stuff won't work with that, so either swapping my Insteon gear for Z-Wave so that the Wink can control it as well, or I'm thinking I might check out Lutron since I feel like that's easier vs using 2 Z-Wave controllers.

Do I still get all the same functionality if I go this route? Such as instant status reported back to HS3 if the lights change, and so on? Thanks!

[DonMor]

Hey everyone,

So I have a bunch of Z-Wave devices and Insteon but always loved the look of Lutron gear. I'm debating on getting a Wink Relay with the Hub just for the touch screen controls but my Insteon stuff won't work with that, so either swapping my Insteon gear for Z-Wave so that the Wink can control it as well, or I'm thinking I might check out Lutron since I feel like that's easier vs using 2 Z-Wave controllers.

Do I still get all the same functionality if I go this route? Such as instant status reported back to HS3 if the lights change, and so on? Thanks!

Yes you have instant status and also can poll the status of the device, use the events if a status change.

Be sure to order the Smartbrige Pro Hub

-Config page for IP, Port and creation of the device
-Control up to 4 SmartBridge Pro
-Status of the SmartBridge
-May be Used for Larger Homes or for Secondary Residences or Outbuildings
-Instant status feedback of the device
-Control light and appliance
-Simulate the PICO_KEYPAD
-Use the PICO to control other divice as Z-Wave
-Shade up and down

[ryuvann]

Thank you! Is this the right Hub? I don't see the word Pro in it, even on the Amazon.ca listing so just wanted to check.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.c...000854806.html

[DonMor]

Thank you! Is this the right Hub? I don't see the word Pro in it, even on the Amazon.ca listing so just wanted to check.

https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.c...000854806.html

No it is not a Pro, only the pro can talk telnet

search for L-BDGPRO2-WH

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/offer-listi...&condition=new

Don

[ryuvann]

Ah thanks, there's the dealbreaker probably lol, was getting this just for 2 switches but $200 for the Hub plus $80cad for the plugin is pretty expensive now just for a couple switches. So will have to see.

Side question, can the Pico remotes be used independently of the light they came with? Like for example if I buy a Caseta wall dimmer which comes with a Pico remote, am I able to use that instead to control my Hue lights through HS3 or are those Pico remotes tied to the light they came with (or other Lutron devices?) thanks!

[DonMor]

Ah thanks, there's the dealbreaker probably lol, was getting this just for 2 switches but $200 for the Hub plus $80cad for the plugin is pretty expensive now just for a couple switches. So will have to see.

Side question, can the Pico remotes be used independently of the light they came with? Like for example if I buy a Caseta wall dimmer which comes with a Pico remote, am I able to use that instead to control my Hue lights through HS3 or are those Pico remotes tied to the light they came with (or other Lutron devices?) thanks!

The Pico is compatible for Lutron devices only, you can program the Pico to control more than one dimmer or switch, if you want to control the Hue lights with a Pico you will need a third party integration like HS3 than the Pico can control any device that HS3 can control with the events

Hope I understood your question.

don

[ryuvann]

Yeah I think you did. The Caseta light switches and lamp dimmers seem to include the Pico for next to nothing, but I don't really have any need for a remote for those lights specifically. So was wondering more if I can buy like a lamp dimmer with the Pico remote just to get a cheap remote, but then have that Pico remote have nothing to do with that lamp, and instead have HS3 for example turn the Hue lights on if it sees me press "On" on the Pico, or have it disarm the alarm when it sees me press "Off" on the Pico. Basically use the Pico via HS3's plugin and have it control Z-Wave or other devices and not the Lutron ones.

[DonMor]

Yeah I think you did. The Caseta light switches and lamp dimmers seem to include the Pico for next to nothing, but I don't really have any need for a remote for those lights specifically. So was wondering more if I can buy like a lamp dimmer with the Pico remote just to get a cheap remote, but then have that Pico remote have nothing to do with that lamp, and instead have HS3 for example turn the Hue lights on if it sees me press "On" on the Pico, or have it disarm the alarm when it sees me press "Off" on the Pico. Basically use the Pico via HS3's plugin and have it control Z-Wave or other devices and not the Lutron ones.

with the smartbridge pro you can add the Pico without assign any device to it, after that HS3 can control all your light, alarm, Harmony remote, etc...

don't need to buy the dimmers, you can just get the Pico along for less than 20$

go and see this web :smartbridge, dimmer and a Pico for $172.36
https://west.nedco.ca/dimmers-wirele...TPBDGPROPKG1WC

[ryuvann]

Great thanks, was just wondering as I don't really need the Pico but buying a Caseta dimmer with one vs without only adds like $5 so figure be nice if I can repurpose the Pico for something else. It would be with the SmartBridge Pro, just have to see if I can swallow that cost lol as I really don't need it at all, I just love the look of the Caseta devices. My whole network is Insteon and Z-Wave, so all Insteon I'd replace with the Lutron.

Last question I promise! Is the plugin supported by an API or whatever, or is it some kind of back door or trick that may potentially stop working with a future software update? I saw in a note that it simulates a Pico remote so just don't want to spend all that money on it and then have them update the firmware and it blocks it or something!

[DonMor]

Great thanks, was just wondering as I don't really need the Pico but buying a Caseta dimmer with one vs without only adds like $5 so figure be nice if I can repurpose the Pico for something else. It would be with the SmartBridge Pro, just have to see if I can swallow that cost lol as I really don't need it at all, I just love the look of the Caseta devices. My whole network is Insteon and Z-Wave, so all Insteon I'd replace with the Lutron.

Last question I promise! Is the plugin supported by an API or whatever, or is it some kind of back door or trick that may potentially stop working with a future software update? I saw in a note that it simulates a Pico remote so just don't want to spend all that money on it and then have them update the firmware and it blocks it or something!

For the Lutron Ra2 Lutron have all the documentation for it, but for the Caseta they don't document it, so I can't warranty that they will never block the Telnet for Caseta but will be very surprise if they do.

[ryuvann]

Thanks again! Now it just comes down to do I want to spend hundreds just to buy Lutron lights because I like the way they look, when the Insteon ones they are replacing work perfectly well lol.

[JustinCM]

Great Pricing on Lutron

I have dumped all my Insteon and am going all Lutron Caseta. In quantity, I got very good pricing from a warehouse like place: 1000bulbs.com. But you have to call them to get bulk / discount pricing.

You may want to consider, if you haven't already, the 4 Button Pico Remote Control PRO
PJ2-4B-LA-L31P

I plan on using this Pico remote to trigger lots of scenes outside of Lutron Caseta, just as described above.

Justin in Dallas

[ryuvann]

Awesome thanks for the suggestion! That's a nice looking remote. I'm still so torn, everything works perfectly right now. Switching to Insteon would be 90% aesthetics and 10% because I want to use the Wink Relay touch screen on the wall and Wink supports Lutron natively. So with the Pro bridge connected to HS3 I should have instant status all around. Trying to have Wink and HS3 use Z-Wave devices isn't that great, and without instant status Z-Wave sort of seems like a step backwards. I like Insteon but I find it very limited in who it works with, or if it does support Insteon it's usually half assed (like HS3's built in Insteon support or Vera).

I just wish they weren't so expensive! $69 CAD for all the switches, where I think I paid $59 for Insteon (so not much better) but selling my Insteon stuff I highly doubt I'd recoup much back.

[DonMor]

I have dumped all my Insteon and am going all Lutron Caseta. In quantity, I got very good pricing from a warehouse like place: 1000bulbs.com. But you have to call them to get bulk / discount pricing.

You may want to consider, if you haven't already, the 4 Button Pico Remote Control PRO
PJ2-4B-LA-L31P

I plan on using this Pico remote to trigger lots of scenes outside of Lutron Caseta, just as described above.

Justin in Dallas

Justin,

I find that Pico PJ2-4B-LA-L31P Scene don't use the same sequence for the telnet, I'll add that on the weekend.

Don

[ryuvann]

So I just found out from Wink directly that you can't use Caseta with Wink and the Hub, it's one or the other. So just wasted a crap ton of money on these. Not sure why I didn't look into that more, I just assumed it was like the Hue, that Wink and HS3 connect to the Hue bridge and control the lights, so assumed this was the same.

With your plugin when you use the Pico remote to control Z-Wave devices, does it just trigger based on Pico ON or OFF? Or can I assign other events to the favourite button in the centre, or to brightness up and down etc? Would be nice if I can program it so the centre favourite button turns on the patio lights, where ON/OFF turns on the dining room etc.