Local Help Please

Hi All
I am new to this forum, and I need some local help
I purchased my house 18 months ago in Ballarat ( central Victoria) and it had C Bus installed and have been trying for some months to find a local sparky that will / can work with C Bus, but to no avail
Our house is fitted with C Bus 2 that control the lighting ( not the power points) and has always worked well, however I have an annoying problem where my outside down lights of which there are 20 are operated by a choice of 3 switches , but I can not seperate them from all coming on at the same time, so I need to have someone re program the system so that I can
Every electrician I have contacted so far say things like, " we don't touch C Bus" or "Nah Mate we used to but not any more"
I did find one on recommendation but it turned out he was from Melbourne 145 KLM away and he charged $160 per hour, so it would cost $480 just to travel here and back without any work being done.
So I was wondering if anyone out there knows of an electrician in Ballarat or close by that works with C Bus

Here's hoping thanks

 

Hi Nick
Thanks for the reply, it looks like I am in luck, I get 2 lights on the DIN rail, and whilst the lights are not grouped exactly how I would like them, it is better than before, if I do change them is there a way that I can still get them all to come on as before should I need them to by using one of the three switches.?

Thanks again for the help

Chris

 

Based on what I read here I would have concerns about the load on the dimmers if they are dimmed.

Assuming they are not LED downlights
20 downlights. Typically an older 1A dimmer could handle about 4 lights on one channel.
A newer 2.5A universal would be 8-9 lights on one channel (maybe 10).

2 channels are being used so that puts them close to their maximum.

Now if they are on a relay, forget all of the above.

The question is, how do you want to split them up? How do you want them grouped.

Check which ones come on from each channel. just press the over-ride (on the unit) button for the channel to turn it on and then when down hold it for about a second to take it out of over-ride mode (C-Bus light will flash when in over-ride mode).

if they are grouped the way you like it then its just programming. If not then an electrician is needed and it may be more difficult that expected as they will need to be split apart from the circuit they are in with a new cable feeding back to the DIN unit - and you need a free channel as well.

Remote access is also a way that you can get someone to look at your network configuration - or back it up and send it to someone who can look at it and give some better guidance.

Hope this helps.

M

 

Thanks for the reply M
They are not dimmable, and they are on the voltage free relay ( I don't know much about C Bus so just looking at what is on the panel one panel is voltage free, and the other two are dimmable also they are LED as I changed all of the down lights in the house ( 45) to LED from what was in the house when we bought it
I'm learning a lot about C Bus since I asked this question, thank's again.
As it is not an urgent issue and they all work perfectly I think I will keep trying to find a local or at least someone closer than Melbourne to have a look, I certainly don't want to stuff anything up

Thanks again for the help