Saturn wall switches compared from the USA and Australia.

OK here is the skinny?..
Since I am new to Clipsal and always looking for a good buy, my new install at our location I was price comparing.
I found a 4 button Saturn at about ? the cost on E-Bay and was shipped from Australia to the USA.
Now grant is not UL listed (USA electrical specification for safety / fire rating) but to see what is different and how it operates I now can explain.
The programming in the Tool-Kit is the same and practically no change.
The physical dimensions are the same and identical to the USA version.
However the black bezel plate for the Australia version is thicker where the mounting screws mount and this will cause the wall plate to extend out about 6mm.
I was able to alter the sheetrock to make work but I thought I would let the public know the difference.


BTW if there are any suppliers in Australia that can sell Clipsal to the USA send me a private E-Mail as I am looking for a Weiser and the new 24VDC relay module to test.

Alan Dobbs
Industeq, Inc

 

Part-way through the life of the Saturn switch the mounting boss design was changed. Earlier plastics have a large boss with supporting webs protruding at the rear. Newer plastics are flat on the back. Both the material and design were changed at this time to make them easier to mount.

The difference between the USA and Australian versions is most likely due to them being manufactured at different times.

 

The Aus was a 2004 and the USA Saturn was a 2008.
Could be the reason.

Thanks for the insight.


Alan Dobbs
Industeq, Inc.

 

Thanks Alan

Is your US source reliable and able to supply larger quantities at even better prices? _ possiby a group purchase for interested parties?

With recent US dollar falls they are going to become even more competitive ?even so the Australian & NZ prices and their profits are extraordinary high and cannot really be justified as the parts are all made in china anyway!

 

Actually the falling value of the USD makes exports from Aus to the US more expensive, but makes it cheaper for us Aussies to buy and travel to the US.

 

Well there is a trade-off on quality control. Since the UL requirements are more stringent here, word is that Clipsal uses different semiconductors to adhere to the regulations here in the USA. This makes the cost a bit more and why there are only about 1/3rd of the devices available for sale in the USA.
Strangely the PIR?s cost about the same (considering freight)on the web but the USA version are UL. However the Saturn / Neo are about 1/2 off in some cases.
As for the DIN rail output modules (Relay / Dimmers) the USA version are either 120VAC or 277VAC and the ones in Au are 220V and much less cost?? Bummer.


Are there any supply houses with a on-line catalog in Au that I can shop on-line?

Regards
Alan Dobbs
Industeq, Inc.