Should I install CBUS in 2025? Self build.

HAHAHA - Dynalite, I have used cbus since its pre release and then dynalite through the noughties and teenies, and I can tell you if you think dynalite is resilient I have seen jobs where they have paid more than twice in 10 years to keep there system going - there are building around me that have replaced every gateway twice in 10 years. I have 30 year old systems in buildings with Relays that where in the 4 channel enclosure before the black boxes which were working until refurbishments in the last 2 years, I would agree current software issue suck, reliability doesn't pricing sucks as well TBF. Cbus backward compatibility comparitive to other systems is head and shoulders above the rest. I think the Cbus developers would benefit by building it so it was easy to integrate to third party stuff - for the HA users etc. as Cbus misses alot of components to fill the gaps.

 

I'll did C-Bus for my new build (been moved in for around 18 months now) so I can provide my experience so far:

1. Cost
I'm a sparky so I did everything myself. I also sourced the relays, dimmers and PIRs second hand so saved a heap of money overall. The only thing I bought new was the switches and EDLTs. I went with Saturn Zen and I think they look great.
If I was paying full price including someone else to install and commission, then there's no way I could justify the cost.

2. Reliability.
Great. Hasn't missed a beat so far. The only issue I can think of is the minor annoyance of needing to reset the EDLT date and time if there's a power outage. Would be nice if you could place a small battery backup on the network to keep it going.

3. Changes
Honestly the only thing I'd do differently is use a Dali bridge for all of my lighting, as it would've saved a heap of wiring and space in the switchboard. And although the C-Bus dimming is okay, it's not to the level of Dali.
Eventually I'd like to get further into control with a SHAC or home assistant integration. Maybe when the kids are a bit older and I have more free time as it seems quite daunting to setup.

I've heard good things about Dynalite and that seems more popular these days, but I have no experience with the system so didn't bother looking into it. Good luck!

 

Yeah I definitely plan on getting one of those in the future to be able to incorporate it into a home assistant setup, but considering even the basic network interface costs over $800, it's a but much to justify at the moment.