Has anyone PERSONALLY used a lutron pico and the oem hue remote to control hue lights?

Sometimes the center button is desirable, and other times it just gets in the way. I like the center button for lights, you can set a favorite level. For things like fans, I don't need that extra button. But it is all personal preference. It does give you two extra functions (button presses) on the Pico though.

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NVM on the Hold/Release - found some info...I use a Hold action on the Minimotes to set a dimmer level on lights but Minimote doesn't have a Release action, however. Sounds interesting.

Push is used to just turn the light on, while hold does a start-raising ( or lowering) action, and then release stops that. You can do the same raise/lower function with the Fast Pico driver, but a single button would be dedicated to raise and one to lower.

Perfect, thanks. So to raise or lower a light you need two buttons, each w/a hold = dim or increase, and release = stop.

And on Amazon only one button is needed to order the Lutron hub and a couple of Picos to get started. Having endless battery life on the remote is going to be very nice...

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Be absolutely positive you are getting a Pro Bridge 2. Any other will not work with Hubitat.

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Thanks! I didn't know that, saved me...

Yes, yes, yes, and probably lots of other "yes"es I can't find at the moment for the Picos, though not all have necessarily also used a Hue Dimmer. :slight_smile: That last "yes" is me: I wrote an app with this exact use in mind--emulating the behavior of a Hue Dimmer on Hubitat with a cheap Pico remote-- hough there is nothing Hue- or Lutron-specific about it. (I even emulated the multi-taps that you don't natively get on Hubitat but do on Hue with a Hue Dimmer, though you have to mulit-tap a bit more slowly than Hue allows.)

To add to the above, here's what I'd say are the pros/cons of each:

  • Hue Dimmer can pair directly to Hue and will work even if Hubitat is ever down (e.g., you're rebooting for an update)
  • Hue Dimmer has zero entry cost besides the dimmer price; Lutron requires a Smart Bridge Pro for Caséta (I seem to remember you recently got one) or Main Repeater for higher-end systems
  • Lutron Picos are cheap (ignoring the above), so if you want a lot, they'll eventually balance out in price
  • Pico requires manual re-creation of same effect you'd get from Hue dimmer, so it requires thinking about what Pico driver you want (fast vs. regular) and knowledge of what commands you could send to the lights/groups to create the desired effect (on/off should be easy enough; get familiar with startLevelChange() if you want "dim while holding"-type automations). This is not significantly different from what you'd have to do with a scene switch. I recall you asking about the ZEN27 a while back, for example.
  • Along the lines of the above, Hue Groups with Hubitat's native integration do not support start/stopLevelChange, only lights. (This is part of the reason I wrote CoCoHue, which IMHO pairs nicely with the app above.) You can still just adjust the level up/down by a set amount with each press or hold.
  • Changes made in Hubitat via a Pico will be reflected immediately on the Hubitat device; changes made with Hue, e.g., via a dimmer, will need to wait until the next poll. This is of little consequence unless you have automations that trigger based on these states or demand that a Dashboard display the desired state ASAP.

To summarize my experience, I think it works well, comparable to a Hue Dimmer if you set it up that way. The only downside is when I want to reboot my hub for an update but also wander around my house during that time, as the Picos will not work for a few minutes then. :slight_smile: I also find Lutron's software a pain to use to set these up, but that's with RA2. The mobile app for Caséta is less problematic.

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Mine are 4 hue ceiling lights, so this may be a problem

This is the main reason I like having hue dimmers around. Hue is a bit pricey but I have to say the system is rock solid. So nice to have the backup control when I'm fiddling with the hubs.

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If you address the individual bulbs instead of the group, you could still do this. However, whether it will work well is another question. Hue recommends limiting bulb commands to fewer than 10 per second. One "start level change" and "stop level change" to each would take you to 8, likely within that timeframe. Technically not not advisable but close, and there's always the issue of the fact that the bulbs could land at a slightly different level since they wouldn't be manipulated at exactly the same time (but Hue for me is super-reliable so it would probably be close). I do this with a couple two-bulb rooms where I don't want to use a group and have no complaints there.

I totally agree! I keep at least one Hue-only device in "important" rooms (kitchen, bathroom, places where I would really like control under this rare cicumstance that still seems to happen more than you'd expect, probably because I'm usually at home when my hub is updating and rebooting...maybe some day I can just make it do it overnight at my request).

Won’t your coco hue allow this as a group though?

Yeah, I just was too lazy to import the group for that room (only two bulbs, so :man_shrugging:). Hubitat's stock integration allows startLevelChange and stopLevelChange on bulbs only; CoCoHue implements these commands on both bulbs and groups, and I do indeed use it on groups in most rooms.

Ok cool. I have a zooz that controls 4 lights. And a ge switch that controls my fan. Just deciding if I should use one pico, or 2.
With one, instead of a dedicated on/off, I’d use 2 toggles. Top for lights and bottom for fan

I've seen some say they use the round button as a toggle. To switch between devices.

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I don’t get it, I’m slow lol

Push the middle button now all the other buttons are mapped to lights. Push it again now mapped to fans. Etc.

Definately more involved. But possibilities are endless.

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Wow...that sounds cool, and potentially very scary w/my family. But for a button only I was using (I have a Minimote next to me, that I'm replacing w/a Pico, and it will be mine, all mine!!!)..oops, sorry, got excited there :), it would be cool to have a toggle like that.

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@bertabcd1234 @aaiyar I need pre help doing this please. How’s next Tuesday sound? lol, just kidding, but also not kidding, lol

Its easy - you got this! Use the Button Controllers app (after installing the Lutron Integrator app).

Just follow the directions to the letter:

https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=Lutron_Integrator

Ok,I’ll take a look. Thanks

Oops...does below mean I need the hub (arriving tomorrow) AND a RA2 repeater? Or is it an OR condition intended?

In order to connect your Lutron devices to your Hubitat Elevation® network you will need a Lutron Smart Bridge Pro, RA2 Select Main Repeater or RA2 Main Repeater.

And if it is an AND condition, which of the two RA2 devices is "the best" to get? Geez, freakin' A, they are like $200...that is not happening. Don't mind getting the Lutron hub to use the switches, but an additional $200 for a reapter is just crazy for a few remotes.

https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-L-REPPRO-BL-Select-Wireless-Repeater/dp/B077LKQQK4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=ZFYRZV7386NW&dchild=1&keywords=lutron+ra2+main+repeater&qid=1597183605&sprefix=ra2+repeater%2Caps%2C240&sr=8-2

The options in the Lutron Integrator app all include an RA2 unit...