I have confirmed with Lutron that the 'Caseta Claro Accessary Switch' will be shipping around the 16th of January. This is amazing news and will make the new Caseta Diva and Claro switches even better.
You will be able to use these switches to complete 3 way and 4 way lighting without adding another switch to the 75 limit. When you hit the accessory switch once it will go to the lighting level set on the Diva and if you hit it twice it will go to a 100% lighting level (WOW).
The reason this switch is so exciting is that I will be able to complete 5000+ square foot houses with only one Smart Hub Pro. Multiple hubs are good with Hubitat but do add complications.
Again Lutron has achieved another industry game changer.
How is this an industry game changer? I have some GE switches that are four years old that use accessory switches in a similar manor. Just no double tap for full brightness. The accessory switches function the same as the primary.
It is a game changer because it works with the new Diva switches. The Diva switch has a manual like side switch with an LED level indicator plus the double Tapp for 100% on is brilliant. From an installer perspective, customers are going to understand it and use it. To date no switches have these features but Caseta Diva.
Also the fact that we can exceed the 75 limit on Caseta also adds to the game changer aspect.
Cool, sounds like the Diva line added a slide switch to the excellent Inovelli dimmers, and with inovelli you can doubletap to 100% or anything else you can imagine/configure. Plus zwave gives you ~250 device on a network while Zigbee’s ~64k device limit is fun to contemplate exceeding.
But hey hey one man’s “industry game changer” is another man’s iterative update and I’m sure everyone is happy for anyone this update excites.
Inovelli makes an amazing switch. They are also supporting Zigbee with a similar switch. The accessory switch is on off or dim. The accessory switch does not have as many features. The difference is a moving 'manual like' side bar; though the Inovelli is one very nice switch and I do not criticize it in any way. I love them and buy them.
I have a huge Z-wave installation (mostly with Homeseer switches) and I can tell you that it can NOT go to 250 devices. I have had to trim devices off that network that are not direct to the Hub.
I use plenty of other switches (Zigbee and Z-wave outside of Caseta or RA2) so I am aware of their performance and issues. No other company is as reliable as Lutron >>>PERIOD<<<. When you are putting in smart homes for people it must be super reliable and super simple. Only Lutron Smart Hub Pro with a Hubitat has been able to do that for me.
Here are the differences that you get with Caseta over Z-wave/Zigbee switches.
Native Supported Homekit
An RF protocol that is reliable and can do crazy distances
the new Diva switch is unique easy to use with a single and double tap accessary switch
If the hub fails the switches and the Picos continue to work; including all pico scenes, though timed events, Homekit, Alexa and Google do not work without the hub
Switches are super easy to get; they are available everywhere
They work natively with Picos and Pico keypads
Multiple hubs can be grouped together through Habitat
Serena Blinds are supported
Extremely long battery life (Picos and Blinds) >>>simply unmatched.
That is why I say the new 'Claro Accessory Switch' is a game changer for the industry.
I also have no issues with neutrals but they are not going to release a neutral required dimmer; though the implementation is excellent. The Claro switch does require a neutral and works well.
Lutron is leaving those switches for RA2. Caseta is not going to release a dimmer that requires a neutral. It works well anyway without a neutral so this is not really an issue. Diva is not an equivalent to Maestro(neutral optional), they are different switches. Diva has a non Caseta Diva that also does not require a neutral.
Please do tell how you know this is a fact. I won't hold my breath waiting on a legitimate answer.
I'm sure it works fine (probably better than the old plain no-neutral dimmer), but that doesn't mean it's a suitable replacement for all the capabilities of a PD-5NE.
Exactly zero people on this board know what Luton is going to do in the future. Their marketing decisions frequently make little to no sense to anyone outside of the company. The new RadioRA 3 only Sunnata dimmers are less flexible and in some ways less capable than the the RadioRA 2/3 Maestro dimmers. Why?
I am going by their history. The original caseta dimmer was released many years ago and never changed so why would they do anything different going forward. Anything is possible but it is not likely. Caseta did have a neutral for its Low voltage dimmer (PD-5NE) and switch(old and new Claro). If they do release a low voltage dimmer then there will be a neutral requirement but that does not have anything to do with 120v dimming.
I do not understand why this is an issue for anyone. If it is you can alway switch to RA2 select and you have the neutral option on 120v dimming. I like the Diva switch much better.
, that sucks. I thought caseta had redeemed itself from those awful UI switches of the past.
