I’m looking for a landscape lighting controller as good as my rachio.
My son had the great idea of using the rachio to control our outside lighting.
The only problem(s):
the fact the lighting is 12v and the rachio 24v.
Proposed solution - use a 12 v adapter (120-12 vs. 120-24). We assume what goes in comes out?
the fact i might need a bit more than what the ac power is supplying (number of watts - we are just using it for a bunch of low wattage LEDs but not sure of budget yet).
Proposed solution - use a larger adapter - something like a 12v 80watt laptop charger. We assume the rachio is just a micro controller with a bunch of relays and what goes in from the power supply goes out thru the relays based on what the lights pull).
So with all the caveats - I’m violating warranty, no guarantees, etc.
Rachio wouldn’t physically power lighting. It could be used to control the transformer, which in turn powers the lights. Rachio only outputs a few miliamps to to control solenoids or possibly a relay.
I’ll chip in that lighting uses 12VDC, while Rachio uses 24VAC.
While Rachio will probably turn on while running on a 12V DC supply, but it will not be able to actively control the outputs as it uses triacs instead of relays.
Depending on the wattage requirement of your low wattage LEDs, you may be able to get away with running a 24VAC to 12VDC power supply, but the usable wattage is probably limited to 4W after efficiency losses.
@tmskoric is right, your best bet is to use relays to drive LEDs. Though if you are considering buying Rachio just to drive LEDs, you may be better off looking for a dedicated device. Searching for “12v alexa relay” may bring up something more suited for your needs.
Phillips Hue lights just came out with such. Or you can go the way of a whole home automation system like Indigo, home kit works too. Basically you need a switch to turn power on and off and maybe a sensor for motion in some cases. You may want sunset detection or sunrise. You might want time off day. But lights rarely go by zone in a house. They have a more binary state. Philips brings the world ofd color LED. That is not to say however that this amazing Rachio equipment can not find a place here too.
I use Luxor from FXLuminaire. Nice color LED lights (they will even cycle through colors), but the app is not nearly as sophisticated as the Rachio app. (The LUXOR does have some nice automation features, however). I have to be in my home network to use it, and some functions I can only do at the faceplate. I’m hoping that someday they will get to Rachio standards where I can control my lights from anywhere in the world!
Check out the FXLuminaire Luxor with WiFi. However, it forces you to use specific FX Luminaire fixtures. all you want is to control your lights, check out Alliance Outdoor Lighting t
IT transformers that use Bluetooth technology. Alliance BL200BT bullet lights even have color changing capability and have a smartphone app to control these lights remotely. I am installing these lights and transformer over Labor Day weekend.
