Sync Dimmer brightness on multiple switches?

Setup, Configuration and Use Beginners
1

Is this possible. I’m toying with the idea of getting into home automation (z-wave switches) because here is what i want to accomplish and i searched the forums / google and have yet to see if this is possible with OpenHAB.

My Situation;

I have soffit lights on my house and detached garage. Each controlled from their own switch which is on a dimmer.

Is it possible with openhab to read when the dimmer switch changes its brightness and apply it to the remote switch.

I want it so when i turn on my soffit lights on the house, the garage soffit lights come on automatically as well. And if i change the brightness of the lights from the house, the same is applied to the garage.

I don’t have any switches yet to be able to test as i want to make sure this is possible before i go ahead and dive into home automation / openHAB.

Thanks

2

Use Groups. Any command sent to the Group Item will also be sent to all of the members of the Group.

For example:

Group:Dimmer:MAX gDimmers

Dimmer Dimmer1 (gDimmers)
Dimmer Dimmer2 (gDimmers)

and so on.

The MAX part of the gDimmers means that the Group Item will take on the value of the maximum dimmer value of its members.

This lets you control all the Dimmers as if they were one Item.

Only if the z-wave switch supports reporting the change. Some do and some don’t (notably GE dimmers do not). You can poll for changes but not very fast without overwhelming your z-wave network.

If you have devices that report manual settings, then just create a Rule that triggers when the Item receives an update, read in its new value and sendCommand to gDimmers with the new value and all the members of gDimmers will be set to the same value.

1 Like
3

Thanks so much for the reply. The dimmer i was looking at and about to pull the trigger on was teh GE 12724 Zwave Wall Dimmer.

That’s too bad about it not reporting the value… do you know what dimmers do report? I don’t want to have to poll as i want the fastest results.

4

I think the Fibaro ones do but am not sure. I have a Linear dimmer and I’m honestly not certain whether it reports or not. I just ran a test and it appears not to. I have my lighting (at least those lamps and switches I want automated) completely automated (i.e. turn on or off based on time of day, sunrise/sunset, and current lighting conditions) so I never really paid much attention to whether the controls report back manual switching.