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LightwaveRF Pricing

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  • 27-06-2015 11:23am
    #1
    Gadgetman496
    Registered Users Posts: 8,400 ✭✭✭


    Any members here using LightwaveRF products?

    I tried a few light switches and sockets and find them very good to be honest and if I had any gripe with them it would be the fact that there is no reporting facility available, in other words, if you control a device remotely via your phone from outside your home you have no way of actually knowing if the device was definitely turned on or off.

    I don't think the prices the likes of Maplin are charging are justified either but we are talking about Maplin and they are the masters when it comes to over pricing I think. Dabs IE are not far behind them either though.

    Would anybody have a rough idea as to what mark-up the likes of Maplin or Dabs would have on those products?

    If Megaman UK are supplying these stores with the product I wonder what the base cost of each item would actually be?

    "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."



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    #2
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    I'm using the lightwaverf system. 2 dimmers, 3 sockets and 2 of the relays I'm using on the gas boiler to operate 2 motorized valves. The valves themselves fire the boiler then.

    Also have the energy monitor on the setup, which is a useful way to see items actually came on when I put them on, to get around the lack of acknowledgement.

    Amazon sell them as well, so prices can be compared there too.


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    #3
    Gadgetman496
    Registered Users Posts: 8,400 ✭✭✭Gadgetman496


    Bruthal wrote: »
    Also have the energy monitor on the setup, which is a useful way to see items actually came on when I put them on, to get around the lack of acknowledgement.

    Amazon sell them as well, so prices can be compared there too.

    A kind of workaround I suppose but of no use to you when you are off site, right?

    Being based in Ireland the exchange rate has pretty much screwed the savings if any on Amazon I would think?

    My question on markup and price was more related to the cost the stores are actually buying them in for as opposed to what they are charging the end user. Any idea what that might be?

    "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."



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    #4
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    gadgetman496 wrote: »
    A kind of workaround I suppose but of no use to you when you are off site, right?
    It is when I'm out away from the house that I use the energy monitor. I sometimes put on lights or the heating, and can tell by the monitor displayed in the app, that they came on after I sent the command. Its easy to see compared to the base load. Can even tell when the fridge compressor is running. Its easy enough when only running one or 2 items while out, to use that method.
    Being based in Ireland the exchange rate has pretty much screwed the savings if any on Amazon I would think?
    Well that would suggest maplin etc are not too far out then. They usually are an expensive outlet though.
    My question on markup and price was more related to the cost the stores are actually buying them in for as opposed to what they are charging the end user. Any idea what that might be?
    No idea.
    The lightwaverf stuff has increased in price a fair bit since I first got it. Particularly the dimmers. That's all I know.


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    #5
    Gadgetman496
    Registered Users Posts: 8,400 ✭✭✭Gadgetman496


    Bruthal wrote: »
    It is when I'm out away from the house that I use the energy monitor. I sometimes put on lights or the heating, and can tell by the monitor displayed in the app, that they came on after I sent the command. Its easy to see compared to the base load. Can even tell when the fridge compressor is running. Its easy enough when only running one or 2 items while out, to use that method.

    Ah you mean the monitor within the App? I was thinking of the monitors with onboard display. I haven't used Lightwave energy monitors yet. I do know that their energy monitors Ver 1 don't work with the WiFi link so you need the Ver 2 for it to work. That Info is directly from themselves after I purchased a Ver 1 but had to return it because it wouldn't pair with the link & Maplin didn't have a V2 at the time and I never revisited that side of it since.

    They seem to be reasonably proactive with their ongoing product development too, they are on the second version of their WiFi Link, Energy monitor and radiator valves from what I can see.

    I read somewhere too that their system is capable of acknowledgement but they haven't included it yet, don't know why, it may be the cost factor? It's a pity they haven't, I think it is one of the main drawbacks of their product. They are one of the few that offer a truly hassle free retrofit option from what I have researched.

    I don't know where you are based, but from what I can see their radiator valves are pretty much geared for the UK market? They appear to be operated for a push and pull valve where as the most common retrofit for Ireland would need to be for the twist type valve? or is there a workaround for that?

    I read too that they were due to exhibit at the CES in Vegas last January with a view to breaking into the North American market but have been unable to get any reviews as to how that went.

    "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."



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    #6
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    The thermostatic rad valves here in Ireland, while operated by rotating the knob on them, are actually moving a pin straight in and out of the valve.

    I have a boiler stove incorporated into the gas heating system, so I'll be leaving the manual valves on the rads. The lwrf controls the motorized valve for the gas heating. When stove pipe stat brings on its pumps, it also switches on the motorized valves, and a relay which disables the gas boiler. I didn't bother with any heating specific controls from lwrf, just 2 of their relays, for cylinder and rad motor valves. Programed in a few event timers to run from 1 to 7 hours. I had it bring on bedroom light every morning 30 percent 10 minutes before getting up, and then increase to 50 percent for getting up time, then have the setup dispense water from a one cup kettle thing for the laugh. Worked well as an alarm clock. Standard light in living room comes on at dusk every evening for 30 minutes as well. Did that as a test last summer. Still doing it since, varying according to the sunset times.

    The reporting back of switch status would likely require new switches, dimmers etc, or at least a module connected in with existing ones.


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    #7
    lgk
    Registered Users Posts: 589 ✭✭✭lgk


    gadgetman496 wrote: »
    My question on markup and price was more related to the cost the stores are actually buying them in for as opposed to what they are charging the end user. Any idea what that might be?

    Prices are pretty consistent wherever you buy them, so Maplin is likely getting a smaller mark-up on the LightwaveRF stuff than they are on other lines they stock. LightWave are a very small operation, so they won't have the scale of manufacturing savings the big players in the market have.


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