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Please Note: Do you already have an existing automation system? Please see the shade and blind automation section further down about our interface products.
3 Easy Levels to Full Automation; Preserve Your Initial Purchase
Since 1972, we have worked with home automation, back when the x10 protocol first appeared. When we started our parent company RollerTrol™, it was our policy to support as many home automation systems as we could and we continue this philosophy today!
We have now refined this policy to simplify the 3 easy levels of automation for controlling our shade and blind motors, and many other devices.
A key feature of this plan is that your initial purchase of remote controls is preserved, and will keep on working for you, no matter how extensively you decide to automate.
Level 1 - Simple Operation Remote Controls:
Our system allows you to start out with our simple hand-held and multi-channel wall-mount remote controls for our shade/blind motors, then upgrade later to a more advanced automation set up.
A lot of our clients find that these simple remote controls are enough, and your purchase is preserved no matter if you upgrade your automation system or not. Whichever remote controls you buy will keep working for you, even if you move up to a more sophisticated automation level at a later time.
You can operate individual motors with our remote controls and/or create groups of shades to operate all at the same time.
Level 2 - RF-IR Blaster BroadLink® Automation Hub:
Finally, a super simple phone app that can 'learn' RF signals right from our remotes. Have a look at our affordable new blind and shade hub, operated by Android and IOS apps.
Additionally, this system also has "if-this-then-that" event triggering, and timers, as well as IR learning for your TV and other media. The best part is that your remotes from Level 1 will still work.
This system may well be the only automation set-up you will ever want to have. Save your $$$ and change all your old tablets and phones into powerful WiFi home automation controls!
You can operate individual motors with our remote controls and/or create groups of shades to operate all at the same time. Use voice control products such as Alexa.
Level 3 - Z-Wave™: Welcome to the end of incompatible systems!
We are now manufacturing a Z-Wave group controller that can control many motors simultaneously. Both the Level 1 and Level 2 controls and phone apps will keep working with this system.
Please see this website about our Z-Wave Group Controller; it is able to tie in with many other control systems such as Hubitat®, SmartThings®, Vera®, etc.
Control Everything With Your Voice Using Alexa® or Google Home
Customers often ask us if we can integrate our shade and blinds motors with Alexa® or other voice command systems, and the answer is YES! The BroadLink cloner and our Z-Wave™ systems make this relatively simple because they generally have modules that create a bridge between the hub and Alexa® (or whatever system you use).
Here is an article we wrote about our BroadLink system for voice control.
It is usually a simple procedure to program a sequential process for some applications in your home that will activate with just the touch of a single button. These sequential commands are often referred to as "automations", "scenes", or "routines".
For example, if you have a home theatre system (see article about ours), there may be several functions you need to get your theater started: dim the lights, turn the projector on, lower blackout blinds, select Netflix, lower projector screen, activate audio system, etc.
Then you can assign that control function to be started by Alexa, and use your voice to execute a series of events that are pre-programmed into the BroadLink hub.
Have A Home Automation System Already?
If you are using Z-WAVE® systems, you'll want our Z-Wave group controller for blinds & shades that includes the group transmitter.
If you prefer to have group and individual control of our motors, you may consider using our BroadLink hub system, as mentioned above, as it will give you far more operating options for much less than Z-Wave.
The BroadLink hub can control our older R series motors, our newer P series and G series blind & shade motors, our drapery motors, any standard IR controlled devices such as sound systems, TV and many other devices such as LED lighting, fans, etc. The BroadLink hub can even learn x10 radio commands, in case you have some of those old modules in your home.
For purchasing the BroadLink or Z-Wave interfacing products, please include a mention in your quote request.
Companion articles in this series:
BroadLink® Temperature and light sensitive blinds, shades & window openers
