New house - Blinders with Air and classic buttons

[nicozzzzz]

Hello,
I am building a new house in France and I would like to automate the motors for the venetian blinds (about 20 windows in the house).
The construction company and the electrician are used to install Geiger motors. However, they install the classic wired ones with a physical button on each, and they refuse to install the GJ56..AIR, which are compatible with Loxone (Loxone doc here and Geiger Air Alliance here). I will do the Loxone installation myself.

I am still wondering if it is better to have the Air motors, or to have classic ones with Loxone devises aside so that if, in the future, Loxone technology evolves, it will be easier and cheaper to upgrade. Any advice?

If I want to control the blinds with the miniserver, I checked the Loxone Smart Blinds page and the related products and it looks like that I can install one of:

• a Shading Actuator Air
• a Nano 2 Relay Tree

Given that the new house will come with the physical buttons, and given that the Shading Actuator Air is capable (apparently) to detect the current status of the blinder, can I have both (the physical button and the Air/Loxone control)?
Reading a previous question <https://www.loxforum.com/forum/my-project/250000-loxone-and-classical-wiring>, it looks like that it is not possible, but there was no specific reference to the "Shading Actuator Air".

Having the physical button has the advantage that it makes the wife happy!

Thanks in advance for any answer!

[Lightpicture]

Hello nicozzzzz

Welcome to the loxforum.com.

Please, no air installation when you build your home new.
Always prefer cable instead Air technology!
Use the Loxone Relay Extension to control your venetian blinds.
You will be as well up to date when you use the Relais Extension and you will have no Air communication problems.
You can use whatever you install to open and close the venetian blinds.
Classic physical switches or the Touch Tree / Air from Loxone.
For classical switches you need a DI Extension.
Always prefer cabel.

[nicozzzzz]

Hello Andreas,
thanks a lot for your explanations. I do prefer cables, but I saw that Geiger already produces the AIR version... if I install a relay on each (about 100 EUR each), I have to add 2K EUR for the installation

What you are suggesting is the following (just to be sure that I got it right):

1. remove the cabling, provided by the electrician, between the physical button and the blind motor
2. install a "Nano 2 Relay Tree" on the blind motor and connect it to the Loxone miniserver
3. connect the physical button to the Loxone DI extension
4. configure Loxone to take into account the physical button commands

Is this correct? In this way, they are independent and the blinds can be controlled both by Loxone and by the physical button.
I will have to check the details of the physical button (it should be a simple up-down buttons) because it looks to me that the DI Extension is for "digital inputs".

[Gast]

Hi guys, can someone talk to me about this topic? I'm working on a smart home project now and can't figure out many details related to this topic. All my work is only with my brother, so we have to search for all the information ourselves. I planned to apply to the Loft conversions London service and ask them for help. I want to renovate my house and make a whole smart home system. At this point, I can't decide which components to use. so I would like to discuss it with someone here. I understand that the topic is quite difficult, but I will tell you all the information to see the whole situation.

[lordcaliente6]

In terms of future upgrades, it might be better to have the classic wired ones and install Loxone devices aside for easy and cheaper upgrades in the future. However, the Shading Actuator Air is capable of detecting the current status of the blinds and could be a great option if you want to control the blinds with the miniserver. Regarding having both the physical button and Air/Loxone control, it looks like it might not be possible based on the previous question you mentioned. You may need the help of a Mortgage Broker in Solihull. If I am not mistaken, such services can help with such issues. However, if having the physical button makes your wife happy, that might be the way to go!

[Martin1234]

Having the physical button has the advantage that it makes the wife happy!

Hi Nico,
Same on my side: My wife also insisted on physical buttons in each room to control the blinds. I have just one Loxone Touch and after 3 years now I am still very happy with physical buttons next to the door in each room instead of using the Touch or even worse the smart phone.

But the button to control the blinds is a different topic than opting for Air or Tree. We have two Geiger GJ56 and about ten Shading Actuators Air. No problems so far, but hard wires are always to be preferred. Also in case you want to replace Loxone at a day in the future.

Good luck with your project!

[JeemVL]

If you're planning to do the Loxone installation yourself, having classic wired motors with Loxone devices aside might give you more flexibility for future upgrades. However, if you go with the Air motors, they offer compatibility with Loxone and can detect the current status of the blinds, which is convenient. Also, if you ever decide to sell the house or get the better option, I suggest contacting Mortgage Broker in Brough. Good luck!

[Texgenix]

Hey there,

I opted for the classic wired motors with physical buttons for reliability. Integrating Loxone devices later was straightforward and gave me flexibility if technology changes. Physical buttons are a win for household peace, too!

When I moved to Finland, navigating the new country’s setup was pretty tough. A friend recommended https://threemovers.com , which really made the moving process easier. If you need any help, they could be worth checking out.

For the blinds, the Shading Actuator Air can work alongside physical buttons. Just make sure you’re comfortable with the setup, as having both can give you the best of both worlds.