Shade & Blind Motors: RollerTrol Community Forum

We'd like to thank all of you that have contributed to the success of our RollerTrol™ product line. We hope the addition of this community forum will be a helpful addition to our support system, adding to the information already available on our main website.

We have created a few key categories below, please feel free to post messages and questions to your topic of choice, once you have become a member.

All suggestions will be welcomed as we develop this community resource.

Regards, Adrian
Moderator

Window shades, blinds, motors ... if you don't find a appropriate category, please feel free to talk about anything and everything in this board.

Selecting a tubular motor size for blind and shade motorization is one of the first things people ask us about. The information in this section complements the article and DC tubular motor selection guide on our main website.

If you have questions regarding tubular motor voltage, polarity, wire gauge, power supplies, distribution methods, or any other aspect of wiring your motorized shades and blinds, please use this section. More information can also be found in our tubular motor installation guide on our main website.

There are numerous choices available when choosing the tubing for your blinds and shades. This discussion will likely expand on the article on our main website: tube selection guide for motorized blinds and shades.

This is a discussion area for users that want to know more about programming our motors, as seen in this article about assigning channels to different motors. Find out how to use multiple remotes with one shade motor, and how to use multiple blind motors with one remote.

This discussion will focus on expanding the information covered in this article on our main website: selecting the right material or fabric for your motorized window shade or blind.

We've seen our users asking about various different ways to use our motors, from controlling projector screen aspect ratios to opening greenhouse vents. Feel free to discuss any tubular motor application you can think of!

This category will probably have some robust discussions. Let's hear your views regarding powerline vs RF, etc etc. Anyone for Zigbee® vs Zwave®? Any Crestron® users out there?

Is anyone an Arduino® fan like me?? JeeNodes?? OpenPicus??

Yep, we still use x10® in our home. It isn't perfect but it has worked well for me since 1975, when it was first developed by Pico Electronics of Glenrothes, Scotland.

The most recent "Pro" modules are a big improvement over the original design, and you still can't beat the low entry barrier cost.

One of the most promising technologies we are following is "D-Light" or "data through illumination", which uses LED light technology to fill a room full of light AND data. Also known as "Visible Light Communication" (VLC), it is being touted as a potential solution to the global wireless spectrum shortage. It will also help eliminate electromagnetic pollution of the airwaves that technologies such as WiFi create (see our article about using LED lighting for data transmission).

Please note, though, that all our RollerTrol™ automation extender kits for roller shade motors and automated irrigation systems (and other aspects of home automation) are designed to be "system agnostic" and will work with any home automation system. We try to provide as much freedom of choice as possible.

Cheers, Adrian
Moderator