I'm trying to find some options beyond the standard Lowes/Home Depot/Menards to buy lighting. I'm mostly just looking for something more affordable.

I need to get a bunch of recessed lights. Probably 2 sizes... something small (~2 inches) and something medium sized (~4-5 inches). This will be for my HT room, computer room, bedroom... basically my entire basement project.

While I'm on the subject, does anyone have recommendations on automation for lighting? Something like X10? From what I've been reading I like the prices I see on X10 equipment but I've read some negatives on it when it comes to interference.

For recessed lighting I don't think there is much cheaper nor anything different than what you find at big box stores.

For remote control lighting I would check into 'Z' wave lighting or Lutron IR products and see if there is anything there you find interesting

Ben I'll go with Jason, it's going to be difficult to beat the pricing and availability for standard recessed lighting from the local big box stores and the sizes you are seeking are standard sizes that should be readily available in stock.

I went with Lutron remotely controlled dimmers throughout our house and have been happy with them, again, the big box stores carry them and they are readily available. We have 10 5" and 2 2" recessed lights on remote dimmers in our 25'x 14' media room and we really like how they can all or partially be dimmed with a remote control.

One suggestion I'll make is to have your lights grouped on different switches so that you can highlight different parts of the room, for instance I have our 'stage' end of the room (4 5" recessed lights) on it's own switch so that portion of the room can be dimmed or highlighted separate from the rest of the room. I have the 12 room lights on 5 separate switches so that we can vary the lighting in the room.

+1 on the Lutrons. Mine are IR - so no interference.

When I did my basement I just went to menards and purchased the plain metal looking canned units you put in before drywall, that is the cheapest route, then you just get the bulbs later.

For the home theater all the lights are on a lutron switch and it came with remote, the dim up/down slowly. The rest of the canned lights in the basement are just on regular switch.

The Lutron can go up or down slowly as Randy depicts. It also has a preferred level button that you can set to your desired level. When you are ready to watch a movie - or whatever - you tap the button and....voila!

For sure. There are a bunch of Lutron options for dimmers. Lots of cool ones. And if you order from their site, you can get them in some neat colors that aren't white, ivory or brown.

For 2" halogen, flush-mount 35w, with moveable lens, I've been using only IKEA's "Blixx." They each come with their own l.v. transformer. Easily wired in series. Biggest reason to force them to work in any situation? Three to a box--$19.95. With bulbs!

Yeah, I got the cheap "cans" at Menards as well. Something like a box of 6 for $20 on sale. I don't think that they came with the insert or the outer ring, so you could get what you wanted since that is what you see anyway.

Not sure that helps.

Lots of good ideas. I was figuring that the stores would be about the best option, just wanted to check to make sure. I am familar with Lutron as I used a non remote dimmer for my last home's HT. Those thing's aren't cheap thou. I've seen some cool X10 systems that have IR modules so I could use my Harmony remote to send the signals to the X10 dimmer switches. But also have computer software independantly send signals thru the AC wiring to also control them.

mControl is really nifty since it has plugins for MCE (Media Center) and WHS (Windows Home Server) which are two things I rely on anyway in my home. How crazy I end up going with the automation depends on how much I feel like spending I guess.

That about sums things up for any hobby

I am able to send IR commands from my Harmony 880 to my Lutron - so it does not have to be the x10....

Same here with my Harmony One. I can turn them on/off and dim up/down with programmed buttons.

Well now you're just talking me out of spending money!



Thou I still am looking for a way to be able to remotely turn the sub amps on and off remotely. I was leaning towards the X10 type power outlets for that.

Same with the URC R50...