Lutron RadioRA 3 in Austin: Lighting Control for Remodels

RadioRA 3 is a professionally installed, wireless Lutron system for lighting control, shades, and keypads. It talks over Lutron's Clear Connect radio, not Wi-Fi, so it can go into a finished home without opening walls. Lutron says it scales to 400 devices with paired processors (Lutron RadioRA 3).

We use it for remodels, additions, and finished homes where opening walls is not practical. For new construction we almost always recommend HomeWorks, because the walls are open, the wiring is cheap to run, and HomeWorks supports far more fixtures, keypads, and load types. If you are building new, start with our HomeWorks page.

Scale and selection. Lutron lists RadioRA 3 at up to 7,500 sq ft and 400 devices, and HomeWorks QSX at up to 50,000 sq ft and up to 10,000 zones (Lutron comparison). HomeWorks also offers more keypad families and finishes, and load types RadioRA 3 does not list, such as DALI and Ketra. The table above shows the full list.

Not in the projects we design. Lutron's comparison table lists Ketra under HomeWorks QSX and does not list it for RadioRA 3 (Lutron comparison). If Ketra is on your wish list, plan on HomeWorks. RadioRA 3 does support Lumaris tape light.

No. Lutron lists those keypad families for HomeWorks QSX only. RadioRA 3 uses Sunnata, Maestro, and SeeTouch (Lutron comparison). Sunnata is a clean, modern keypad, but it is not the glass-and-metal look you may have seen in our showroom.

Many of them, no. Our showroom is built around HomeWorks, and only a limited slice of what you see there is compatible with RadioRA 3. Before you fall for a fixture, keypad, or finish, ask us whether it runs on RadioRA 3. We will tell you plainly, and if it does not, we will show you the HomeWorks route.

Yes. Lutron says RadioRA 3 is backwards compatible with RadioRA 2 and RA2 Select. You replace the RadioRA 2 main repeater and Connect bridge with a RadioRA 3 processor and convert the project in Lutron Designer (Lutron). Many existing dimmers, keypads, and shades stay on the wall.

Lutron lists compatible Maestro dimmers, switches, and fan controls, SeeTouch keypads, Pico remotes, Radio Powr Savr sensors, RF modules, plug-in modules, repeaters, and Lutron shades (Lutron). We check your model numbers against that list before we quote.

Lutron lists GRAFIK Eye QS wireless control units, GRAFIK T keypads, seeTemp keypads, TouchPRO wireless temperature control, Wallbox Power Modules, and the HVAC controller with wireless temperature sensor as not compatible (Lutron). Lutron also notes there is no direct RadioRA 3 replacement for Grafik Eye modules (Lutron), so those rooms get redesigned with Sunnata or other compatible devices.

Usually not. The devices that stay keep their wiring, and replacements go into the same wall boxes. The processor is the main new piece. It is powered over Ethernet (PoE) and is typically placed centrally in the home (Lutron).

The goal is yes. Lutron's process converts your existing RadioRA 2 project file into a RadioRA 3 project in Lutron Designer, then we review, clean up, and test every scene, schedule, and keypad button (Lutron). We treat that as a review of your programming, not just a copy.

Lutron documents a few traps. Factory-defaulting the main repeater strands your devices and forces reactivation of everything. The old main repeater must be off the network during setup. Devices still paired to the old system can leave Picos and sensors unable to control dimmers (Lutron). This is why we do these upgrades in a planned sequence, not as a quick swap.

If it works and you are happy, there is no urgency to change. Upgrades make sense when you are adding rooms, replacing failed devices, want Sunnata devices, or want Lutron's cloud backup and remote servicing for the system. We will tell you honestly if waiting is the better call.

Sunnata is Lutron's RF dimmer, switch, and keypad family for RadioRA 3. It has a clean paddle design and LED light bars for scene feedback, and it installs in a standard wall box. It is our standard device for RadioRA 3 remodels.

The Sunnata RF dimmer with PRO LED+ technology requires a neutral wire, per Lutron. Older homes sometimes lack neutrals at the switch. We check your boxes during the walk-through so there are no surprises.

Lutron lists up to 7,500 sq ft of RF coverage and 400 devices per system, with 200 devices per processor and up to 100 Sunnata devices per processor (Lutron). Larger or more complex homes belong on HomeWorks.

Yes. Lutron lists Sivoia QS Triathlon, Sivoia QS and Palladiom wireless, and Palladiom Wire-Free shades for RadioRA 3 (Lutron comparison). See our Triathlon, Sivoia QS, and Palladiom pages.

Yes. Lutron lists all three as shared integrations across its systems (Lutron comparison). RadioRA 3 also integrates with professional control platforms such as Control4, Crestron, and Savant, and with Josh.ai for voice.

The processor keeps working locally. Lutron says that if the network is offline, with no internet access, the processor continues to function, though remote and cloud features pause (Lutron). Keypads, schedules, and scenes run on the system itself.

No. Lutron states that RadioRA 3 can only be programmed by qualified installers using Lutron Designer (Lutron comparison). If you want a do-it-yourself system, Lutron Caséta is the product line for that, and it is a different category.

It depends on the number of rooms, the devices, the shades, and whether any existing equipment can stay. RadioRA 3 is often the lower-cost route for a finished home, because it avoids opening walls. We prefer to give an honest range after a short conversation. Start with a showroom visit or a call.

Often yes, depending on the system and whether the project file and access are available. Tell us what you have and we will say what is possible.

Our West Lake Hills showroom is open by appointment at 5524 Bee Caves Rd, Unit J8. Ask us to set up Sunnata devices for you to try. See the showroom page.