Upgrading RA2 Select or RadioRA 2 to RadioRA 3.

If your home has Lutron RadioRA 2 or RA2 Select, it may well still work fine. But RadioRA 3 is now Lutron's whole-home system, with Sunnata keypads, a newer radio for new devices and the current Lutron app. The good news is that moving up rarely means starting over. This guide walks through what stays, what gets replaced and how an upgrade goes. Our Lutron lighting control installation page covers our work on new systems and upgrades.

Why upgrade at all?

• Room to grow. A RadioRA 3 system can have up to four processors, each handling up to 100 of Lutron's newer Clear Connect Type X devices, such as Sunnata dimmers and keypads.
• Sunnata controls. New rooms can get Sunnata dimmers, switches and engraved RF keypads, alongside the RA2 devices you keep.
• Shades and temperature. Lutron Triathlon and Sivoia QS Wireless shades and the Lutron Wireless Thermostat work on RadioRA 3.
• One new box at the center. The RadioRA 3 processor takes the place of the RadioRA 2 main repeater or Connect Bridge, which Lutron lists as not compatible with RadioRA 3.

What stays: devices that work with RadioRA 3

RadioRA 2 and RA2 Select use Lutron's Clear Connect Type A radio. Lutron's RadioRA 3 system overview says the processor works with most existing RA2 and RA2 Select Type A devices, up to 95 per processor. Lutron's RadioRA 2 compatibility list names these as compatible:

• Maestro dimmers, switches and fan controls (all models)
• seeTouch hybrid and non-hybrid wall-mounted keypads, and seeTouch tabletop keypads
• All Pico wireless controls, and Radio Powr Savr wireless sensors (ceiling and wall-mount)
• Plug-in lamp dimmers and plug-in dimming and switching modules
• Auxiliary repeaters, wireless repeaters and the Visor Control Receiver
• LMJ RF modules, the Lutron Wireless Thermostat, and Sivoia QS and QS Triathlon shades
• Wallbox power modules, with Lutron Designer 23.7 or later

For most houses, that covers almost everything on the walls. The dimmers and keypads you're used to stay put.

What gets replaced

Lutron's compatibility list is written for RadioRA 2. For RA2 Select, the RadioRA 3 overview speaks to compatibility in general terms, so we check every device in an RA2 Select house against the current list before quoting. Lutron updates these pages, and the links are at the bottom of this guide.

How an upgrade goes

1. Inventory. We list every Lutron device in the house: dimmers, keypads, Picos, sensors, shades, thermostats and the repeaters, and check each against Lutron's compatibility list.
2. Plan and price. You get a list of what stays, what's replaced, and anything you want to add, such as Sunnata keypads in new rooms, with a price before anything starts.
3. Programming. RadioRA 3 is set up by a trained installer in Lutron Designer. Lutron provides a way to convert a RadioRA 2 project file to a RadioRA 3 project, so existing programming can be a starting point where the original file is available.
4. Swap and pair. The RadioRA 3 processor goes in where the old repeater or bridge was, incompatible devices are replaced, and the existing devices join the new system.
5. Walkthrough. We test the scenes and keypads with you and show you the Lutron app, where you can make smaller changes yourself.

What drives the price of an upgrade

Every upgrade is priced from the inventory, so there's no single number. The things that move it are:

• How many processors the house needs. One processor replaces the old main repeater or bridge, and larger homes or added devices can call for more.
• How many devices aren't compatible. A house with no GRAFIK T controls and no older thermostats keeps nearly everything. One with many needs more replaced.
• What you add. New Sunnata keypads, more rooms, shades or a thermostat all add devices and programming time.
• Programming. Rebuilding scenes from scratch takes longer than starting from a converted RadioRA 2 project file.

Because the price comes from the inventory, the walkthrough is where you save money: every device we confirm as compatible is one you don't pay to replace. We'll show you the list line by line so you can see what stays and why.

Before you call: what to gather

• Which system you have: the Lutron app, labels on the main repeater or bridge, or old paperwork
• Who installed it, and whether they left a project file or login details
• Any devices that have stopped working, and any rooms you want to add
• Whether you want shades or a thermostat on the system

Is starting over ever the better call?

Sometimes. If a house is full of GRAFIK T controls, or you're remodeling enough that most wall boxes are changing anyway, replacing more devices may make sense. If you only use lighting control in a few rooms, a smaller system can fit. Our Caséta vs. RadioRA 3 comparison explains the difference, and the RadioRA 3 installation page covers new systems.

Wyatt Electric has done electrical work in Harford County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City since 1986, and we install and upgrade Lutron systems. Tell us what you have, and we'll tell you what can stay.