Recent content by claymahaffey

Newegg has a refurbished HP SFF PC on sale right now for $120 that looks like a great deal for a HA server/client. It has 4GB RAM, 1 TB (cheap Deskstar) HDD, Core2Duo 3Ghz Celeron, DVD (some people get lucky and get a DVDRW). It has RGB and DP connections, WAN, but no Wifi.   It includes W7Pro...

Thanks for the link. Now I want to find a project just to try this thing on. If I hadn't turned my home-brewing hobby into a business (now with Allen-Bradley PLCs), I'd so build an automated home-brewing system with this!    I've been yearning for a new Big Green Egg controller, so maybe I'll...

If anyone is of a curious bent, this Freescale 56f80x application note contains a good explanation about how brushless DC motors are controlled. This might well be the very chip used in the Fanimation unit I mentioned above, but I haven't had the nerve yet to crack open the receiver/controller...

Looks like CentraLite is using Kickstarter to promote their "Jilia" IoT platform for Pi and Bone. The capes look interesting as they both have Zigbee, ZWave, Bluetooth, Temp, Motion Sensor, Humidity, and a Compass. The Bone version also has WiFi and an Accelerometer.     I'm going to jump on...

I picked up this Fanimation Odyn fan for my new porch. I know Fanimation isn't the highest quality, but I needed a big fan for an outdoor vaulted ceiling and like the fact that I can move 10,000 cfm for less than 40 watts. It's worked very well so far, moving a ton of air and is very quiet. But...

That's fair enough. I feel your pain with Insteon...I'm still replacing units myself. I might have made a mistake long-term with zwave...but the current WAF is 2^100 higher with the Vizia RF+ than the Insteon. As to the 'bottom paddles', we've grown to prefer them to typical toggle switches...

I don't think I'm interested. If Lutron's too good for me, then I'll not be begging them to let me give them money. They can keep their toys in their little secret club and I'll find someone else who wants me as a customer. Oh, you forgot to mention that Leviton's Vizia system has both standard...

Theere ControlThink was purchased by Leviton, so maybe that explains the switch to the new start-menu location. Their forums are pretty useful and do list bugs with the software. I've just ordered the new ThinkStick, as the original HA22 stick I got with the software by in 2008 no longer works...

Sorry...I figured my screen name would clue you in. You were a couple of doors down from me back in GA. I started with all this home automation silliness because of your automated house back in the early 90's. It's pretty impressive to think of all that you had working in that house almost 20...

Thanks Tink. (You know it's your d**n fault I'm spending all this money because of your house before you went to HAI :P ) That was a very helpful explanation of what is going on with zwave. I'm not controlling my zwave lights yet, but was planning on using the Elk rules for some basic commands...

Right! I'm interested in that as well...trust me. ;) I'll have about 40 nodes max over about 4000 square feet (three floors, so about 1400 sq ft / floor). I'll be interested to see how that works out with the "3d" nature of the network. After watching their training videos it seems like I'll...

I think the issue for new prospects is that we often don't know what pieces we need. I've been using the following components on "phase 1" of my build for the past 18 months: Base, Intf Viewer, 2 Clients, Event Server and Media Repo. It has been all I've needed (and more) up to this point. In...

<OFF TOPIC> Just to follow-up, I'd like to be able to press and hold on a command button that is on the home schematic template...after a second or so be able to 'pull' my finger up or down to brighten or dim the light. I know I can do it with a pop-up, but I'd love to be able to use a gesture...

Just use a microphone designed to pick up your snoring! ;)

Thanks for the notice, Dean. I understand the business decision you needed to make and appreciate that you let people who are thinking of using CQC know about the impending change. As a user, I also appreciate your reassurance that nothing changes for us except the switch from a...