Recent content by Linwood

While I'm visiting -- Home Assistant and IotaWatt work really well together going through InfluxDB and Grafana.  Here's an example of it all going together.  I said "Hey Google, show energy on master bedroom tv" and viola...      Iota stores data in InfluxDB, where Grafana can get to it, some...

  OK, I'll bite... how do you know someone is at the door?    Or are you saying you still use the cloud app for that? 

If anyone is curious, here's what my install looked like.  This has 18 current probes, four voltage (each one has each main).   If anyone is curious here's what it looks like with the boxes open.  The two small boxes on right and left are actual Orbit sprinkler boxes, which have a nice divider...

So, as I sit here cooling off (working in a garage in Florida is hot, even in "winter")...    I did a lot of reading, inquired to various vendors, and bought something.  Here is some of what I found in case others are looking:    TED: They have a new system, it can attached two 8-port Spiders to...

Is anyone doing per-circuit energy monitoring of their house?    I have an old TED (The Energy Detective) dating from around 2007, which sort of still works, but I only have four CT's with it and they are split 200A and not accurate for branch circuits.   I've looked at their newer system with a...

  Yes, that question was about sensors, one way vs two way wireless; Elk is the only one I've seen (of this ilk) with two way.  Others, like zwave of course are also, but the "classic" ones that work with traditional panels are mostly one way I think.

Elkrp is downloadable by the homeowner, and can change the voice messages easily.  It's the simple tool for maintaining the M1G.

Had another unpleasant surprise today.  I remember in the past getting something like $150 off insurance, but asked and now it's down to $52.  Not really a deal killer but as I add up the rather large cost for the M1G plus $20/mo monitoring (+/-)... I keep wondering why I'm bothering.

So I asked Elk themselves about the C1M1, specifically asking about DIY and that device.  Their response (Brad Weeks):      Wanting to be very clear I asked "But can the Ethernet side be configured and used without the cellular by a DIY installer?", as I might want to start slowly and not pay...

Are you speaking in general or do you use the new M1G two way wireless? 

A bit of an update.  It took me almost a year of fighting with them, but I finally got Lorex to provide current firmware for the cameras I bought (from an authorized retailer).  They kept complaining they didn't have it (I guess meaning the support group didn't have it, since 2 of 4 cameras were...

So lacking a better alternative, am thinking of getting another M1G system for my new home.  Mostly this is so I can have monitored smokes, though I'll probably set up intrusion at least on the entry doors so I know if I have left them open (a risk on nice days in Florida).    Having done it...

OK, I ordered a Hikvision DS-2CD2385G1-I from B&H (who is actually authorized to sell Hikvision, so I paid an extra 20% or so for it).  It came, installed, worked fine.  Haven't tried to upgrade the firmware but since it's an authorized retailer should not be an issue.   Basically the same cost...

  I've come to love Home Assistant and MQTT with ESPHOME items, for dollars and a few solders you can build amazing stuff which you can flash and re-flash over the air, and completely local control.   So.. old Elk or older Vista... I guess everyone wants to be in the cloud now.  There are just...

I'm looking for example that, one that doesn't require a phone or cloud or anything but a local NVR, but I would like one I can script against.  For example, every few minutes I pull a image from each and upload to a B2 storage location so there's an off-site copy of the still at least, not the...