Recent content by Penman

I used current sensors to sense when my washer and dryer finish. Sends an SMS to my wife's phone, since she may be at the other end of the house.

I'd second the suggestion of HCA. It is incredibly easy to use with the visual programming interface, allowing you to get sophisticated programs running quickly, and supports UPB, X-10, Insteon, and IR, has an excellent, customizable GUI interface for use with touch screen PCs, includes a web...

I have used Alarm Relay to monitor two properties for over 8 years, and have found them to be a very reliable company.

It could be something external to the UPB switch. The comment about the GFCI is a good one. You could also substitute in an ordinary non UPB switch and see if it still happens. I have approx 55 UPB devices, and have never seen this happen with any of them.

Had been considering it also, but got the installation guide, and found it will not work with my Vista 50P. Your Vista 21P is listed as compatible. I have seen both the Installation Guide and User's Guide, which are available on Honeywell's dealer support site, and neither of them mentions the...

I'd second that on the Honeywell wireless devices. Wide variety of sensors and I have found them to be extremely reliable with excellent battery life.

Since my vehicles are always parked in a garage in a particular spot, I use an infrared door entry sensor to determine if the car is present or not. It is mounted on the garage ceiling several feet above the car roof. If the car is there, it reflects enough energy to the sensor to indicate...

I can't comment on GE and Elk, but I have approximately 40 Honeywell 5800 wireless sensors connected to an Ademco Vista panel. I have be extremely happy with the reliability of the sensors and battery life. My structure isn't log; it is stud walls with a 12" thick granite boulder exterior...

While I like the feature set of Blue Iris, I have found that it can really eat a lot of compute resources. I have run it on a dual core 2.8Ghz Pentium ca. 2006, and it will nearly max out the CPU with 6 cameras. I use Axis IP cameras, and the problem with Blue Iris is that it seems to...

I have been using a PCS UPB computer interface since I first started using UPB six years ago. I have about 55 UPB devices from PCS, SA, and Web Mtn, and have never had any of them fail. I have had wall-wart type transformers fail and spew noise onto the line to the point my UPB devices were...

I have used Global Cache for my IR control with Home Control Assistant 10.1. I have two of their GC-100 unit and have found the company very helpful and easy to deal with, and the units work flawlessly.

I have an APC UPS plugged into the same outlet as the UPB PIM that is connected to the computer running my home automation system that controls about 55 UPB devices in my house. Never had any problem with signal reduction when I installed the UPS.

I have had an SA phase-coupler go bad, and quit working altogether. I replaced it with a PCS one. Also, another source of noise can be cheap "wall wart" power supplies going bad. I have had this happen twice, once with one that was plugged into the same outlet as my UPB computer interface. It...

I monitor my washer and dryer using Mamac current probes connected to a UPB I/O module, and send a text message to my wife's phone when the wash or dryer is finished, since the laundry room is at the far end of the house. I also monitor the door bell and phone ringing, and use either to pause...

If you are looking for baseband video, rather than IP cameras, check out Speco's image intensifier cameras. They are available with very wide angle lenses, and are great outdoors where IR illuminators may not have enough output to illuminate more distant objects.