Any guidance for new Tstat and Zwave interface

[magrann]

Hello All,

Newbie here and I am trying to figure out what to buy and make sure that whatever I get and or do would be compatible with everything else. I already own the Elk M1G, some Vizia Zwave lighting modules and the monster avl300 remote. I would like a new thermostat, and a zwave lighting interface for the elk.


Here is what I am trying to accomplish.

HVAC - I currently have a gas furnace and central a/c. Eventually, when I finish the basement, I will have three levels to my home and would like to set up
some kind of zone heating and air. I would like to control the system through either Elk and or home automation software. I was thinking of the 8870 -
Aprilaire Communicating Thermostat to start. For right now I would either use the tstat as a stand alone or through the elk.

Lighting - I have been putting together a Zwave network primarily using Vizia. I would like to control the system through either Elk and or home automation
software. Here I am thinking I might need the RZC0P-1LW- Plug-In Serial Interface Module(Zwave) and the ELK-M1XSP - Lighting/Thermostat Interface, Serial Port Expander. Also, I put in a vizia 4 scene controller and cannot get it to work. It seems that I am having trouble adding it to the network. All the
other Vizia Zwave switches I linked successfully using the monster remote avl300.

Control- Eventually I would like to add touchscreens in some of the main living areas. I do not know much about this stuff and was wondering if anyone would know if the Archos 704 Wifi Touch Screen could serve this purpose. I have an older that is not a touchscreen and it is a great little personal media player. I would definitely consider buying the newer model if it could double as a automation controller.


I am also thinking I might need the ELK-M1XEP - M1 Ethernet Port Interface but I am not sure what for just yet.

I know I want to use either CQC, Homeseer, Mainlobby type of a program in the near future.

So once again, here is what I am thinking I might need:

8870 - Aprilaire Communicating Thermostat
RZC0P-1LW- Plug-In Serial Interface Module(Zwave)
ELK-M1XSP - Lighting/Thermostat Interface, Serial Port Expander (I think two of these one for lighting and the other for HVAC)
ELK-M1XEP - M1 Ethernet Port Interface

Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[IVB]

The M1XEP makes life infinitely easier if you have an external control system (ie, CQC), and/or multiple computers.

With the serial interface, you need to plug the cable into the PC you're using to program it. If you have multiple computers, that means you can't sit on the couch using your laptop to rejigger the Elk codes & stuff, you need to use the PC that the Elk is wired to. Not a huge deal as you could use VNC, but I dislike that as it's harder to control.

Also with the serial interface, given that only 1 program can hold the serial port at one time, if you go between ElkRP and CQC much you'll have to stop CQC, start ElkRP, then stop ElkRP and start CQC everytime you want to change the programming. Once your system is setup you won't do it that often, but until then it'll drive you batty doing that. With the M1XEP, you just start ElkRP while CQC is running, and it'll kick CQC out automatically to grab the Ethernet cxn. CQC will show the Elk as disconnected, and when ElkRP releases the cxn CQC automatically takes the cxn back. It makes life much much simpler.

Finally, there's also a decent web interface via the M1XEP, so that's nice too.

Those 3 reasons are why I think the M1XEP is a must-have accessory.