IVB
Senior Member
Got asked over PM about my setup, will answer it in public as A) most of you are smarter than I am, and B) things have changed in the 7 years since I set up my stuff.
Before I go into it, I vacillated between using a WinDoze machine for mission critical stuff and not.
First, I used Elk just for security, and routed everything else through the PC.
Then, I got sick of Windows instability so I moved lighting, HVAC to the Elk.
Then, I got sick of A)the lack of Elk rich functionality, and B) the MUCH harder programming of the Elk compared to CQC, so I went back.
Now, I'm back to just using the Elk for security.
I have the worlds most over-architected server as my old one lasted 4.5 years before groaning, and rebuilds suck up so much time I didn't want to do it again for another 4.5 years.
I have a server with a server-class motherboard, 16GB of RAM, 8TB of space, a quadcore 3.6GHz CPU. It runs CQC, SageTV, Dropbox, Picasa, Google Drive, Google Music Manager, Amazon mp3 thingey, Plex (stream movies & music to Roku), PlayOn (stream Hulu-web-only to Roku)
For devices, I have:
NuVo Concerto connected via serial via Global Cache GC100-6 over ethernet back to server
Denon 3805 connected via serial via Global Cache GC100-12 over ethernet back to server
Pioneer Plasma connected via serial via Global Cache GC100-12 (same one as above) over ethernet back to server
Rain8net connected via serial directly to Moxa 8way serial PCI card in server
Aprilaire HVAC connected via serial directly to Moxa 8way serial PCI card in server
Leviton zWave connected via serial directly to Moxa 8way serial PCI card in server
Elk connected via ethernet interface to CQC
Sonos connected via ethernet to CQC, but primarily controlled via Sonos mobile app.
Other stuff i'm drawing a blank on.
Doorbell is just a simple circuit that is connected to an Elk zone, with an Elk-124 sounding a doorbell sound.
For control units, I'm fully mobile. Wife has iPhone, I have android phone, kids have Android tablets. I own a wallmounted touchscreen in kitchen which hasn't been turned on in 3 years due to our always having a mobile device on or near us. We do NOT use PCs at all, who wants to turn that on or even alt-tab away from what we're doing when we can just grab a phone.
We have both a Roku and a Sage device extender at each of our 2 TVs. Not hooked into HA at all. Well, CQC monitors the Sage extenders but I no longer do anything with that. I have Universal MX-850 remote controls, used to have an IRMan or USBUIRT at each TV, but I've since ditched that and it just performs local control.
So there you have it. Used to be considered a big system 7 years ago, but now its pretty run of the mill. I'm happy with it, though.
Before I go into it, I vacillated between using a WinDoze machine for mission critical stuff and not.
First, I used Elk just for security, and routed everything else through the PC.
Then, I got sick of Windows instability so I moved lighting, HVAC to the Elk.
Then, I got sick of A)the lack of Elk rich functionality, and B) the MUCH harder programming of the Elk compared to CQC, so I went back.
Now, I'm back to just using the Elk for security.
I have the worlds most over-architected server as my old one lasted 4.5 years before groaning, and rebuilds suck up so much time I didn't want to do it again for another 4.5 years.
I have a server with a server-class motherboard, 16GB of RAM, 8TB of space, a quadcore 3.6GHz CPU. It runs CQC, SageTV, Dropbox, Picasa, Google Drive, Google Music Manager, Amazon mp3 thingey, Plex (stream movies & music to Roku), PlayOn (stream Hulu-web-only to Roku)
For devices, I have:
NuVo Concerto connected via serial via Global Cache GC100-6 over ethernet back to server
Denon 3805 connected via serial via Global Cache GC100-12 over ethernet back to server
Pioneer Plasma connected via serial via Global Cache GC100-12 (same one as above) over ethernet back to server
Rain8net connected via serial directly to Moxa 8way serial PCI card in server
Aprilaire HVAC connected via serial directly to Moxa 8way serial PCI card in server
Leviton zWave connected via serial directly to Moxa 8way serial PCI card in server
Elk connected via ethernet interface to CQC
Sonos connected via ethernet to CQC, but primarily controlled via Sonos mobile app.
Other stuff i'm drawing a blank on.
Doorbell is just a simple circuit that is connected to an Elk zone, with an Elk-124 sounding a doorbell sound.
For control units, I'm fully mobile. Wife has iPhone, I have android phone, kids have Android tablets. I own a wallmounted touchscreen in kitchen which hasn't been turned on in 3 years due to our always having a mobile device on or near us. We do NOT use PCs at all, who wants to turn that on or even alt-tab away from what we're doing when we can just grab a phone.
We have both a Roku and a Sage device extender at each of our 2 TVs. Not hooked into HA at all. Well, CQC monitors the Sage extenders but I no longer do anything with that. I have Universal MX-850 remote controls, used to have an IRMan or USBUIRT at each TV, but I've since ditched that and it just performs local control.
So there you have it. Used to be considered a big system 7 years ago, but now its pretty run of the mill. I'm happy with it, though.
