HA Newbie

[BADSBRD]

Hello,

Rick from Chicago here. I am considering a venture into home automation. I already have a central Windows Vista media server, and I am strongly considering the benefits home automation could provide. My wife would like some security features, and cameras. I have worked in IT for 15 years so computers and technology do not scare me. I just need to be pointed in the right direction. I am planning on upgrading my existing Vista media center to WHS, and upgrading the rest of the PCs in my home to Windows 7 to add more functionality to our media sharing. My first step would be a small proof of concept project. One of my wife's pet peeves is that the children always leave the lights on. I have considered a standard occupancy sensor, but I always have to take it to the next level, and would like a controlled light switch.

Where is the best place to start? What is everyone's software of choice? Best place to shop? Any book or magazine recommendations?


Thanks,

Rick

 

[Neurorad]

hey Rick, welcome

you can get light switches from Lutron and Honeywell with the occupancy sensor built into them, though that doesn't really get you closer to a whole-home system

Lighting is a good place to start, though most seem to start with security. Some security systems have some home automation functions, the most popular being the Elk M1 and the HAI OPII. Kind of a big leap, for a first step, but many do it that way. If security isn't near the top of your 'needs' list, then a software-based system would be appropriate - check out CQC, HomeSeer, Cortexa, J9, and MainLobby. HAI also has a stand-alone HA controller, the Lumina. I'm leaning toward CQC myself, great forum, good people.

Read the manuals, do some searches, take your time. Since it's really a hobby, and doesn't really have an endpoint, enjoy the learning process.

With any of the whole-home controllers, you need to have hardware to control. For example, CQC controls the automated lighting system, the automated shades, the TVs, the AVR, the automated thermostats - you need the hardware/subsystems in place.

 

[Spanky]

Rick,
Many people in this forum use a hardware controller for the critical operations like security and functions that just have to work all the time. Then add a PC with automation software for the enhanced operations that the hardware controller can not do. Remember the PC has to have some kind of hardware to talk to the real world through.

I would give you my opinion of hardware controllers, but that would be biased.

Enjoy the joys of home automation!

 

[Rupp]

Download one of the many software packages and give it a whirl. I prefer HomeSeer as my automation engine of choice.
You can download a free 30 day trial here.
http://www.homesee.com/downloads

 

[Dave X10]

Just about anything you select would be considered better than what I've selected. I use mostly old fashioned X10 devices (light switches, and appliance and lamp modules, even floodlights). I also use the X10 AHP (really crappy) software with CM15A interface (the CM15A is nice).

To get the added features you can only get with a PC... like emailed video, and Voice Control I use an old (rescued from the trash) P3 computer. I upgraded its RAM with used memory I bought from a flea market (no joke). I have a YouTube Channel where you can get a peek at my (low budget) setup.

 

[BADSBRD]

hey Rick, welcome

you can get light switches from Lutron and Honeywell with the occupancy sensor built into them, though that doesn't really get you closer to a whole-home system

Lighting is a good place to start, though most seem to start with security. Some security systems have some home automation functions, the most popular being the Elk M1 and the HAI OPII. Kind of a big leap, for a first step, but many do it that way. If security isn't near the top of your 'needs' list, then a software-based system would be appropriate - check out CQC, HomeSeer, Cortexa, J9, and MainLobby. HAI also has a stand-alone HA controller, the Lumina. I'm leaning toward CQC myself, great forum, good people.

Read the manuals, do some searches, take your time. Since it's really a hobby, and doesn't really have an endpoint, enjoy the learning process.

With any of the whole-home controllers, you need to have hardware to control. For example, CQC controls the automated lighting system, the automated shades, the TVs, the AVR, the automated thermostats - you need the hardware/subsystems in place.

Thanks for all the input from everyone!

I am currently looking at software based systems to run everything. The final 3 are HomeSeer, mControl, and CQC. Since this will all be wireless I have a few additional questions. What frequency does this run on? Do I need a seperate wireless system for HA or does this simply use my existing 802.11 network?

My plan is to impress my wife by getting a dimmer for the living room, and a few timer based light switches for the laundry room, garage, basement, and kids bathroom. If I go room by room proving my point I am more likely to get approval. Then I can tell her of the security benefits (i.e. door & window monitoring, motion sensors, cameras). I recently left the garage door open one night. Nothing was missing, but she was freaked out. We also have a teenage daughter that it would be nice to monitor a little more.

We have also been trying to get music to certain areas of the house. Last summer we installed outdoor speakers so we can relax outside. We all love out music so I could see us adding speakers to the rest of the house. Of course it would be nice to control all of this from a central location. I also have a plan in the works thi year to get rid of all the TVs from my children's rooms and replace them with computers (denying internet access) and monitors. I recently backed up all my DVDs to my Media Center computer and packed them all up in boxes. I need to allow the kids to watch their movies in their rooms.

We have a two story house that probably should have been built with a 2 zone HVAC setup from the builder. We have rooms that get cold and others that get warm, etc. I would like to add some zone heating to the house with motorized baffles to direct heat to the correct rooms.

There is a lot here, and these are just what I've come up with since yesterday when I started my research. I don't envision getting this all done in a year or even two. I need this to stay rock solid, which means me setting it up and leaving it alone. I have a bad habit of always trying to imrove things once they are working fine.

Rick

 

[123]

Rick,

Have a look at this video and this diagram.

Premise does all this and costs nothing. It supports major lighting technologies (Insteon, UPB, Lutron, Z-Wave, X10) so you're free to choose one or mix 'n match. If you try it and don't like it, toss it away. You'll have shelled out zero dollars and gained valuable experience.

Good luck and welcome to the world of HA ... a magnificent obsession.

 

[Rupp]

Thanks for all the input from everyone!

I am currently looking at software based systems to run everything. The final 3 are HomeSeer, mControl, and CQC. Since this will all be wireless I have a few additional questions. What frequency does this run on? Do I need a seperate wireless system for HA or does this simply use my existing 802.11 network?
This depends on which protocol you choose. Z-Wave is wireless but you wouldn't want it to run on any commonly used frequency as it would interfere. I'm not exactly sure what frequency it uses but if you WIKI it all the info you want is there.

My plan is to impress my wife by getting a dimmer for the living room, and a few timer based light switches for the laundry room, garage, basement, and kids bathroom. If I go room by room proving my point I am more likely to get approval. Then I can tell her of the security benefits (i.e. door & window monitoring, motion sensors, cameras). I recently left the garage door open one night. Nothing was missing, but she was freaked out. We also have a teenage daughter that it would be nice to monitor a little more.
Again I use HomeSeer and one of the main reasons is it works with all the common protocols together. I used Z-Wave, X10, Insteon, and UPB all together so i can buy the best hardware that each protocol offers. IE the Schlage Z-Wave door locks so HomeSeer can announce over the whole house audio that the doors are not locked it we forget. Selecting a single protocol can be very hard and I would recommend getting a few devices of each and test them in your environment
We have also been trying to get music to certain areas of the house. Last summer we installed outdoor speakers so we can relax outside. We all love out music so I could see us adding speakers to the rest of the house. Of course it would be nice to control all of this from a central location. I also have a plan in the works thi year to get rid of all the TVs from my children's rooms and replace them with computers (denying internet access) and monitors. I recently backed up all my DVDs to my Media Center computer and packed them all up in boxes. I need to allow the kids to watch their movies in their rooms.
I use HSTouch for my interface to HomeSeer. My whole house audio is driven from the HomeSeer iTunes plugin. I also use the Windows Media Player plugin at work. The iTunes feeds my whole house including deck and garage speakers with streaming music. One of the nice things about these plugins is they pause when HomeSeer speaks something like the incoming callerID or one of my many text to speech announcements that occur throughout the day. Once done speaking it resumes the music.
We have a two story house that probably should have been built with a 2 zone HVAC setup from the builder. We have rooms that get cold and others that get warm, etc. I would like to add some zone heating to the house with motorized baffles to direct heat to the correct rooms.
Again using HomeSeer there are several thermostat plugins for most all newer automated starts. Combine one of these with some temp measurements from around the house and you can create the zones you need.
There is a lot here, and these are just what I've come up with since yesterday when I started my research. I don't envision getting this all done in a year or even two. I need this to stay rock solid, which means me setting it up and leaving it alone. I have a bad habit of always trying to improve things once they are working fine.

Rick

My advice. Start with a single project at a time and work it through. The on to the next. It can be very addicting.

 

[Dave X10]

.... I recently left the garage door open one night. Nothing was missing, but she was freaked out.

I created a garage door reminder.. because our garage door kept getting left open. It can be seen in my original automation video.