Hello Cocoon World!

[nmracer]

I love doing things myself. If it can be built or tinkered with, I've either done it or have future plans to do so. Now that I have recently purchased a house it is only natural to begin tinkering with HA.
 
Eventually I would like to either automate or connect just about everything in and around the property (e.g. chicken coop which tells me when there are eggs needing to be picked up). My first baby steps in HA will likely be split between HVAC control and a home theater setup. There is so much information available about HA that it is difficult to know where to begin, but I have realized that I want a system which is robust enough to handle many different formats and unforseeable changes.
 
I haven't quite figured out the control of the system yet, but I'm leaning towards a Linux box running something like openHAB. I also intend to utilize a Raspberry Pi or two to help with subsystems. Call me old fashioned, but I intend to run wires for the great bulk of my automation. No batteries + no interference issues = happy me.
 
Also, I highly dislike reliance on end-point modules. I don't want to buy a gizmo to plug into the wall in order to control my lights. I would much rather mess with the electrical subpanel (install contactors to control distribution of electricity?) or replace the receptacle with something that can be controlled.
 
Anyway, this looks like a very knowledgable group and I look forward to interacting with you all.

 

[pete_c]

Welcome to the Cocoontech forum nmracer!
 
You will find much information and resources and folks here doing similiar to you in many different ways.
 

Also, I highly dislike reliance on end-point modules. I don't want to buy a gizmo to plug into the wall in order to control my lights. I would much rather mess with the electrical subpanel (install contactors to control distribution of electricity?) or replace the receptacle with something that can be controlled.

 
I have seen this and would be comfortable with this.  I have "played" endlessly with my electrical sub panel.  Many automation hobbyist prefer the end-point automation device.  I would consider the automated receptacle an end-point automation device.
 
While the drive is there for this sort of thing; the practicality of this sort of means of automation is not here yet in North America.
 
Today the possibilities are endless relating to those end-point automation gizmos.  Wired, wired hybrid (using PLC), wireless and a hybrid of wireless and wired using PLC (and more?).  Its up to you what you like and what you want to engineer these days.
 
Using a little Raspberry Pi for an end-point automation gizmo works fine these days.  Many folks are doing it.  I am today playing with a modded micro router such that it does automation and routing with its built in serial (well and USB) and two little NIC connections.   It is a tad smaller footprint than a Raspberry Pi and a bit limited relating to expansion possibilities.  (wondering too if I can get openHAB to run on it).  Playing with other software I can run sub modules or plugins that connect directly to the hardware and talk to the mother ship which has a base automation software piece to it.
 
I have an old Pogoplug (Seagate Dockstar) automating my irrigation today.  Its running Linux and has serial connectivity and network connectivity; been working fine now for some 2-3 years with no issues.  It can run independent of the mothership or dependent on the mothership or just monitored by the mothership.  I don't pay much attention to it these days though; no real need to.
 
Seeing trending now relating to that whole distributed (well sort of) automation and having one box do it all.  I like playing with all of it.  My combo alarm panel does talk to a variety of pieces of hardware gizmos as does my software automation; this concurrent to my distributed automation all running in the same environment of my home.  Its up to you and the possibilities are endless.