Hello from Kentucky

[jrmylmach1]

Hello everyone. I am in the design phases of a new house and 40x64 pole barn. Trying to sort though all of the options for home automation and security. Sure are a lot of different options and opinions. Looking forward to reading all of them. :unsure:

 

[Rupp]

Welcome to the Cocoontech message board. What part of KY are you from?

 

[DavidL]

Make sure you have piping between house and barn so you can pass wires between them.
High voltage in one pipe, low voltage in a different pipe.
Put a pull string (rope) in each to add another wire later.

How many feet between house and barn?

Look at the ELK M1 and put the main panel in the house and an expansion board in the barn.
Put the barn as another "Area" in the ELK programming.

Install a keypad in the barn near the swing door entrance.

Put a PC in the barn connected Ethernet (one of the several CAT5 wires you will run between house / barn) to run your sound system / video system in the barn so you can access all your hard drive movies / music.

Get waterresistant cables that have gel inside. Cat5 especially.

You can run the ELK on one of the Cat5 cables. Run several Cat5.

Are you going to run water from house to barn? Put all the cable pipes in same trench.

 

[jrmylmach1]

Make sure you have piping between house and barn so you can pass wires between them.
High voltage in one pipe, low voltage in a different pipe.
Put a pull string (rope) in each to add another wire later.

How many feet between house and barn?

Look at the ELK M1 and put the main panel in the house and an expansion board in the barn.
Put the barn as another "Area" in the ELK programming.

Install a keypad in the barn near the swing door entrance.

Put a PC in the barn connected Ethernet (one of the several CAT5 wires you will run between house / barn) to run your sound system / video system in the barn so you can access all your hard drive movies / music.

Get waterresistant cables that have gel inside. Cat5 especially.

You can run the ELK on one of the Cat5 cables. Run several Cat5.

Are you going to run water from house to barn? Put all the cable pipes in same trench.

Good information. That is exactly some of the things I am looking for on here. I had planned on doing the lv to the barn but why the high voltage? Where the electric comes into the property is next to the barn so the electric company is going to send a separate feed directly to the barn. Is there something else that I'm missing? I am planning on hooking the alarm system into the house alarm and also the internet and satelite. It will be about 100 feet between the house and barn.

I'm in the Northern KY area across from Cincinnati.

Thanks for the info.

 

[DavidL]

Make sure you have piping between house and barn so you can pass wires between them.
High voltage in one pipe, low voltage in a different pipe.
Put a pull string (rope) in each to add another wire later.

How many feet between house and barn?

Look at the ELK M1 and put the main panel in the house and an expansion board in the barn.
Put the barn as another "Area" in the ELK programming.

Install a keypad in the barn near the swing door entrance.

Put a PC in the barn connected Ethernet (one of the several CAT5 wires you will run between house / barn) to run your sound system / video system in the barn so you can access all your hard drive movies / music.

Get waterresistant cables that have gel inside. Cat5 especially.

You can run the ELK on one of the Cat5 cables. Run several Cat5.

Are you going to run water from house to barn? Put all the cable pipes in same trench.

Good information. That is exactly some of the things I am looking for on here. I had planned on doing the lv to the barn but why the high voltage? Where the electric comes into the property is next to the barn so the electric company is going to send a separate feed directly to the barn. Is there something else that I'm missing? I am planning on hooking the alarm system into the house alarm and also the internet and satelite. It will be about 100 feet between the house and barn.

I'm in the Northern KY area across from Cincinnati.

Thanks for the info.

If your electric company is same pricing strategy as mine, when you have a second meter, you have a second bill. Even if you don't use any electricity, you'll still have a basic service fee. If you have the barn fed off the house's panel, you just pay for the incremental electricity.

I have a second meter on my barn too, as I wanted a high amperage capability for welding etc that would have required a heavy gauge wire off the house (150 + ft). Plus, the below ground transformer feed is only 20 feet from the barn.

 

[jrmylmach1]

Make sure you have piping between house and barn so you can pass wires between them.
High voltage in one pipe, low voltage in a different pipe.
Put a pull string (rope) in each to add another wire later.

How many feet between house and barn?

Look at the ELK M1 and put the main panel in the house and an expansion board in the barn.
Put the barn as another "Area" in the ELK programming.

Install a keypad in the barn near the swing door entrance.

Put a PC in the barn connected Ethernet (one of the several CAT5 wires you will run between house / barn) to run your sound system / video system in the barn so you can access all your hard drive movies / music.

Get waterresistant cables that have gel inside. Cat5 especially.

You can run the ELK on one of the Cat5 cables. Run several Cat5.

Are you going to run water from house to barn? Put all the cable pipes in same trench.

Good information. That is exactly some of the things I am looking for on here. I had planned on doing the lv to the barn but why the high voltage? Where the electric comes into the property is next to the barn so the electric company is going to send a separate feed directly to the barn. Is there something else that I'm missing? I am planning on hooking the alarm system into the house alarm and also the internet and satelite. It will be about 100 feet between the house and barn.

I'm in the Northern KY area across from Cincinnati.

Thanks for the info.

If your electric company is same pricing strategy as mine, when you have a second meter, you have a second bill. Even if you don't use any electricity, you'll still have a basic service fee. If you have the barn fed off the house's panel, you just pay for the incremental electricity.

I have a second meter on my barn too, as I wanted a high amperage capability for welding etc that would have required a heavy gauge wire off the house (150 + ft). Plus, the below ground transformer feed is only 20 feet from the barn.

That location sounds pretty similar to how our electric feed is going to be located. About 20 feet from the barn. I think I'll pay the extra for the service directly to the barn instead of burying a large wire from the house to the barn.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Neurorad]

I'm a UPB novice, but I'm pretty sure that UPB won't be an option for lighting control, given the separation of the electrical supplies of the main house and workshop.

Lutron Radio RA2 may be a consideration, as the repeaters (I'm told) can be hardwired.

 

[DavidL]

As long as the two buildings share the same transformer, then UPB or Insteon shouldn't be a problem. That is of course if you don't put intentional signal snuffers on either panel. Mine works fine this way.

 

[Neurorad]

OK, so UPB would work like a charm, and I should shut up.

Thank you for teaching me something new.