Need new home advice.....

[ctay]

It would affect my wiring runs if i did EDT hardwired controls. What do you think of them?

IVB is the stud when it comes to wiring diagrams. I can only add what I plan to do for EDT. EDT is designed to run daisy chained from switch to switch around the house. I don't really like that as I think it limits my future options. So what I plan to do is to run two Cat-5 to each switch location back to a central patch panel. From the patch panel I can easily connect any switches together to form the mother of all daisy chains. you should be fine with this method out to 500 ft. However, 500 ft isn't very far when you consider all the back and forth you have to do from each switch... BUT I have a plan to overcome that also. EDT has a "line extender" device that is essentially an amplifier that can allow you to go another 500 ft. The extenders aren't very expensive so it doesn't add a lot of expense to the system. With a couple of extenders and four independent "branches" I think you can cover a large home with out any trouble.

Chris

P.S. here are some EDT threads...

EDT iLine Questions
OnQ vs EDT

 

[pjwinstalls]

where are you getting your edt equipment??.....cant find pricing anywhere

 

[ctay]

I think the best place to get it is straight from EDT. I haven't found any dealers... If you are doing your whole house I have heard that you can contact them and become a local dealer. Then you can get the dealer pricing which is about 2/3's of retail. I remember seeing the retail prices listed somewhere on their web site but I can't find it right now... Best thing to do is just shoot them an email and ask about retail prices and what is needed to become a "dealer"...

check your PM

Chris

 

[Steve]

Wireless door contacts because i cant do recessed wired ones because they are vinyl windows. I chose insteon because i want to be able to see which lights are on and which are off. Does upb or z-wave do this?

In addtion to my post above, i also want an intercom system.

I would very strongly encourage you to look more into this. While the Caddx stuff is pretty good there is still no subsitute for hardwire, especially for security. Why can't you just surface mount a mini contact like the GRI 110? I think in the long run you will be much happier. Here is a picture of what one looks like in a retrofit. There are several different styles like this and they are actually smaller then it appears in the pic.

 

[pjwinstalls]

The windows are also double hung....wouldnt i have to put two contacts on each window?? one for each sash

 

[IVB]

It would affect my wiring runs if i did EDT hardwired controls. What do you think of them?

I have no experience with them, but I like the concept of hardwired.

So if i run door contacts to internal doors, those contacts could be used to turn a light on in a closet?

yes, indirectly. What I do is to have the door contact hooked up to the Elk, then have CQC monitor that zone. When the zone changes from closed to open, I have CQC send a zWave light-on command. Same thing in reverse for closure. I also use a timer that starts when it's opened, and if it's been 15mins, then I turn off the light. It's only turned the light off on us once when we wanted it on, so we just closed and re-opened the door. However, it's saved us many times, although one could argue that it's also making us lazy...

Why two cat5 cables?

One for signal one for power.

I want to have touchpanels like you do in bedrooms, living room, front door foyer......(what wire do these need? How do you charge them?)

You need CAT5 for network, and either CAT5 or 18/2 for power. I personally don't know much about using CAT5 for power but others do.

in the other rooms, kitchen, bathroom, spare rooms, I want just a way to turn on the audio.....dont need touchpanels......... what do you suggest?

What do you mean by "turn on"? Change sources? Turn on the source? I've heard good stuff about the Russound keypads, I'd look into those and research how to set those up if I were starting anew.

 

[IVB]

The windows are also double hung....wouldnt i have to put two contacts on each window?? one for each sash

Depends on what you want to monitor. I'd argue that you only really need the bottom one, since no thief would open up just the top one.

 

[pjwinstalls]

I decided on centralite litejet. One of my distributors carry their product line and i get the equipment at a fair price.


your running 18/2 wire to the touch panel locations.....i dont understand how you are powering the panels with the 18/2?


In regards to the audio..... saying i want to listen to xm in the bathroom but i dont want a touchpanel or big control pad in there..............how would i do that? I do want the touch panels in the bedrooms and living room.

 

[IVB]

your running 18/2 wire to the touch panel locations.....i dont understand how you are powering the panels with the 18/2?

I haven't done this myself (yet), but others have and this is what they did: Take the transformer that plugs into the 3400, cut the wire, plug one end into the AC outlet in the central power location, run the 18/2 to the panel, attach the connector to the other end, plug it in.

In regards to the audio..... saying i want to listen to xm in the bathroom but i dont want a touchpanel or big control pad in there..............how would i do that? I do want the touch panels in the bedrooms and living room.

From what I understand, the russound keypads handle this well. I don't know much about it but I *think* you just press the button that corresponds to the XM source and the russound CAV will handle the switching and turning on of the zone.

 

[pjwinstalls]

how is your audio distributed?

Philip

 

[IVB]

I personally chose the Xantech ZPR68 switcher. It's a passive switcher, which means I need a seperate amp(s).
The upside of this is that
1) I can get cheap amps off eBay as they become available
2) I can get amps to match the audio requirements of the room, rather than stick with 20wpc. My HT has a denon 3805 with 100wpc, MBR has 75wpc, backyard has 50wpc, and the rest are about 35wpc.
3) I got the EXP9 expander enclosure, so I have the ability to easily go to 15zones. I'm going to go down a route where each room is it's own zone, so I don't need local volume control as I can control each room through CQC.
4) There was a driver already in CQC for it, although given that there's probably 10-15 mzone devices now with drivers that's less of an issue.