New Construction Home- Ideas for Automation

hammy

Member
Hi all,
 
I am building a new home and wanted to get an opinion for the best system to install.  
 
My last house built in 2009 had a HAI omnipro II in it I installed everything I have the installer software for programming. The omni ran everything UPB lighting, security, fire, thermostats, temp sensors. I used the email notifier board for notifications.  It worked perfectly for 10 years but I sold that home.  
 
My main question is what is everyone running that does all that same stuff but is built for today's technology.  Or should I just go back to the HAI system since I know it just works so well. 
 
There are so many smaller compartment company's out there like Hue and Nest.  but I really want a system that has in all under one system, 
 
I disagree. All-in-one systems fail ugly when they fail. A system that coordinates a lot of subsystems is more complex but also more flexible and unlikely to all go down at once.
 
I use an ISY994i for thermostats, Alexa, GH vocals, Insteon lighting and switches, MagicHome / LEDenet RGBWW strips and bulbs, Hue, MiLight strips and bulbs, GDOs, about a dozen weather probes with windspeed anemometer, forecasting, HVAC control and monitoring run times, charting run schedules, even home security notifications and combination keypad decoding.

ISY994i has a Rest interface built in and is easy to interface with a RPi or WC8 small CPU boards.
 
hammy said:
upstate Mike-  What would be your recommendation?
 
It depends on your priorities and what you want to do... set and forget? Full time hobby? Mostly remote control, timers and motion sensors? Chatty or quiet? Lots of physical triggers or mostly triggered by data from apps and web sites? Etc. Etc. 
 
The Elk M1 comes closest to HAI for physical inputs and it can directly integrate most lighting options plus serial thermostats. If you want to expand into cameras, weather stations, Z-Wave, locks, whole house audio, and so on you will need to pair it with a hub or some automation software.
 
should I just go back to the HAI system since I know it just works so well.
 
YES.
 
Personally set and forget using an Omni Pro 2 (like you did) or Elk M1. 
 

 
You should have taken your Omni Pro panel and Leviton Accessories and just mentioned that the house was wired for any standard alarm panel of yesteryear.
 
They were and are made never to fail if properly installed and today there is no match for the features set of these panels.
 
There are no dependencies on the Internet to make them function.
 
That said here have tinkered with Homeseer software since 1998 using the software for addedums to the panels.
 
Lighting automation  (X10) in since 1978.
 
Note software automation / security is easier for folks that are computer / IT / software / security centric. 
 
With Leviton stating OminPro II is end of life then why would you start a new implementation with that product ?
 
Yeh, that's the gotcha. Otherwise it would be a fine choice. At this point, I would go with Lutron's Radio RA2 for the core stuff. It is correct that it's better to have a single, coherent system for core stuff. It's designed to work as a system, and will be far easier to integrate. There's little chance of it failing, hence why pros install stuff like RA2 instead of lots of little bits and pieces (and they are on the hook if anything goes wrong so you know they make that choice for good reason.) And, in the unlikely chance something does go wrong, you have one place to look for it and one company to deal with.
 
You can always add some bits and pieces around the edge for the non-critical stuff. RA2 will provide lights, thermos, motion sensors, blinds, and some other bits, which are almost all the big ticket items. You'll need to select a security system, which is one big ticket item it doesn't do.
 
Yes; I wasn't referring to buying new old stock rather taking your set up with you to new home to lessen a new learning curve and getting another 10 or more years from the old system. (really it's too late for that any how).
 
That said I concur with Dean on a new system implementatio.  And the quandary will be security and a new learning curve which in itself will be time consuming.
 
I am liking the customized WiFi stuff with customized firmware to suit your taste.  It is still though in the gizmologist's lair at this point in time.
 
In my experience (or maybe Im a bit OP2 centric), but I have found that a security system seems to be the core of automation. A lot of actions are driven by this (e.g. arming, disarming, night, opening a door/zone, motion). The security system should then integrate with key components like lighting, HVAC, cameras, etc. Am I thinking wrong? With OP line being discontinued there just doesnt seem to be an easy replacement. Seems like Elk will face the same fate at some point. Maybe time for me to think differently, but really like the OP design. SJ
 
I do not think that there will be any thing available that is even close to the OmniPro 2 / Elk M1 panels anytime in the future. 
 
I am really familiar with the Omni software.  Does the Elk have the same or similar software.  After a quick search I was unable to find the software for sale is it free?
 
I like the hardwired connections for the security and fire alarm it was extremely beneficial to my house.  I had it almost burn down if it was not for the email notifier system on the Omni. 
 
From my research I am going to land on the either the Lutron Casistas or the RA2 system for the light controls.  The thermo and the alarms are going to be either the Elk or the Omni. 
 
Does the Elk have the same or similar software.  After a quick search I was unable to find the software for sale is it free?
 
Yes and it is free.
 
I originally went with the Omni Pro 2 panel because of the smaller footprint and all was included with it.
 
The Elk panel is modular and you add optionally boards to it for different functionality.
 
Leviton while not selling new OmniPro 2 panels will continue to support it such that if you purchased a working one either new old stock or old one you should be OK with it.

 
I do not see any deals out there on new old stock in internetlandia.
 
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