New to forums

[Majdaa]

Hi, i just joined the forums.

I browsed them a while before, i saw a link from www.aximsite.com

basically what i intend on doing is using my pda to control my computer (already got that setup)

then i want, through my computer, to check if the doors are locked, if the garage is closed, and, if possible, be able to control lighting and temperature.

could that be done with a <$100 budget?


i'd be damned if it could

 

[electron]

Hi Majdaa,

Welcome to CocoonTech!

You can monitor magnetic reed switches with the gameport, so you don't need to buy any special hardware, except for the magnetic contacts which you can mount on the door, windows etc. I would probably use something like Girder, which is very flexible, and can interface a lot of hardware. To control the lighting, the cheapest method is the X10 way, but all depends on the type of lights etc.

The major 2 expensive issues I see here is probably a door lock which can be monitored, and a pc controllable thermostat (which is going to be expensive).

If you have more specific questions, please don't hesitate to start a new thread in the home automation forum.