Please help a newbie w/ ipad/iphone home automation

[4ransom]

Hi all,
I just bought a new house, and want to add some basic home automation. I am sort of a tech nerd, but have never ventured into home automation before, so this is all pretty new to me. I've been doing some research, but there are so many choices and all seem to be expensive, so I was hoping I could ask you pros a few simple questions and hopefully you can point me in the right direction.

All I want to do is be able to control some lighting and ceiling fans in a few rooms of my house from my ipad and/ or iphone.

I've also been looking into multi-room audio streaming too, but thinking I'll just use Sonos for that, since it seems to do everything I need. However I'd be open to an all-in one solution too so I can control everything from one app.

Basically I dont have a lot to spend on this so if anybody can point me in the direction of some affordable lighting control with ipad/iphone compatibility, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Deane Johnson]

You might find Elve interesting. The cost is pretty favorable right now. The beta download is free, and when it goes to version 1.0, it will have an introductory price of $99. Since it's capabilities are right up there with the big guys, the low cost is pretty remarkable.

http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17116

I assume there are other choices available that will fit your needs, this one happens to be the one I am familiar with.

Deane

 

[twilo123]

Check out Homeseer also.

 

[Rupp]

Here's an example what the iPad can look like using HomeSeer and HSTouch.

 

[mustangcoupe]

Basically I dont have a lot to spend on this so if anybody can point me in the direction of some affordable lighting control with ipad/iphone compatibility, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Welcome to Ccoontech! First off I recommend reading some of the hardware reviews, and the user posts before you purchase anything. Yes there are some heated discussions, but you can sort through them and realize which ones have a solid complaint or just user preference. HA is not a cheap hobby but can be affordable if purchased over time. Checkout our Cocoontech Vendors Alliance as they are the vendors which support us users and give discounts or have a great reputation with other users.

 

[znelbok]

Would not be the right if there was nota CQC recomendation here as well.

As indicated above, it can be affordable over time. With planning you can purchase the correct gear so that it wil all integrate down the track. Do the research first and then make an informed decision.

Mick

 

[Sacedog]

+1 for CQC. I took all of my touchscreen templates, and started converting them to the ipad. So far, it has been very easy, but I have more work to do on it still.

Follow the link to see some screenshots of the templates:

http://www.charmedquark.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=9315

 

[4ransom]

thanks for the replies so far. i have a few follow up questions...

You seem to be recommending the software part. so what about hardware? What type of switches do i need to be compatible with these software solutions? I know Insteon seems to be a popular type of hardware. What about the other types?

Like I said, I really only want to control a few ceiling fans/lights, and possibly music. But when I go to browse the hardware, there's like a million choices...can anybody recommend some good dimmer switches for this, assuming I would use either CQC, or Homeseer (since those 2 got the most recommendations)?

+1 for CQC. I took all of my touchscreen templates, and started converting them to the ipad. So far, it has been very easy, but I have more work to do on it still.

Follow the link to see some screenshots of the templates:

Man, that looks awesome. I'd love to have controls that look like that. Obviously you have a lot more going on that I would, but hopefully over time I can build up to that. Is that pretty easy to configure using CQC?


Thanks everybody!

 

[Rupp]

With both HomeSeer and CQC, the back end really doesn't matter and it's up to you. I use HomeSeer with ~30 Z-Wave device, ~10 Insteon devices, a few left over X10 devices and 7 UPB devices. I simply choose the best that each protocol offers and go with that. For example, I chose to use the Z-Wave water cutoff valve and the Z-Wave temp and humidity sensors, but liked the UPB light switches in a few locations. The X10 outdoor modules are very inexpensive and well built an the Insteon stuff was an experiment.