Trying to decide between ISY, Castleos and CQC
- Thread starter 355spider
- Start date
With the ISY people report this all the time but I am sure within a few months you will be writing complex programs using complex triggers, no matter what language you choose.
One of the most important aspects is to have lots of support around you to get answers. Occasionally in the ISY support group we see people with HA systems for years come in ask the most basic questions like they started yesterday. Turns out they just dropped in published programs available and have no idea how they work.
If all else fails you can surrender your system online to the manufacturer and they can correct problems for you.
They all sound good and I ran that way for over a decade but when the four year harddrive bearings or CPU goes then I changed my mind how I wanted it to work.
One of the most important aspects is to have lots of support around you to get answers. Occasionally in the ISY support group we see people with HA systems for years come in ask the most basic questions like they started yesterday. Turns out they just dropped in published programs available and have no idea how they work.
If all else fails you can surrender your system online to the manufacturer and they can correct problems for you.
They all sound good and I ran that way for over a decade but when the four year harddrive bearings or CPU goes then I changed my mind how I wanted it to work.
Look for setup videos on Youtube for each of the systems you are interested in, with that being said, if you use355spider said:
Insteon than an ISY is a great addition. Both CQC and Universal Devices have very active forums, I don't know anything about how active the forums are at Castle OS.
My CQC server has zero bearings to wear out, I would imagine most people building a dedicated automation server are using an SSD for the hard drive, my CPU is also fanless. Computers that are built well can work for many years without failing, I have computers as old as 27 years that still work fine. I will be replacing the caps in the oldest computers but they still work.LarrylLix said:
Dean Roddey
Senior Member
BTW, ISY vs. CQC isn't really a correct comparison. Lots of people use both together, just as they use CQC plus an Elk or Omni or RA2 system. Hardware based systems like the ISY are nice for certain things, but they are limited outside of their designed domains and higher level products like CQC can provide the overall umbrella that brings it all together.
I would also just say that you have to keep in mind that systems that are very easy to initially set up are not likely to have very long legs that can continue to handle the more elaborate scenarios that you tend to start wanting to do once you get into it. It's typically the case that a product is only easy to set up because it has very limited options, and therefore it requires the fewest decisions and explorations to get started. A product like CQC may require more delayed gratification to get started, but once you master it you will have a very open ended tool at your disposal.
I would also just say that you have to keep in mind that systems that are very easy to initially set up are not likely to have very long legs that can continue to handle the more elaborate scenarios that you tend to start wanting to do once you get into it. It's typically the case that a product is only easy to set up because it has very limited options, and therefore it requires the fewest decisions and explorations to get started. A product like CQC may require more delayed gratification to get started, but once you master it you will have a very open ended tool at your disposal.
hahah. you'd have to be around the forum for a while to fully get this one ...
no matter what solution you go with, YOU are going to have to program your system. I use CQC and it is quite simple in that you add your drivers and then configure your actions with an 'action editor'. CQC has a trial version and a very active forum, so I would suggest taking advantage of both before you write it off completely.
FYI, hooking up your home theater to a full automation system will likely take (by itself, other things not included) 50 hours of time. The sheer breadth of capability is staggering in what you can do to automate a space like that. Depending on equipment, of course.
:nutz:
edit: wait, in the other thread you were asking about RadioRA 2 and taking their course. if you want plug-and-play, you're definitely in the wrong ballpark with RA 2.
no matter what solution you go with, YOU are going to have to program your system. I use CQC and it is quite simple in that you add your drivers and then configure your actions with an 'action editor'. CQC has a trial version and a very active forum, so I would suggest taking advantage of both before you write it off completely.
FYI, hooking up your home theater to a full automation system will likely take (by itself, other things not included) 50 hours of time. The sheer breadth of capability is staggering in what you can do to automate a space like that. Depending on equipment, of course.
:nutz:
edit: wait, in the other thread you were asking about RadioRA 2 and taking their course. if you want plug-and-play, you're definitely in the wrong ballpark with RA 2.
ChrisCicc
Active Member
jkmonroe said:
I'll chime in to say I think there is a difference between "setup" and "programming". I think the OP is more concerned with programming and scripting, not adding a light switch to the system. CastleOS excels at merging the divide between the two. "Setup" is GUI and wizard driven, programming/scripting is not required for setup (even events), but it can be useful to enhance the system. And yes, when it comes to home theater, it seems programming is needed matter what in the end.
Re: the RadioRa2 comment, perhaps he should look at Lutron's Caseta line instead?
Dean Roddey
Senior Member
Even 'Scripting' is GUI driven in CQC. It's all point and click, though obviously you have type in something once in a while where it's some discretionary value that only you know, like what you want to name something or something like that.
You may want to look at HomeSeer and Vera as well. There are plenty of of other choices too, but some systems haven't been around for very long so hard to know which ones will survive and which won't. HomeSeer and Vera have been around for a while with active development still occurring.
Cheers
Al
Cheers
Al
