Wireless Contact System

[compuguru]

I was looking at the smart car sensor here: http://james.lipsit.com/smart_car_sensor.htm

In the description, he says that you need a transmitter and sensor for each car. This comes out to be about $80/car, which I can't really afford. I also saw the tutorials here for building an X-10 monitor, but I don't have either a W800 or a V572A, so my rage would be extremely limited. Also, when I tried wireless before, I came across the problem of it flooding the powerlines with signals.

So, I was wondering if there is a transmitter/receiver that has multiple contact outputs? Or any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Here are the requirements:

• The transmitter can be connected directly to a 12v relay wired to the car’s ignition.
• The transmitter can be configured to send (toggle) a unique signal if the car is turned on (leaving) verses turned off (coming home).
• The receiver can be wired directly to a SECU-16 digital input (or a X-10 PowerFlash module) since it has a “FORM 1C” relay output.
• The receiver’s relay would remain latched (on) until the car returned home. It would not time out and falsely indicate the car had returned when it had not. (This may be changed)

If you have any ideas, please let me know.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

You may be able to accomplish your request with THIS unit with some logic on whatever is monitoring the contact closures. If you are using an Ocelot (since you mentioned the SECU16 module) then I would incorporate timers to prevent "false positives" in case you just start the car, but don't take it off your property.

I could post my Ocelot code that I used for my car monitor mentioned in the How-To section, but it would not be entirely correct for this application as I send a "pulsed" X-10 signal every few seconds (as opposed to a "static" signal).

You would have to hack the remotes (button contacts brought out via a pair of wires) but that shouldn't be to big of a deal. Note that the remotes are already 12 volt powered!

Plus if you have multiple vehicles, look at this comment about that product:

To answer the prior question about different frequencies for different units: the RF frequency stays the same, but you can program the binary code in the transmitter and receiver to provide for many different security codes. You need to open up the devices and use a soldering iron, but there are 8 inputs on the encoder chip that can be used for programming. Just match the binary pattern on each unit. I have several different units, and they all came with different codes, so you may not have to do anything

 

[FrankMc]

Hi
Sorry cant help you with the the Receiver but heres what i use for a transmitter which my W800 detects....

http://nwe.net.au/ha/VA.html

HTH
Frank

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Sorry cant help you with the the Receiver but heres what I use for a transmitter which my W800 detects....

http://nwe.net.au/ha/VA.html

So, that product is out for the public to purchase now?

 

[FrankMc]

Hi BSR

>So, that product is out for the public to purchase now?

I believe so at least the Oz version....I will drop Neil an Email and see if the US version is available....

Frank

 

[nsisman]

Quote:
In the description, he says that you need a transmitter and sensor for each car. This comes out to be about $80/car, which I can't really afford. I also saw the tutorials here for building an X-10 monitor, but I don't have either a W800 or a V572A, so my range would be extremely limited. Also, when I tried wireless before, I came across the problem of it flooding the powerlines with signals.

Have you tried just a plain old x10 motion sensor mounted high in the vehicle (mine is velcro'd to the roof between the sun visors) and maybe a tm751 in the nearest receptacle to help with signal strength (since you don't have a wgl800).

I couldn't make a motion sensor work at all below the dash but works very well when mounted to the headliner.

With a virtual device you can actually get very accurate with leaving and arriving scenarios.

Neil

 

[Steve]

Personally, I think the Cheaper RFID stuff is ideal for this application and is most likely what I am going to use. Plus with additional tags you get to use it for other stuff too, not just cars.

 

[Rupp]

As Steve said the CheaperRFID "stuff" works perfectly for this. I just received my receivers/transmitters and have tested with the new free CheaperRFID plugin for HomeSeer and it's working perfectly. I will eventually get around to wiring the transmitters in my cars but the battery is easily changed so I'm in no hurry on that front. You can read about the plugin and the devices here:
http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t...&highlight=rfid

http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t...&highlight=rfid

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Steve and Rupp;

This is very true about the Cheaper RFID, but the reason I didn't mention it is because you need a computer with a serial interface, plus an HA software package such as HomeSeer for it to work.

The OP mentioned he wanted a "contact closure" notification/interface.

 

[Rupp]

Steve and Rupp;

This is very true about the Cheaper RFID, but the reason I didn't mention it is because you need a computer with a serial interface, plus an HA software package such as HomeSeer for it to work.

The OP mentioned he wanted a "contact closure" notification/interface.

Ah. Good point. Didn't notice that when I first read the post. When I saw that he didn't have a W800, I jumped to the conclusion he was running a PC. Strange jump huh?

 

[ano]

A possible cheap and reliable solution, although it might take some thinking, is use a GE/ITI Quickbridge as the receiver, and a security sensor as a transmitter. The 8 channel Quickbridge goes for about $65 and there are 2 channel and one channel models that are cheaper. The sensors go for about $25-$30 each and their batteries last about 5 years.

So what you'll have is a receiver with 10 relay outputs; 8 for channels, one for supervision, one for low battery. With just the supervision output, you could know if the sensors were near or not, but unfortunately, you might not know it for an three or four hours because I think the sensors only transmit every 40 minutes. But if you connected the sensor to a brake pedal or something in the car, you could receive on/off info from that.

Just a thought. Here is a link to the Quickbridge. http://www.homecontrols.com/homecontrols/pdf/ge8016.pdf
I use two for my alarm and they work great. Range is great also and no computer needed. (But you need 12V to power the receiver.)

 

[pete]

. . . but I don't have either a W800 or a V572A, so my rage would be extremely limited. Also, when I tried wireless before, I came across the problem of it flooding the powerlines with signals.

. . .

. . . not sure (as noted above) what exactly your interfacing to, but the W800 does X10 RF straight to your computer, it won't flood the powerline . . .

 

[compuguru]

A possible cheap and reliable solution, although it might take some thinking, is use a GE/ITI Quickbridge as the receiver, and a security sensor as a transmitter. The 8 channel Quickbridge goes for about $65 and there are 2 channel and one channel models that are cheaper. The sensors go for about $25-$30 each and their batteries last about 5 years.

So what you'll have is a receiver with 10 relay outputs; 8 for channels, one for supervision, one for low battery. With just the supervision output, you could know if the sensors were near or not, but unfortunately, you might not know it for an three or four hours because I think the sensors only transmit every 40 minutes. But if you connected the sensor to a brake pedal or something in the car, you could receive on/off info from that.

Just a thought. Here is a link to the Quickbridge. http://www.homecontrols.com/homecontrols/pdf/ge8016.pdf
I use two for my alarm and they work great. Range is great also and no computer needed. (But you need 12V to power the receiver.)

Ano,

That seems like it should do exactly what I am looking for. After reading through the manual, from what I gather is that you can have 8 different outputs. I beleive these should be able to interface with the SECU-16i I have right?

Here's the sensor I am looking at getting. It says it has contacts inside so I just have to figure out a way to wire it to the ignition so it transmits one thing when the car is on, and another when it turns off...I think the website in my OP tells how to do that.

Any ideas on why this would not work?

BTW: About the W800RF, I currently use HAL, which does not have W800RF support.

 

[Rupp]

compuguru ,
Come on over to the dark side and try HomeSeer and this new CheaperRFID stuff. I'm setting here playing with my 8M transmitters and they are picking up perfectly at 50+ feet. I stuck the transmitter in my glove box to attempt to squelch some of the signal. I'm working on automatically opening the garage door when I pull into the drive.

 

[compuguru]

compuguru ,
Come on over to the dark side and try HomeSeer and this new CheaperRFID stuff. I'm setting here playing with my 8M transmitters and they are picking up perfectly at 50+ feet. I stuck the transmitter in my glove box to attempt to squelch some of the signal. I'm working on automatically opening the garage door when I pull into the drive.

I am thinking of what my next HA Software upgrade will be. I am currently running HAL Deluxe, and while its working fine, I can't help but feel pulled a bit to Homeseer. I also couldn't help notice it's $30 more to upgrade to HAL 2000 than it is to purchase a new copy of Homseer. I already had the trial of Homseer installed, but it ran out. I wonder if I can try it again... Maybe I could run them both together....

Anyways, back on topic, Rupp, sounds like you have the RFID chips in your car. Do you have it setup so it open the garage door when you get home? Does it open the garage door in time? Where is your receiver located?

Another thing to think about is that it looks like they are always transmitting the same signal. So the only time it knows a car is gone is when it is out of range right? The advantage of the security sensors is that can turn on when the car turns on, and the receiver can keep that output on. Then when the car comes back and turns off the engine, it then transmits the off which turns the output off. This makes a pretty reliable car status.