Home Automation

[itschris]

I'm going to start looking into a home automation/security PC build. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[panteragstk]

If you are looking to DIY there are quite a few software options out there. Check out HomeSeer. Pretty great, but can get expensive. It all depends on what you are actually trying to accomplish. I use EventGhost on my PC to automate my theater, but I haven't expanded past that yet.

What all are you planning to automate?

 

[itschris]

Well, I like the idea of being able to check on my house from my iPad. I'd like to have some security cameras and some basic automation like when I come home, certain lights turn on... stuff like that. I mean I've even seen that you can turn your sinks on and off but I see no use for that myself. But I'd like to first have security cameras and the ability to record on my PC and be able to log into them to see what's going on.

 

[aberkowitz]

I just heard about this product this morning from BGR- SmartThings | Home Automation, Home Security, and Peace of Mind

BGR loved it, but I have no other references or info to provide.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

My home thermostat (radio thermostat), garage door opener (Liftmaster myQ), Webcams (myDLink), and some lights (Liftmaster myQ) are Wi-Fi automated.

 

[brabus]

I'm going to start looking into a home automation/security PC build. Anyone have any ideas?

If you don't want to DIY and you want a complete solution look here: Life|ware

They do everything from a single residence installation to MDU's to designing and installing an automation solution for the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

 

[panteragstk]

I'm looking at HomeSeer once I finally start getting into HA (mentioned above). They seem to have everything you could want including pro installers. You can also use them to go the DIY route if you want to.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I'm going to try out the Vera Smarter Home Control for automation of my house-wide lights and my deadbolt locks. Many of the home automation require a monthly fee. But Vera and a few others do not require any kind of monthly fees.

Veraâ„¢ â–¾ Smarter Home Control

So basically, I would need the $180 VeraLite Home Controller (the brain of the operation):
Mi Casa Verde VeraLite Home Controller, White and Green - Amazon.com

Light switches $40 (indoor/outdoor lights):
Jasco 45609 Z-Wave Wireless Lighting Control On/Off Switch - Amazon.com

Deadbolt locks $180:
Schlage BE469NXCAM716 Camelot Touchscreen Deadbolt with Nexia Home Intelligence and Alarm, Aged Bronze (Z-Wave) - Amazon.com

I already have the following:
1) 7 Webcams $60:
Amazon.com: D-Link Wireless Day/Night Network Surveillance Camera with mydlink-Enabled, DCS-932L (White): Home Improvement

2) myQ for Garage Doors and light plug-in:
Liftmaster 828LM Garage Door Opener Internet Gateway - Amazon.com

LiftMaster 888LM Security+ 2.0 MyQ Wall Control Upgrades Previous Models 1998+ - Amazon.com

Liftmaster 825LM Remote Light Control - Amazon.com

3) Thermostat $130:
3M Filtrete Wi-Fi Smartphone Enabled Remote Programmable 7-Day Touchscreen Thermostat with Backlight, 365-Day support (3M-50) - Amazon.com

4) LogMeIn (Free) to remote control my PCs away from home:
https://secure.logmein.com/welcome/pro/?wt.ac=1-2

 

[ImcLoud]

In my experience automation is pretty easy, for a few things, I was going to go with an all in one system, but when I went over everything it was easier to not....

For my hvac I use a honey well prestige unit- YTHX9421R5101WW-PKG - Honeywell YTHX9421R5101WW-PKG - White Prestige IAQ Kit with RedLINK Pack (Includes YTHX9421R5101WW & REM5000R1001) they rangee from 250 and up... I can set and check my tstat from anywhere as well as get CO reports from my phone

for video I use- Amazon.com: Night Owl Security ZEUS-DVR10 16-Channel H.264 DVR with D1 Recording and HDMI: Electronics I like this because its hdmi so I could integrate it into my ht easily... I can watch any of my cameras from my phone...

For lighting and entry I use lift master LiftMaster MyQ Technology and MyQ Accessories | LiftMaster I can control my driveway gates, garage doors, driveway lights, entry way lights, and a few other things with it from my phone, also my car clicker will control it all too if I am close enough...

For alarm, my system is on a battery back up on a separate cellular modem with the video system, and I can control it all from pc or my phone... Just aps and easier to use than most integrated systems I have seen... I like having everything separate, you don't use it as much as you would think, when its a new toy its fun but after that , its just, well you know not new anymore...

I use clicker for my lights when we are coming home, I have used the garage door and alarm aps to let people in when I wasn't home to do so {disarm the alarm and open a garage door, then the entry door in the garage has a digit pad with keyless entry, so its easy to do and a better option than leaving a key and giving someone your alarm code {but how often do you do that}, the tstat is nice for alerts while you are away, if its 0 out you like to see that if the power goes out and the genny dont kick on your house is getting cold enough to freeze before you get home you can call for service and then let them in with out being there... The video system is useful for keeping an eye on things, I have a motion detector on each end of the house that alerts my phone when they are tripped and it is usually a coyote, deer, or other animal large enough to trip it, still a nice option, for when I am away and my family is home, I know if it goes off at 2 am, its not my wife or kids outside so I check it out and its usually few deer sneaking around looking to eat my landscaping, I really need a remote powered scarcrow to keep them away from my plants...

 

[panteragstk]

Let me know how that goes. I've been looking at one of those controllers (the micasa). Seems powerful for the money.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

For lighting and entry I use lift master LiftMaster MyQ Technology and MyQ Accessories | LiftMaster I can control my driveway gates, garage doors, driveway lights, entry way lights, and a few other things with it from my phone, also my car clicker will control it all too if I am close enough...

I didn't even realize Liftmaster/Chamberlain had those $38 light switches! I will get some from Home Depot. This will save me $179 since I won't need VeraLite.

I will return the other light switch from Amazon.

 

[ImcLoud]

They have a bunch more coming out, I don't know why they dont market this stuff better, its inexpensive and reliable...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

They have a bunch more coming out, I don't know why they dont market this stuff better, its inexpensive and reliable...

More? I'm all eyes and ears.

The Garage automation was so simple. The plug-in for lamps was so simple. I can't wait to install the light switches.

And I don't have to pay $180 just for the control center/Internet gateway like the $180 VeraLite.

What other automations are they coming out with?

 

[ImcLoud]

They are going to be making a few more my q items, not just the light switches and door openers, they are going to do a system that allows people to communicate with you from your front door, so if the ups guy comes to your front door he can press the door bell and you can talk to him from anywhere in the world {smart phone}, they can essentially think you are home so you can say "leave the package at the back door", and if someone comes to your house rings your bell you can find out who it was... That will be handy and I will be getting it when it comes out.

Also I was told they are going to produce an easy way to integrate an existing alarm into their app, it was explained to me as just a voltage sensing unit that goes on your siren so if the siren is energized the my Q alerts your phone, pretty simple and also handy for older alarms that can only alert the monitoring service... also handy

There was a couple more things like intercom functions that sounded cool, I use their gate openers and love them but use a separate intercom to know when people want to get in the gate, having it all in one would be nice, plus I hate the intercom we have, it has already broke twice and its not that old...

I asked the rep at the home show if they would ever do a power blind control and more home automation options and he said they are feeling the market out.. IMO them are the most sought after options, motorized blind control, integrated alarm, power building access {garage doors, gate, and exterior doors in general}, HVAC control {just use a tstat there are a few nice ones out there now}, intercom, video, and property damage control { the 3 f's, fire, flood, freeze}....

Being able to turn on faucets, every light in the house, or tv is just over kill to me, and there are too many things that can go wrong, driveway and entry way lights are handy, I know some people like to have a tv on a timer so burglars think they are home, but they sell "fake tv" light kits, that make the room look like it has a tv on and they have them with timers, and there are a ton of options for getting around burglary, alarm and video being the best....

Most B & E guys are strung out drug addicts that can't spell alarm never mind disable one of the entry level systems now available...

Anyway, home automation is going to get easier and cheaper, verizon offer home control with their monthly cell and fios services.. Verizon Home Monitoring and Control | HomeControl | Residential Support | Verizon

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

They are going to be making a few more my q items, not just the light switches and door openers, they are going to do a system that allows people to communicate with you from your front door, so if the ups guy comes to your front door he can press the door bell and you can talk to him from anywhere in the world {smart phone}, they can essentially think you are home so you can say "leave the package at the back door", and if someone comes to your house rings your bell you can find out who it was... That will be handy and I will be getting it when it comes out.

Also I was told they are going to produce an easy way to integrate an existing alarm into their app, it was explained to me as just a voltage sensing unit that goes on your siren so if the siren is energized the my Q alerts your phone, pretty simple and also handy for older alarms that can only alert the monitoring service... also handy

There was a couple more things like intercom functions that sounded cool, I use their gate openers and love them but use a separate intercom to know when people want to get in the gate, having it all in one would be nice, plus I hate the intercom we have, it has already broke twice and its not that old...

I asked the rep at the home show if they would ever do a power blind control and more home automation options and he said they are feeling the market out.. IMO them are the most sought after options, motorized blind control, integrated alarm, power building access {garage doors, gate, and exterior doors in general}, HVAC control {just use a tstat there are a few nice ones out there now}, intercom, video, and property damage control { the 3 f's, fire, flood, freeze}....

Being able to turn on faucets, every light in the house, or tv is just over kill to me, and there are too many things that can go wrong, driveway and entry way lights are handy, I know some people like to have a tv on a timer so burglars think they are home, but they sell "fake tv" light kits, that make the room look like it has a tv on and they have them with timers, and there are a ton of options for getting around burglary, alarm and video being the best....

Most B & E guys are strung out drug addicts that can't spell alarm never mind disable one of the entry level systems now available...

Anyway, home automation is going to get easier and cheaper, verizon offer home control with their monthly cell and fios services.. Verizon Home Monitoring and Control | HomeControl | Residential Support | Verizon

I'm interested in the front door intercom also.

Whole house light control is one of my goals and the MyQ light switch covers that. It seems to be a little easier than the z-wave/Vera version also.

Green wire - connects to green or bare copper ground wire
Red wire - connects to black wire from light
Black wire -connects to black wire from electricity
No need for the White Neutral wires, unlike the z-wave/Vera version.
Okay, I am ready for light switch installation.

 

[ImcLoud]

Yes, I think the intercom is a great idea, someone rings, your phone alerts, then you say "who is it?" and you know who's at your door as well as they can think you are home if you like...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I hope they also make a MyQ app specifically for the iPad. I use my iPad, but it's the MyQ app for the iPhone.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I didn't even realize Liftmaster/Chamberlain had those $38 light switches! I will get some from Home Depot. This will save me $179 since I won't need VeraLite.

I will return the other light switch from Amazon.

Just installed 2 Chamberlain light switches. Easy install. Easy control of lights using iPad/ Android.

So to control your lights, lamps, garage doors, and gates, all you need is the $50 Gateway and the individual accessories ($38 light switch, etc.).

 

[ImcLoud]

nice I love the myq stuff, very very well designed... home automation made easy and inexpensive

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

nice I love the myq stuff, very very well designed... home automation made easy and inexpensive

I still cannot believe how easy and inexpensive it is!

I mean the next thing up is the VeraLite, and it's a $180 controller vs. the $50 myQ controller.

I just ordered 8 more Chamberlain light switches from Home Depot @ $38 each. Each comes with the mini remote control also.

Do you use those mini remote controls for anything? I guess they can be used for garage door remotes and light remotes.

My automation:
1) lights - myQ
2) garages - myQ
3) cameras - dlink
4) thermostat - radiothermostat
5) pc - teamviewer
6) deadbolt lock - LockState electronic keypad autolock (just bought 2 from Home Depot to try)