Home Automation

[PeterJames]

Ive been into this for some time now, back when I was an engineer my G500 was controlling my heating, curtains, lights, and, various other bits via Galaxy Gold. When I moved to this house I wanted something more purposely built rather than something I had strung together, so I nailed my flags to Lightwave RF  good looking product nice sockets and light switch's and rad valves. Being an early user much of the stuff has not moved with the times, my rad valves wont work with the newest phone app, though my main stat does. None of the stuff is two way so you cant tell remotely if something is on or off, there are on and off buttons for each device so at least you know if its already on you havent switched it off or vica versa, but it would be great to know the status of devices.

With the latest voice integrated technology like Cortana, Google Voice, Amazon Echo, and that iphone thing, I thought it would be nice to integrate my lightwave with an Echo or something so I dont have to pick up my phone to switch the lights on or heating up when I am home , guess what none of them integrate with lightwave, though I have found that smart things can be integrated. 

 

Is anyone using any of the others like smart things, or wemo, ect. I know that Risco are integrating their app to work with Zwave. This is a nerdy forum so there must be hundreds of us fooking around with this stuff

 

[datadiffusion]

Don't laugh but I'm doing our home using X10, simply because I have enough filters to effectively keep the lights electrically segregated from everything else (the USB controller is on the lighting circuit via a fused spur, too), it's cheap, I have an RF > Network gateway and an RF touch screen. I've even just managed to find an X10 > 1-10V dimmer from the US. What's not to like?

 

 

[Nova-Security]

Being looking also, like a few Elan, Loxone but KNX standard seems the best one at the moment http://www2.schneider-electric.com/sites/corporate/en/products-services/product-launch/knx/knx.page

[Dick]

There's just too much choice and choosing the "best" route forward often leads to disappointment with drop-outs, failures, uncompatibility etc further down the line, if reading the automation forums is anything to go by. 

 

I keep reading up on going the Evohome route for individual heating control but when you need to involve 3rd party apps with a distinct lack of security, change batteries in every TRV, put up with disconnects (still), unexplicable timer clock changes causing heating to not come on when scheduled, binding issues, etc etc, it just isn't worth the hassle.

 

I always come back to simplicity, effectiveness and above all security, no matter how intrigued or interested in technology I may be, and right now there appears to be a lot of choice to potentially become an expensive ballache with incompatibility just down the road.

 

Basic on off automation from my alarm outputs suit me perfectly for now and possibly forever, allowing voice activation via Siri on my Watch or phone for activation.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Dick

[norman]

I tried automation of sorts, ended up un-automating most of it tbf.

 

If I want the heating on before I get home (unlikely as it's set to an ambient all the time anyway, never off) I use Nest, also when we are away the stat recognises the lack of movement and drops it accordingly.

 

Lights are back to switches except a couple of links on the galaxy and 3 PIR presence sensors.

 

PITA imo for the reasons above.

[Simlec]

datadiffusion X10 ..... Really 

 

Forget using your phone/ipad to control equipment it's just cumbersome and unnatural, use them to compliment physical switches/remotes is the way I have found works the best.

 

For controlling your everyday equipment (Tv, Sat, DVD, music) I use URC Total Control. I have used the product from launch (and aged some by doing so) but some years down the line the **** has been sorted out and it works as it should.

 

For multi room music Sonos or Denon Heos (Sonos preferred) with Spotify. It works and works well. It integrates well with most if not all other main systems and works well on its own.

 

For lighting Lutron or Rako. They both again work very well and integrate well with other systems as well as stand alone.

 

For heating (well basic heating) Nest 3rd gen room stat. Its like an apple iwatch on the wall. Integrates well and works.

 

Now for automation it depends on what you want to automate.  Im moving house soon  and currently working on spec for house.  The brains of the house will be a Loxone server glued to all the above as well as my intruder.

 

I have to say some of the budget stuff works quite well. I have been testing/using lightwave from launch and it works around 90% of the time, looks ok and can be controlled from other systems easily. I would say the other brands work the same. But as said most are not 2-way, so its a send and hope affair.

 

I quite like the look of the Philips Hue lighting system and will probably put this in the kids rooms (colour changing) and integrate into system.

 

 

[Simlec]

O and the Nest smoke alarms are very good.

I have also started playing with IFTTT

Edited October 3, 2016 by Simlec

[norman]

I have smokes and CO on the alarm, but yes, if not I would have the nest ones.

[Dick]

I've come to the conclusion Nest is probably a front runner for heating without getting too annoying, though I'm not interested in app control, nor geo fencing. That said, apart from being able to control DHW, which is always on a schedule anyway, there is no benefit to me compared to what I have now via its alarm output and use daily during the heating season.

 

Lights indoors are switchable still and a select few are on outputs too but that is a security measure rather than an automated convenience/pointless addition. Doing away with switches is a step too far for me and would only cause mayhem when visitors stayed over.

 

 

[datadiffusion]

2 hours ago, Simlec said:

datadiffusion X10 ..... Really 

 

Yes really, and when isolated and being that the house is being refurbished (so no powerline which is the worst offender) as I've done it can't be knocked (literally).

 

The billy bonus being I got truckloads of the stuff, all new and unopened, for buttons.

 

Same with home hifi. The discontinued Richer Sounds 'Incognitio' system (aka Opus) offers 6 channels over Cat5 wiring, well, I got the main boxes / PSUs cheap as chips + spares,

the room controls were being sold off for buttons as they were the tabletop versions. And what is the tabletop version? It's a wall mounting version in a custom made table box. Unscrew

controller from custom box, bin custom box and you have a £100 item for £10! Yes it's well 'analogue' and slightly old fashioned but it's simple and that's the key. Each room can choose one of

6 channels, for 3 of them that's radio from a fixed tuner in the main cupboard, 4th is my (actual vinyl) jukebox, 5th a bluetooth rx with a modified antenna so it covers the house...

Best of all it works with any speakers you want to just reused my half decent Yamahas. No need to spend silly money or suffer tinny little pc type speakers.