I recently ran into this http://www.nutech.com/online-store/35.html
I haven't tried it personally, and I haven't heard of anyone who used this yet, but it seems like an interesting concept: owners of those alarm systems can tap into the movement sensor data, and use that from the home automation framework to trigger actions based on room occupancy. I do wonder if this interferes with the system's nominal security use, but I guess not. Best -F On Dec 5, 2011, at 6:43 PM, Tom Metro wrote: > Jerry Feldman wrote: >> Home remote control - not exactly hardware hacking. > > Home automation fits the charter of the list. > > >> Years ago I looked into X10... > > I've written about X10 on BLU (see archives). I'm not a fan. Never > worked reliably for me except in very limited use (i.e. a RF wireless > switch talking to an RF receiver; no power-line communication involved). > > >> I've looked at Insteon... > > A viable choice, but it still mostly depends on power-line > communication, which I had had enough of, so I put my bets on Z-Wave, > with uses a mesh RF network. > > >> What I am looking for is a couple of wireless outlets so I can >> program a couple of lamps that are currently running on manual timers. >> >> ...decided it was not worth it at the time. > > I recommend starting small and simple. If you go Z-Wave start with one > of these: > http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-HA07C-Settings-Wireless-Control/dp/B000BRGU2E/ > > It's a simple timer/controller. Doesn't handle DST time changes > correctly (hard wired for the old schedule) as I noted in my Amazon > review, and has a clunky UI, but it's cheap and does the job (I've been > using one for a couple of years). You can find one for about $12 at the > Ocean State Job Lot down the road from you. > > Alternatively get the version that comes bundled with a couple of lamp > modules: > http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-HA101K-Home-Settings-Wireless/dp/B000BRMMDU/ > > or separately purchase some modules: > http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-HA02C-Settings-Heavy-Duty-Appliance/dp/B000BJSDZO/ > > I went with the appliance modules (use a relay instead of a TRIAC) as I > don't really have any incandescent lamps that could make use of the > dimming functionality the lamp module provides. > > Anyway, this will get your basic need met for under $50 ($40 if you shop > carefully). You;ll get your feet wet with Z-Wave and determine whether > it works reliably for you. > > >> What I want to do is to control a lamp (and later a thermostat) from >> Linux or Android via WiFi. > > When you are comfortable with the above, work your way up to this using: > http://code.google.com/p/open-zwave/ > > The list archives and the wiki has recommendations for computer Z-Wave > interfaces. > > I haven't had time to implement the Linux side of my Z-Wave setup, but > hope to do it in the coming year. I'd like to build a dedicated home > automation server on a router platform. > > -Tom > _______________________________________________ > Hardwarehacking mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.blu.org/mailman/listinfo/hardwarehacking _________________________________________ -- "'Problem' is a bleak word for challenge" - Richard Fish (Federico L. Lucifredi) - flucifredi at acm.org - GnuPG 0x4A73884C _______________________________________________ Hardwarehacking mailing list [email protected] http://lists.blu.org/mailman/listinfo/hardwarehacking
