Home A/V or Automation: Sonos vs Control4 (1 Viewer)

[rascal]

Sweet...thanks Otis.

You said you could lock/unlock your doors with it. How do you do that? I love that feature.

I wonder if there is a way if you put a door/window sensor (due to a breakin or whatever) it would call 911? I guess you could hook it up to a loud ### alarm, but 911 is obviously preferred.

 

[ODoyleRules]

Have done a ton with the home automation network over the past year.-Nearly all the downstairs lights, basement lights, and outside lights are on the network. Can all be controlled wirelessly -- primarily from our iPhones, though I also access from our Macbooks and we have a front entry wall switch that will trigger various scenes (e.g., Bedtime, which turns off all the lights and locks the doors).-The basement lights are triggered by motion sensors -- never need to turn them on or off.-Front and back door locks are on the system. We can control from our phones, or otherwise just enter our PIN codes from the keypad (so much better never having to worry about housekeys).-Both our thermostats are on the network; controlled wirelessly, set on timers and based on various events (sunrise/sunset, someone coming or going, etc.)-Motion sensors throughout the house -- I set up custom displays on our iPhones for the whole system. It's basically a floor plan of our house, and you can control lights by touching the icons, lock/unlock the door, and even see if there is motion in a given room. The motion thing is great for when you wake up in the middle of the night to some noise, just scoop up your phone to see if anyone is downstairs.-I have all the battery operated devices being monitored, so that when the battery levels get low, it sends us a reminder e-mail to replace the batteries in the given device.- Flood sensor in the basement in the one area where we had water during a big rainstorm. Likewise sends us an e-mail if it is tripped, in case we are away, so we know we are flooding.- Hacked into our garage door opener, included a relay to open/close it, and a sensor that indicates whether it's opened or closed.I'm mostly done with the basics and then some. The other things I plan to add include:- potentially wiring the system into our ADT alarm system, which we haven't used (but it's installed, and all the hardware is there, so I could hook it up to our automation network and integrate alarm functions if we want to)- OR include some basic alarm functions, like if there is motion in the house downstairs at night, triggering a light or beep in our bedroom- wiring into the in-ground sprinklers, so that we can control all of that from the system as well (right now it's on a timer in the basement, but it's easy enough to add this to our system instead, and then you can control by all sorts of things -- i.e., based on weather forecasts, humidity, etc.)I'm sure I'll come up with other things to add down the road. All in all, it's a cool and convenient system. Lighting and thermostats basically all control themselves, based on time programs we have set up. I just press a button when we go to bed, all the lights shut down and doors deadbolt. And it's nice to be able to let people in remotely when we aren't there, or for those times you are already 20 miles for the house and sit there wondering whether you locked the door or not, etc.The parts can be expensive, and it's a time-consuming hobby, but once it is all set up, it's great.

Do you recommend any particular system and/or did you come across any good web resources for figuring this stuff out?

 

[Otis]

Sweet...thanks Otis.

You said you could lock/unlock your doors with it. How do you do that? I love that feature.

I wonder if there is a way if you put a door/window sensor (due to a breakin or whatever) it would call 911? I guess you could hook it up to a loud ### alarm, but 911 is obviously preferred.

Not this model, but something like this.Frankly my neighborhood isn't so bad that I need the full on alarm system blaring, cops on my lawn in 15 seconds. Just something that will wake us up and tell us someone is in the house, so we can either determine it's our house guest or whether we need to dial 911.

 

[Otis]

Have done a ton with the home automation network over the past year.

-Nearly all the downstairs lights, basement lights, and outside lights are on the network. Can all be controlled wirelessly -- primarily from our iPhones, though I also access from our Macbooks and we have a front entry wall switch that will trigger various scenes (e.g., Bedtime, which turns off all the lights and locks the doors).

-The basement lights are triggered by motion sensors -- never need to turn them on or off.

-Front and back door locks are on the system. We can control from our phones, or otherwise just enter our PIN codes from the keypad (so much better never having to worry about housekeys).

-Both our thermostats are on the network; controlled wirelessly, set on timers and based on various events (sunrise/sunset, someone coming or going, etc.)

-Motion sensors throughout the house -- I set up custom displays on our iPhones for the whole system. It's basically a floor plan of our house, and you can control lights by touching the icons, lock/unlock the door, and even see if there is motion in a given room. The motion thing is great for when you wake up in the middle of the night to some noise, just scoop up your phone to see if anyone is downstairs.

-I have all the battery operated devices being monitored, so that when the battery levels get low, it sends us a reminder e-mail to replace the batteries in the given device.

- Flood sensor in the basement in the one area where we had water during a big rainstorm. Likewise sends us an e-mail if it is tripped, in case we are away, so we know we are flooding.

- Hacked into our garage door opener, included a relay to open/close it, and a sensor that indicates whether it's opened or closed.

I'm mostly done with the basics and then some. The other things I plan to add include:

- potentially wiring the system into our ADT alarm system, which we haven't used (but it's installed, and all the hardware is there, so I could hook it up to our automation network and integrate alarm functions if we want to)

- OR include some basic alarm functions, like if there is motion in the house downstairs at night, triggering a light or beep in our bedroom

- wiring into the in-ground sprinklers, so that we can control all of that from the system as well (right now it's on a timer in the basement, but it's easy enough to add this to our system instead, and then you can control by all sorts of things -- i.e., based on weather forecasts, humidity, etc.)

I'm sure I'll come up with other things to add down the road. All in all, it's a cool and convenient system. Lighting and thermostats basically all control themselves, based on time programs we have set up. I just press a button when we go to bed, all the lights shut down and doors deadbolt. And it's nice to be able to let people in remotely when we aren't there, or for those times you are already 20 miles for the house and sit there wondering whether you locked the door or not, etc.

The parts can be expensive, and it's a time-consuming hobby, but once it is all set up, it's great.

Do you recommend any particular system and/or did you come across any good web resources for figuring this stuff out?

Yup, linked above. It's all done through Homeseer -- http://www.homeseer.com/The forums there are awesome. I bought a Hometroller as a hub (there's a newer one that is less expensive than what I bought), but you can just buy the software and run it off a reliable PC. All my parts are Z-wave (wireless communication) communicating to the Z-troller as a hub (which links up to the Hometroller by serial port); as opposed to X-10 or other older interfaces.

Homeseer boards are a fantastic resource, and they even have a Homeseer store that has pretty much everything you need. You don't need to be a programmer per se (it helps), but if you're computer savvy enough, this is doable.

 

[Tiger Fan]

Have done a ton with the home automation network over the past year.-Nearly all the downstairs lights, basement lights, and outside lights are on the network. Can all be controlled wirelessly -- primarily from our iPhones, though I also access from our Macbooks and we have a front entry wall switch that will trigger various scenes (e.g., Bedtime, which turns off all the lights and locks the doors).-The basement lights are triggered by motion sensors -- never need to turn them on or off.-Front and back door locks are on the system. We can control from our phones, or otherwise just enter our PIN codes from the keypad (so much better never having to worry about housekeys).-Both our thermostats are on the network; controlled wirelessly, set on timers and based on various events (sunrise/sunset, someone coming or going, etc.)-Motion sensors throughout the house -- I set up custom displays on our iPhones for the whole system. It's basically a floor plan of our house, and you can control lights by touching the icons, lock/unlock the door, and even see if there is motion in a given room. The motion thing is great for when you wake up in the middle of the night to some noise, just scoop up your phone to see if anyone is downstairs.-I have all the battery operated devices being monitored, so that when the battery levels get low, it sends us a reminder e-mail to replace the batteries in the given device.- Flood sensor in the basement in the one area where we had water during a big rainstorm. Likewise sends us an e-mail if it is tripped, in case we are away, so we know we are flooding.- Hacked into our garage door opener, included a relay to open/close it, and a sensor that indicates whether it's opened or closed.I'm mostly done with the basics and then some. The other things I plan to add include:- potentially wiring the system into our ADT alarm system, which we haven't used (but it's installed, and all the hardware is there, so I could hook it up to our automation network and integrate alarm functions if we want to)- OR include some basic alarm functions, like if there is motion in the house downstairs at night, triggering a light or beep in our bedroom- wiring into the in-ground sprinklers, so that we can control all of that from the system as well (right now it's on a timer in the basement, but it's easy enough to add this to our system instead, and then you can control by all sorts of things -- i.e., based on weather forecasts, humidity, etc.)I'm sure I'll come up with other things to add down the road. All in all, it's a cool and convenient system. Lighting and thermostats basically all control themselves, based on time programs we have set up. I just press a button when we go to bed, all the lights shut down and doors deadbolt. And it's nice to be able to let people in remotely when we aren't there, or for those times you are already 20 miles for the house and sit there wondering whether you locked the door or not, etc.The parts can be expensive, and it's a time-consuming hobby, but once it is all set up, it's great.

very impressive Approximate cost?

 

[Otis]

Have done a ton with the home automation network over the past year.-Nearly all the downstairs lights, basement lights, and outside lights are on the network. Can all be controlled wirelessly -- primarily from our iPhones, though I also access from our Macbooks and we have a front entry wall switch that will trigger various scenes (e.g., Bedtime, which turns off all the lights and locks the doors).-The basement lights are triggered by motion sensors -- never need to turn them on or off.-Front and back door locks are on the system. We can control from our phones, or otherwise just enter our PIN codes from the keypad (so much better never having to worry about housekeys).-Both our thermostats are on the network; controlled wirelessly, set on timers and based on various events (sunrise/sunset, someone coming or going, etc.)-Motion sensors throughout the house -- I set up custom displays on our iPhones for the whole system. It's basically a floor plan of our house, and you can control lights by touching the icons, lock/unlock the door, and even see if there is motion in a given room. The motion thing is great for when you wake up in the middle of the night to some noise, just scoop up your phone to see if anyone is downstairs.-I have all the battery operated devices being monitored, so that when the battery levels get low, it sends us a reminder e-mail to replace the batteries in the given device.- Flood sensor in the basement in the one area where we had water during a big rainstorm. Likewise sends us an e-mail if it is tripped, in case we are away, so we know we are flooding.- Hacked into our garage door opener, included a relay to open/close it, and a sensor that indicates whether it's opened or closed.I'm mostly done with the basics and then some. The other things I plan to add include:- potentially wiring the system into our ADT alarm system, which we haven't used (but it's installed, and all the hardware is there, so I could hook it up to our automation network and integrate alarm functions if we want to)- OR include some basic alarm functions, like if there is motion in the house downstairs at night, triggering a light or beep in our bedroom- wiring into the in-ground sprinklers, so that we can control all of that from the system as well (right now it's on a timer in the basement, but it's easy enough to add this to our system instead, and then you can control by all sorts of things -- i.e., based on weather forecasts, humidity, etc.)I'm sure I'll come up with other things to add down the road. All in all, it's a cool and convenient system. Lighting and thermostats basically all control themselves, based on time programs we have set up. I just press a button when we go to bed, all the lights shut down and doors deadbolt. And it's nice to be able to let people in remotely when we aren't there, or for those times you are already 20 miles for the house and sit there wondering whether you locked the door or not, etc.The parts can be expensive, and it's a time-consuming hobby, but once it is all set up, it's great.

very impressive Approximate cost?

A lot.The main controller and software package cost nearly a grand. (though the newest model costs half that)The components range from 30 bucks on the low end to 130 bucks or so on the high end. For example, I changed out a bunch of electrical outlets for the wireless kind at 25 bucks a pop; changed out a bunch of lighting wall switches and dimmers on the average price of probably 50 or 60 a pop. The door locks where 250 each.Probably 2-3k all in. Of course it didn't "feel" like that much since I did it piece by piece over the course of a year.

 

[culdeus]

what about micasaverde?

 

[ODoyleRules]

Yup, linked above. It's all done through Homeseer -- http://www.homeseer.com/

The forums there are awesome. I bought a Hometroller as a hub (there's a newer one that is less expensive than what I bought), but you can just buy the software and run it off a reliable PC. All my parts are Z-wave (wireless communication) communicating to the Z-troller as a hub (which links up to the Hometroller by serial port); as opposed to X-10 or other older interfaces.

Homeseer boards are a fantastic resource, and they even have a Homeseer store that has pretty much everything you need. You don't need to be a programmer per se (it helps), but if you're computer savvy enough, this is doable.

Thx. Good info. The thermostat and door locks are the most intriguing to me. How quickly does your door lock burn through batteries?

 

[Otis]

Yup, linked above. It's all done through Homeseer -- http://www.homeseer.com/

The forums there are awesome. I bought a Hometroller as a hub (there's a newer one that is less expensive than what I bought), but you can just buy the software and run it off a reliable PC. All my parts are Z-wave (wireless communication) communicating to the Z-troller as a hub (which links up to the Hometroller by serial port); as opposed to X-10 or other older interfaces.

Homeseer boards are a fantastic resource, and they even have a Homeseer store that has pretty much everything you need. You don't need to be a programmer per se (it helps), but if you're computer savvy enough, this is doable.

Thx. Good info. The thermostat and door locks are the most intriguing to me. How quickly does your door lock burn through batteries?

We replaced one set once. It was more than 6 months but less than 12. The back door (which we use less) seems to be lasting longer.

 

[Britney Spears]

Hmm, very interesting.

I would be more interested in the reverse progression from Otis'.

I would want to start with a system that has surveillance cameras that I can watch while I'm at work, and consider adding lighting, etc. later.

This homeseer seems to have all this stuff, but it seems a bit unclear to me how it all connects with power, network, etc.

 

[rascal]

Has anybody else done this or doing it?

Any updates Otis?

 

[Otis]

Has anybody else done this or doing it?Any updates Otis?

Still works great. Use it regularly. Every night the house shuts down at 11pm -- if we go to bed sooner, I hit one multi-function wall switch at the bottom of the stairs before I head up to bed, and all the lights go down, doors lock if they were unlocked, and the garage door closes if it was open. Outdoor and interior lights in the morning and triggered by sunrise/sunset offset times. We use our phones less to control stuff, but I've had many an instance where a sound woke me up at night and I would pull my phone off my night stand and look at the app to see if there was any motion in the house downstairs. We also monitor the temperature in the nursery this way. Still have a couple glitches I got bored trying to iron out. Something in the basement triggers the motion sensor pretty regularly. It may be crickets (we've got lots of crickets and spiders down there especially in summer -- it's an old unfinished basement). :crickets: I got bored trying to solve it -- probably can tamper with the sensitivity of the motion sensors, but it's worth the drain on some LEDs and electricity on occasion for the convenience -- you open the basement door and you step down and all the lights go on. When you're gone for a while, they go off. It works for us down there.The only other hitch is sometimes the software on the phones needs a config tweak because the IP address in the house changes. It's annoying on occasion, but hasn't been a huge issue. I think it usually happens when we lose power and Fios drops for a bit and needs to request a new IP address.Overall it's great stuff.

 

[Ignoratio Elenchi]

dot

 

[rascal]

Has anybody else done this or doing it?Any updates Otis?

Still works great. Use it regularly. Every night the house shuts down at 11pm -- if we go to bed sooner, I hit one multi-function wall switch at the bottom of the stairs before I head up to bed, and all the lights go down, doors lock if they were unlocked, and the garage door closes if it was open. Outdoor and interior lights in the morning and triggered by sunrise/sunset offset times. We use our phones less to control stuff, but I've had many an instance where a sound woke me up at night and I would pull my phone off my night stand and look at the app to see if there was any motion in the house downstairs. We also monitor the temperature in the nursery this way. Still have a couple glitches I got bored trying to iron out. Something in the basement triggers the motion sensor pretty regularly. It may be crickets (we've got lots of crickets and spiders down there especially in summer -- it's an old unfinished basement). :crickets: I got bored trying to solve it -- probably can tamper with the sensitivity of the motion sensors, but it's worth the drain on some LEDs and electricity on occasion for the convenience -- you open the basement door and you step down and all the lights go on. When you're gone for a while, they go off. It works for us down there.The only other hitch is sometimes the software on the phones needs a config tweak because the IP address in the house changes. It's annoying on occasion, but hasn't been a huge issue. I think it usually happens when we lose power and Fios drops for a bit and needs to request a new IP address.Overall it's great stuff.

what system are you using and did you customize any of your motion sensors/door locks/etc or did you use their equipment?

 

[Otis]

Any updates on the home automation stuff?

Thinking about implementing some stuff in the new house. Really used to enjoy all the features in the old house, and we just bought an Amazon Echo, which I think would allow us to potentially voice control some stuff.

I'm looking at the Smartthings Hub and system. Anyone?