Re: Any advice for ambitious newbie?

["Mark McCall" <mark@xxxxxxx>]

> I am new to this group, and fairly new to home automation.

Welcome :)

> significant is that I want the house to be a Windows-free zone

Lots of people here have good stable windows based HA systems with
uptimes
in months rather than days or weeks.  While there is some Linux HA
software,
the vast majority is Windows and you'll be severely limiting your choice
if
you decide against it.

> the MP3s (originally 4 12Gb disks in a RAID-5 array, now 4 40Gb disks
in a
> RAID-5). And I have a PC in each room to play back the tracks.

A lot of are doing the same with collections regularly in the 100s of
gigabytes.

> What I plan for the new home is to replace the Windows PCs with
diskless
> linux workstations NFS mounting their filesystems from the server,
which

Have you seen the SliMP3, DDAR, Audiotron etc?

> than get a Tivo or other one-box solution, I was thinking of putting
TV
> tuner cards in a couple of the workstations, so that I could record to
the

Do yourself and buy a TiVo (or two if you want multi-channel
recording).

> I am fairly comfortable with the rest of the network configuration. I
will
> be putting twisted pair connections into each room, and also a couple
of
> watch out for, or haven't taken into account/provided for?

How many CAT5s per room do you plan?

> I was planning to go X10 for lighting control. From what I have read,
I
> should go for the DIN modules in preference to the X10 wall
switches,
right?
> My electrician says this will increase the cost of getting the
house
wired,
> as running a loop for each circuit is more labour intensive and
probably
> will require more cable. He works for the family company, so I am sure
he
is
> not trying to rip me off, but is this people's experience?

It will be more expensive.  Have you considered hardwired lighting
systems
instead of X10?

> understand that low-energy bulbs don't work well with X10 (or at least
not
> with the lamp modules).

Personally those low-energy bulbs give off an awful light.

> I understand a lot of people use Comfort to control their security
system.
> Is there a significant benefit to using this over programming the
X10
logic
> with something like Misterhouse or Heyu/Xtend?

YES!  If there's one area you want a standalone, stable hardware
solution
then it's security.

> Likewise opening and closing garage doors. What is the best way to
wire up
> and control these sort of devices?

My garage doors are wired into Comfort and so can be opened by phone
either
internal or external to the house.

> What about smoke detectors. The ones advertised by Letsautomate do not
say
> if they can be integrated with X10. I like the idea that smoke
detectors

I would not use X10 for anything this important! Get smoke detectors
that
hardwire into your alarm panel.

To be honest I'm losing the will to live now and I'm only about half
way
through your post :))))

I'll try to answer some more stuff tomorrow.  Off to bed :)

M.

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