Re: Any advice for ambitious newbie?

["Bruno Prior" <bruno@xxxxxxx>]

Kenneth,

Thanks for replying.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kenneth Watt" <kennwatt@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, August 05, 2002 7:34 PM
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Any advice for ambitious newbie?
>
> This is the reason I went to dedicated playback devices for MP3 more
or
> less and I sympathise with your issues here. Zalman stuff works
very
> well indeed I use a cooling fan on the server and it made a hell of
a
> difference to the noise level.

What dedicated devices did you go for? Will they handle other
multimedia
(video etc.)? I've been trying to get the noise down on my PCs for a
while
and it's certainly a challenge. I am hoping that the new 0.13 micron
chips
should make it easier to get decent performance (which I have sacrificed
so
far) without excessive heat.

> > Then all I need is a practical interface.....Anyone have any
> > advice?
>
> Have you looked at ACE?

Not much before your message, but I've had a look at their website now.
It's
Windows software, I think. I would rather use something like
Misterhouse,
which not only allows me to use linux, but is programmed in perl, which
is
my main programming language. Does ACE have features I won't get with
Misterhouse?

> > I was thinking of getting one of LetsAutomate's LoftBox units
for
> > distributing TV/radio signals....Can you split the feeds to give
more
than 8?
>
> I use one here and I can't see any reason why you couldn't
"T" off a
> connection for and extra zone although whether you would be able to
do
> this with a sat/FM/TV plate I really don't know.

That's exactly what I was wondering.

> > My intention for recording was to go for hard-disk recording.
But
> > rather than get a Tivo or other one-box solution, I was thinking
of
> > putting TV tuner cards in a couple of the workstations....
>
> As for Linux alternatives I really don't know. What I do know is
that
> the TiVo/PC argument has come up several times over the past year or
so
> and the consensus of opinion always seems to be "go
TiVo"!

The TiVo seems like a great piece of kit. But if only they'd (a) included
a
network card, (b) made the storage expandable with multiple IDE channels
and
support for soft-RAID, and (c) brought out a cheap diskless version to
run
as a client. Then we'd really be talking! As it stands it (and the
other
hard-disk recorders) look like one-box, one-room solutions. I may be in
fanasy-land, but I was hoping to achieve something a bit more powerful
and
flexible.

> > 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,..... but is this people's experience?
>
> Yes and yes! DIN modules offer far more nice touches than the
plug-in
> affairs and require some special wiring so I would say that was
fair.

Thanks, that puts my mind at rest. I don't think he's talking a lot
more
money.

> > Does anyone have experience of lighting a barn?
>
> No, LE bulbs do not work on lamp modules you are correct. Have you
> considered the "strung" type LV downlighters as I'm sure you
could run a
> few alongside a rafter and they would not be too obtrusive but give
a
> crisp natural lighting effect?

Are those the type that seem to straddle two wires? If so, that's
exactly
what I was thinking of. But I thought I also couldn't use LV lighting
with
lamp modules because of the transformers? Even so, I suppose I could
use
these on applliance modules for my main downlighting, and just use the
odd
incandescent on lamp modules for mood lighting.

> > I wanted to setup a garden irrigation system....what do people
use?
>
> Ian Bird is your man for that question! ;)

Great. How do I get hold of him?

> > I was going to stick some of the kitchen appliances on X10
controls.
>
> Not an idea I would support with many of the appliances available
just
> now, but if you get me a list of the appliances I'll try to find out
how
> viable that would be.

I'm mainly thinking of kettle (to start boiling before we get out of
bed),
and washer/dryer and dishwasher (for nighttime running to reduce cost,
and
so they can be turned off if the house load is looking a bit high). We
only
have a single-phase 100A supply, and the heat pump has a hell of a
start-up
current, and a fair draw if it is running full wack. If I get the
timing
wrong and I am also running the electric ovens and the washing
equipment
when the heat pump kicks in, I could get close to overloading the
circuit,
which my electrician is very concerned about. I thought I might be able
to
reduce the risk if I could switch off the washing equipment automatically
if
the heat pump kicks in on a cold evening.

> HTH a bit :)

I'm trying to keep my replies briefer. Thanks for the advice.

Cheers,

Bruno

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