Re:SWMBO and HA

["ianh1000" <ianh1000@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks Robin, Appreciate your input, still rolling on the floor about
Rob's reply!

I think some of my problems relate to the fact that I am tight and
like to have done it myself. I have music in 4 rooms, study, loung
kitchen and main bedroom. This is all from the same set of MP3 files
but every room has a different user interface so other than me people
don't bother to use it.

You are so right about the 24x7x365 or 99.999% availability. If it doe
s not work once or twice the family decide not to bother trying again.

I guess i should spend a bit more and get a consistent user interface
but if I were to spend serious money I think I would be dissapointed
in the functionality.

I am not looking for a fully automated home to the same degree as some
on this forum as I don' think it would be practical unless I was
building a new property (maybe one day I will do that). I just want a
little more intelligence in what I have today.

Regards
Ian


--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Robin Edwards <robin@...> wrote:
>
> I too have messed around for 3-4 years, nowhere near as serious as
most on this
> list.  My 'words of advice' from experience:
> 1: Make sure what you do has desired effect.  I sold my wife on
motion detector
> in our very small utility room to see in dryer/washing machines
easily using
> angle poise lamp.  I deployed successfully and she thought it was
great for two
> or three days then the TM13 (or whatever) forgot it was supposed to
spot motion
> signals from the PIR and didnt turn on.  Loads of
fiddling/discussion here and
> on MrHouse list showed how crap the TM13 is.  Bought a WGL800 in
place of it.
> Worked perfectly for last two years... but the foot had already been
shot off.
> Message: family are descerning and demanding users, no second chance.
> 2: Dont give up
> 3: This is 7x24x365, it must work all time regardless, just like
ATMs and their
> backup systems.  Its not as important to the population of the UK,
but it sure
> is to your family.
> 4:Dont give up
> 5: I spend maybe an hour or two fiddling per week.... its fun and
one day you'll
> hit the killer application for your house and be a hero (when you do
let me know
> what it is!)
> 6: Start where it will be well recieved, whilst not HA I deployed a
Slimp3 or
> Squeezeboxes to listen to music in each room and enabled MrHouse to
send
> messages to them.  Its interesting to watch the first time 'xxx has
email from
> yyy) scroll across the device and people actually got up, left the
room to see
> the content of the email!
> 7: Dont give up
> 8: The second item thats worked for me is the Slimp3 in the bathroom
(actually
> its outside as its 240V) but the waterproof speakers are in the
ceiling an a
> DrAmp inwall amp is also in the ceiling.  The amp and LV shower LEDs
are plugged
> into a pair of 13 amp sockets in ceiling void and controlled by an
SS13(?)
> stick-on switch next to Slimp3 outside bathroom door.  Nobody knows
or cares how
> it hangs together apart from me, even better and even relatives who
have stayed
> over have been impressed with the music in the bathroom.
>
> robin
>