Re: A mentor / Advisor ?

["news.comcast.net" <acoutinhobass@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I think I would eventually like to have most of the "subsystems"
> controlled or programmable.  HVAC, alarm / fire, lighting, data, cable
> (a/v) and telephone.
>
> Since the home is already built and walls are finished, there's probably
> not a high likelihood that I'll be interested in fishing new wires to each
> room. Although, I would guess that since there is a run to each room
> already, it would be relatively easy to pull one of them back with a
> "chase" or something, so I can attach a new run, and then pull them both
> back to the room.

That may or may not be doable, depending on how the cables have been run.
Most of the time staples and holes too small make repulling difficult to
impossible.  However, if there''s a basement with exposed floor joists above
or if the home is a ranch style it's not hard to run new cables.  More on
that later.

> Here are some of my ideas and thoughts on each system:
>
> Data:
> -----
> It's cool that each room has a cat5e run to it, but I've been happily
> using my wireless network for some time now, and wouldn't be disappointed
> if I continued using my wireless.  Although I don't know if my wireless
> Ethernet will help or interfere with any wireless HA products or services.
> I definitely would like to have access to my HomeAutomation system via my
> data network (so I can access it from my laptop or from the internet ..
> maybe with some nat rules on my firewall).

As a general rule, wireless HA and wireless Internet can coexist peacefully.

> Phone:
> -------
> My phone requirements are pretty small.  Don't use home phone for much of
> anything.  Wife uses it occasionally, but for the most part we're cellular
> people, and would probably give up home phone service if not for DSL.  One
> person suggested installing big fancy phones in lieu of a speaker or
> intercom system.  I don't know if that's necessary or not .. probably not.

Telephone intercoms tend to cost more than they're worth, especially if you
don't really need the phone service.  I usually prefer a separate intercom
system or even one with music though the music/intercoms don't sound as good
as multi-room stereo systems.  There are several intercoms and even CCTV
systems available that can ride on your CAT5 infrastructure.

> HVAC:
> --------
> I don't know what all the options are with this, but I would suspect that
> anything above and beyond the standard programmable thermostat would
> suffice for me.  It might be cool to have a few temperature sensors in
> various places in the home and control the system from those sensors as
> opposed to the single sensor that's in the thermostat.  In our current
> home, we moved the thermostat into the master bedroom instead of out in
> the hall. Definitely care more about the temp in the bedroom than in the
> hall way, and there's a significant difference.

Several of the popular HA controllers support remote temp and/or humidity
sensors and can control simple to multi-zone HVAC systems.  The ELK-M1 Gold
system which I sell does that nicely and can work with a number of different
brands of "communicating" thermostats.  A competing brand called HAI has
similar capabilities and is worth investigating.

> Security:
> ---------
> Again, I would expect that whatever is above and beyond the standard
> system is cool with me.  My system now has standard burglar and fire
> monitoring with all the usual bells and whistles (zones, motion,
> perimeter, etc..).

Almost all of the serious HA controllers also do security, fire, panic.
ELK's system comes with 16 input zones (sensing loops), expandable to over
200.

> A/V:
> ------
> This is probably one of the bigger issues for us.  We have, and LOVE, our
> dual tuner DirectTivo.  Only problem is that we only have one of them in
> the family room.  We can't route the signal anywhere else.  Well, I
> suppose we could, but currently we don't.  I'm thinking there must be some
> sort of solution to put the TIVO, and all the other AV equipment in the
> theater, and use IR "stuff" to control it from other rooms, and program
> which signal goes where.  My guess is this stuff aint cheap, so it may be
> cost prohibitive. Oh .. and whole house audio is always cool.

Russound and Xantech both make excellent multi-room A/V controllers that can
interface with your existing hardware, control it and "broadcast" the signal
over ordinary cables to speakers and TV's throughout the house.

> Lighting:
> --------
> I don't think there's anything too unique about what I think is cool here.
> Pre-Set "scenes" like "evening" or "party" or "sleep time" or whatever.  I
> had a fellow out that was telling me that I would need to start replacing
> all the switches with some kind of $100 switch.  That would be WAY
> expensive for me .. I would bet the gang of switches in the entry way
> would cost me close to $1,000 to replace, and that's only taking 3 steps
> into the house!

There are various solutions from X10, Zwave, etc., which run from $15 to $45
per switch.  X10 is the lowest grade and price.  Zwave is good and is
reasoinably proced.  Insteon is another mid-priced offering from a
competitor called SmartHome.  Some folks like it though there are a few
problems that have been reported here.  I don't sell any of these although I
do carry a Zwave intereface for the ELK system and X10 interfaces for
several others.  I'm still up in the air about which I will use in my new
(to me) home.  At this point it looks like I'll go with Zwave.

> Whew .. that's a lot.  I guess what I'm thinking most about now is the
> main panel and how much it will cost to make sure that down the road I
> don't have to replace it because I didn't give it enough thought.

You can get a starter kit consisting of master control panel, keypad and
various accessories for ~$500-600, depending on what you choose and where
you get it.  MOst of these systems are readily available online.

> Ok .. I gotta get back to cutting the grass ...

Have fun.

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Home Electronics
www.BassBurglarAlarms.com

PS -- I'm using my laptop at the moment so the username is different, but
it's still me.  :^)