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Re: Need more input



On Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:29:04 -0500, "ABLE_1" <royboynospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote in message  <APidnTBWafu029ranZ2dnUVZ_tyknZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxx>:

>Hello all,
>
>Looking for some input on home lighting automation systems and the
possible
>control thru a panel such as the Elk M1Gold.
>
>Project involves a Main House with Detached Garage/Shop(500') and
>Studio(400').
>
>Has anyone here actually done this??  If so what equipment did you use.
>        RadioRa??
>        X10??
>        UPB??
>        Insteon??
>        something else??
>
>I have a project coming up (just laid in plenty of conduit) and am
starting
>the preliminary investigation on equipment.

As Bill Kearney suggests, the best/most robust single transmission medium
is fiber. I'd suggest pulling terminated SC-SC fiber cable first. The
connectors are large compared to the cable diameter and it is not practical
for the typical DIY home-owner to terminate fiber. So get pre-terminated
fiber pulled and tested. Search eBay for " SC-SC" for many options at
nickels on the dollar. Too long -- even *way* too long -- is OK if you have
a place to store the still-connected, unused cable. You can leave it on the
spool or not.

>If anyone has does something as above how did it go.  Painful or not??

My conversion to fiber has (knock on wood) eliminated the repeated,
expensive, time-consuming, exasperating (i.e., "painful" ) damage from
electrical transients.

>Is it better to marry(interface) this equipment or better to keep free
>standing??

In your description of "this equipment" in the paragraphs above, you seem
to mention only lighting. I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that you will
eventually want other capabilities.

>Suggestions of alternatives or thoughts pro and con.

At the end of the fiber at the remote location, I have an ethernet hub and
eight-channel, COMTROL ethernet-to-RS-232/485 converter. (eBay is also your
friend here).

With respect to the non-lighting components, I'd start by seeing what I
could accomplish with this capability, recognizing that the
ethernet-to-serial converter requires a PC running Microsoft or Linux or
Unix operating system.

Your description of "Married" and "Free", and the responses by others
implies that these are Either/Or propositions. They are not in my
experience. I use the term "federated" to describe a HA system that has
components that can act autonomously ("free")  _and_ be interconnected
("married" ) via one or more PC's.

Some examples in use in our home and years of operation include:

-- Napco security system (~12 years autonomous-only followed by
          9 years federated)
-- Elk Magic Module MM443s ( 9 years federated)
-- Elk M1G ( federated 1.5 years in transition)
-- Slinke IR  (federated 9 years)
-- Aprilaire/Enerzone thermostats ( ~ 8 years federated)

The first four devices also have at least some X-10
capability/possibilities.  I have used X-10, INSTEON and hardwired lighting
control in various standard and home-brew configuration. I can conceive of
circumstances where X-10 might be a fall-back alternative for inexpensive
lighting control at the remote location. But that's not where I'd start.

To determine whether INSTEON ( which appears to many folks including me to
be the most cost-effective automated lighting system alternative) would
work for you, consider buying an

INSTEON RemoteLinc Starter Kit, Black INSTEON
http://www.smarthome.com/2490rbk.html for $129

and testing its performance your particular wiring and circumstances. Even
if you decide to go with another lighting technology, this RF remote kit
will be useful. Put one 2443 RF-to-powerline link and one 2456D3 lamp
module at each location on the same AC phase. At a distance of 500 feet,
actual data transmission from the house to the remote location should/will
be over the powerline, not via RF.

(I have about 50 INSTEON devices installed including each of the components
in this kit and can, with a few provisos/observations recommend them.)

Note that a simple INSTEON system would not use the fiber that I
recommended at the beginning of the post. But do consider installing the
fiber anyway ;-) in part because once the bugs are out of the dependable
implementation of multiple RS-232 ->INSTEON controllers, one could have one
controller at the house and another at the remote location and communicate
using the fiber ->ethernet ->RS-xxx setup.

HTH ... Marc

Marc_F_Hult
www.ECOntrol.org


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