ccclapp

Hi, This is great you figured it out. How do you find it to be? Is a great or so so? Also, do you know if there's any way to go directly to a given channel?

Thanks Dwight!! I will read up and either reply on your thread or start a new one. Thanks for being so helpful, as I have found most to be on this forum!!

Hi Dwight May I take you up on that? I am setting out to control sonos from isy and a keypad. Are you able to point me in the right direction? Also how do you find the results/capabilities/limitations to be ? Thanks!!! Ps: If this gets lengthy I will start a separate thread

...very interesting

These are great examples. Years ago I used MainLobby and Charmed Quirk. Recently I have investigated HS Touch. Correct me if I am wrong, aren't these GUIs primarily for other products, especially HS Touch, which have SOME ability to integrate with ISY, VS GUIs we can use to serve as the full ISY GUI? For me, I could likely live with HS Touch if I could buy only that and use it to FULLY control ISY.. However, I believe I would need the full homeseer and then get at ISY via Homeseer. That is very roundabout. Isn't this fundamentally the same with MainLobby? Essentially with the examples you gave, we get to use the ISY "add-ons" which offer limited integration with ISY's full capabilities and need to do so via another system (would hate to have to learn Homeseer just to get at ISY). Maybe I am mistaken. Question: Did you actually develop HS Touch? If so, aren't you the man for this job Thanks

Michel For the sake of discussion, what kind of $ would it take for you guys to quarterback this? You mentioned a kick-starter project. You might also be able to raise the funds from us directly. For discussion purposes, if 100 of us were up for contributing, what's the "nut" to get you going? Food for thought...

Welcome Mike!! This is exciting

For what it is worth, I just retrofit wired 25 windows and doors in a 15 year old house in 2 days with another guy using 3' and 6' x 1/4" electrician drill bits and a "Glowfish Tool Box Kit" expandable fiberglass pulling kit. Cost: tools $50; 1500' 22 AWG 4 conductor wire (only 2 conductor needed for contacts, but extras never hurt) $125; magnetic 3/8" diameter wired window contacts $2 each. On 1st floor windows drilled 1/4" hole bottom of window (where lower sash closes onto the sill) hole goes down to basement. On 2nd floor I did the reverse drilling from the top of the window up into the attic (I will then conceal the wire in weight well / sash spring groove. Stick Glowfish rod into hole, attach wire from basement, pull into window, connect contact. Wireless contacts are $30-$75 each, and not as much fun to do I am not a contractor, and am only slightly "handy" You might reconsider. PS: Now I have to figure out how to install the ELK M1

I believe ELK had an Zwave interface module.

EDIT: BECAUSE THE FOLLOWING IS OFF TOPIC I MADE THE FOLLOWING QUESTION A SEPARATE THREAD IN THE ELK FORUM. THUS PLEASE REPLY HERE: http://forum.universal-devices.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=14304'>http://forum.universal-devices.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=14304 Does anyone know if the individual buttons on the ELK keypads can be addressed by ISY? The context of my question is, the EKL KPs have many more buttons than insteon KPs. I would love to use these to control my ISY programs. This would be especially useful for AV related control using this KP, which has LCD and direction control: Can that be done? If so, can I go one step further and combine this with text being displayed on the KP LCD? If so, I could for example have a button run a series of programs to turn on and switch my Onlyo AVR to play DVD, turn on the TV screen, dim lights and have the KP display "Play Movie in Living Room" For other uses this KP would be far more virsitile that the 6-8 button Insteon alternative... If this gets too far off topic, I will do a separate post in the ELK forum. EDIT: BECAUSE THE ABOVE IS OFF TOPIC I MADE THIS QUESTION A SEPARATE THREAD IN THE ELK FORUM. THUS PLEASE REPLY HERE: http://forum.universal-devices.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=14304

I had not picked up on something you said above until now... If I understand correctly you say one needs a separate transmitter/receiver than the standard ELK wireless receiver to interact with Honeywell wireless devices. If so, possibly I should only get that transmitter/receiver and not the standard ELK one (or do I want/need the standard one as well)? My system is on order and I may need to tweak it. I expect to use Honeywell wireless contacts.

...nice, I need to read up on that. I believe I saw a thread about doing it, possibly yours. PS: I bought an ELK today

Thanks shannong. Very good information. You mention Honeywell. Did you ever look at a Honeywell security system as an alternative to ELK? I can get their products at dealer pricing and also like their Total Connect mobile interface as well as their 2-way communicating smokes/Co2. Do you have an opinion of their offering vs. ELK? I note most here use ELK, but dont know if that is due to a better product, or simply that ISY interfaces well with it. Sorry do slightly divert my own thread Thanks

Thanks for all of your comments. You make good sense. I think this last one, quoted above, is a good bottom line echoing the general feeling of the benefits of a dedicated system, but putting that in perspective of a given user's needs/priorities. I will likely move in the direction of ELK. All of your answers helped clarify the choice.

I am looking at ELK and other security systems and come away wondering why buy a security system: Cant we do all/most with just an ISY? Does any of this need to be more complicated than installing insteon, Zwave or wired contacts, motions, cameras, contact closures, sirens, etc controlled by ISY, battery backup and Mobilinc, and then setting up programs similar to how one would do the same in ELK, etc for Home, Away, etc, etc, etc.? Another aspect of my questions relates to the fact that ELK, Honeywell Total Connect security and others, duplicate much of what we will do via the ISY, e.g. Lighting, T-Stats, Cameras, Locks, remote control, etc. It seems there is much more redundancy then added capability from a security system. Here are are areas I imagine a dedicated/integrated security system may have added functionality and conceptually how I would address it with an ISY: -- Alarm Monitoring: Possibly ISY cannot give the required notifications to monitoring companies. However, it can send email/text to multiple parties specifying "faults" via programs. Possibly some independent monitoring companies will accept ISY notifications. Possibly there is a phone/cellular dialed that can be configured for telephone alerts. -- Power Backup: Use of APS to run ISY and modem will enable ISY communications if power is lost/cut. -- Power Failure Notifications: Via ISY or monitored APS if power is lost/cut -- Cellular Backup: In the event the cable/DSL internet line is cut. I dont know if its a big deal to set up a backup cellular internet connection on a network?? --Other??? I expect I am over simplifying, but what am I missing? Thanks

That's cool!

Hi Michel Yes, I understand. I am just wishing we could have our cake and eat it too. Thanks

Hi I know for me, and suspect for many, in looking at ISY a significant limitation is the lack of a great end-user interface. Apps like Mobilinc and possibly the newly developing Hone Automation Dashboard give hope. I am just wondering why there is not a robust, customizable and multifaceted whole-house automation interface with a great end user experience? Such an interface would include a) lights, doors, HVAC, alarm, etc; Multi zone AV, c) Energy monitoring/reporting aggregating both meter/panel monitoring and device monitoring, etc. Not that its perfect, but HSTouch for homeseer is a reasonable example. Ideally ISY's would be somewhat more robust/complete out-of-the-box, but still allow full customization. iRule and Roomie are good examples, but be more ISY-centric and allow the full breadth of HA users are creating. I am not criticizing and am by no means an expert, I am just asking/hoping. I would think such a complementary offering would significantly broaden the market. Any thoughts?