Home Automation design and expansion

[MR8419]

I have the following devices and would like to start expanding to more advanced home automation. There are several software/hardware solutions and choosing the right one is a challenge. I am willing to go a different route with some hardware that I currently have if required or if something doesn't work with something else but would obviously prefer it all to work unless there's a better option.

 

The device list:

Ring Video Doorbell Pro

Nest

Chamberlain Garage Door control

Rheem EcoNet for water heater

Insteon plugin dimmer (bedroom lamp)

Insteon plugin on/off module (bedroom fan)

Insteon mini remote

Amazon Echo

 

Things I would like to purchase in the future:

Philips hue bulbs, light strips AND/or Lifx bulbs

remote controlled blinds/shades

HD cameras

Sonos?

TiVo? This might replace the DVR portion of my media center, not sure what route to take just yet.

Door and window open close sensors

Home energy use monitoring

 

 

Things I have currently that I would like to control as far as home av equipment:

Master bedroom: Samsung LCD and htpc running wmc

Theater: Pioneer 151 kuro, htpc running wmc, Oppo bdp83, Apple TV, Denon 4308ci avr

Office: Panasonic plasma, htpc running wmc, older Sony es avr (before HDMI)

 

Things I would like to control house wise:

ceiling fan lights, light levels, fan speeds

other lights

certain outlets

motion activation of certain lights.

 

I would eventually like some cameras for visual garage door status which is in addition to my chamberlain control/status. These cameras (foscam?) I would like to be HD/Pan/Tilt/Zoom, if possible, for which I can either build an NVR or use something like a Synology NAS as an NVR. A buddy at work has Q-See but I'm not sure if that can be integrated into home automation and/or tablet based remote.

 

I'm not sure what the best solution would be for a hub. I am looking at ISY but there's also smart things and many others as well. Finding a hub that works with everything that I have and want to do in the future is challenging. What I don't want to do is go down a path either hardware or software wise and find out that things are not going to work and then I'm going to have to get something else, although I realize I may already be at that point with what I have now.

 

Also i'm not sure what software solution for remote control I should go with. I'm looking at SimpleControl, iRule, Mobilinc, Harmony Hub/Elite, Apple home app with home-kit. I like the idea of a tablet based remote so that I can choose movies and music to play right from the tablet as opposed to doing it on screen but I would also like to do it on screen which Windows Media Center provides. I'm also thinking about moving to Kodi but I'm not sure yet so I'd like control over these computers with launching different apps and things. A physical remote is also nice at times, I've currently got a Harmony One. I have a amazon echo and would like to use that for voice control as well.

 

All these software choices and hub choices make this challenging.

 

 

Some general things that I would like to have happen if possible:

Activating watch movie or tv on a remote / tablet device and/or using the Amazon Echo. I would like it to turn on the avr, tv, go to the correct input and source as well as power the outlet that the subwoofer is plugged into so it doesn't have to be on all the time when the avr is not on. Dim the lights pre-movie selection, shut the lights off when the movie is playing and on pause the movie lights rise. When I get motorized shades someday I'd like to incorporate shades up and down into this as well.

 

Activate dinner scenes Philips Hue/Lifx lights set to specified color and brightness level. I don't necessarily want to have to grab a tablet/remote somewhere to go into the kitchen and turn the lights and the under cabinet lights on so a switch/scene switch on the wall would be handy to have as well as voice control from say my Amazon Echo.

 

Turn on certain lights at dusk until specified time

 

If the HVAC fan is on (heating,cooling or fan only) activate set of outlets for fans.

View status of open/closed windows and doors. If a window or door is open warn me before or when turning on AC/heat.

 

Voice command to set ceiling fan speed and light brightness

 

Weekday alarm that will play a specified music playlist as well as turn on the lights.

 

 

Anyone have any advice?

 

Thanks!

[oberkc]

My impressions, for what it is worth, is that there are very few controllers that control "everything".  Furthermore, the ability to control some of those things will depend greatly on the amount of work you are willing and able to devote to this.  It will also depend on access to some cloud services. 

 

I am mostly familiar with insteon, though I use some z-wave, some hue, sonos, and some LED strip lights I purchased from home depot (IR controlled).  Since you want to control some insteon devices, this already limits your options to the ISY, hub, vera, homeseer, things like that.  Smart things will not control insteon, to my knowledge.  Smart things MAY talk to the insteon hub, but I seriously doubt that this option would have the conditional logic you appear to seek.

 

Furthermore, your intentions with conditional logic tends to eliminate some of the typical controllers you might find at home depot or lowes or best buy.

 

My best guess, without doing a lot of research, is that the ISY is likely one of the few that can talk to most of those devices, but for many the support is not native, and that there is not a small amount of programming and configuring and experimenting and other hardware gateways that will be needed.

 

Unfortunately, it seems you have already purchased these devices, so the next point is moot (but I will say it anyhow).  If I were starting fresh, I would start with the controller.  I would pick a controller based upon its power with logical conditions and flexibility and the variety of devices with which it can speak, and with consideration of whether I am willing to rely on cloud services for core functionality.  Once picked, I would then limit my specific devices to those that are compatible with my chosen controller.  My choice, based on that approach, would be the ISY-994.

[stusviews]

Here's a bit of what I have/do:

 

I use Harmony Ultimate remotes and the new  (less than a month old) Harmony skill for the Echo to run Harmony activities to control the AV systems. An Insteon IR Transmitter is used for functions that the Harmony skill has not yet incorporated.

 

We have custom made motorized window coverings with Somfy motors. Control includes a network module, an Autelis Somfy interface and a Somfy Universal RTS Interface.

 

The garages and other areas of the exterior are monitored using CCTV cameras and a Swann DVR. The are also several IP cameras inside and out.

 

Virtually every light and fan is Insteon controlled. So are the garage doors and entryways. Selected window coverings and lights are scheduled to open/turn off and close/turn on.

 

The HVAC system controls fans. Leaving a door or window open for a period of time turns of the HVAC off, but not the fans.

 

Echo controls fan speeds and light brightness.

 

All entry and deadbolt locks are Schlage.

 

The ISY controls everything but the cameras.

[MR8419]

Ok, so I see this will likely require some different devices on my end and become a challenge.  My main concern at this point is I want to start by upgrading my older harmony one remote.  I thought about getting a new harmony elite and then using the Alexa skill to control the harmony activities but I've also looked at the simple control tablet remote for iPad.  I like that it can control the home theater as well as provide feedback from devices, the ability to choose movies and music to play right from the tablet in addition it being able to be used as a home automation controller to control lighting and what not.  I am ok with replacing the MyQ garage door monitoring with something like the Insteon garage monitoring device and I may be ok with changing the thermostat over to a Ecobee 3 if that would be a better choice but I would like either Philips hue or lifx bulbs in some places.  As for the cameras I only envisioned having the ability to use them on the web and iPad with simplecontrol but I dont know if this works or not, simple control does list some cameras its compatible with.  I don't have cameras yet so if its a separate app I guess that is fine for now.  Like I said the main concern right now is the theater remote with lighting control.  I'm not completely sold on simplecontrol as I don't know what else is out there but its capabilities and UI looked impressive to me.  I did look at iRule but the interface doesn't look as appealing to me.  The mobilinc stuff looked cool but it doesn't seem like it would have the same type of AV control that simplecontrol would have: feedback, guide, movie, music selection from tablet type stuff.

 

How are you doing your HVAC with it controlling fans and the door window sensors?

[stusviews]

How are you doing your HVAC with it controlling fans and the door window sensors?

 

I've installed Insteon thermostats, FanLincs and Open/Close sensors. I use an ISY to create scenes and programs that run based on conditions such as how long a door or window is left open or which mode the thermostat is in.

 

With the addition of a Z-Wave module, you can use Insteon or Z-Wave devices or a combination of both.

[asbril]

Aside from lights and fans (only Zwave devices)  that I control with ISY, I also have in my home 2 Nest thermostats, 2 Sonos systems and 5 Foscam cameras.  I would love to control everything with one controller or application. I have looked at the Network module of ISY but I am afraid that the implementation may be too techie for me and I am wondering whether adding a Homeseer controller would do the trick. In that case, I also would need to understand how to make 2 controllers speak to each other. Any idea and web links are welcome !

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi asbril,

 

With Polyglot and 5.0.x, you can do all the above. The problem is that Polyglot is still very tech/hacker oriented but I am sure it'll become more streamlined soon.

 

With regards to HomeSeer, I really do not know. Sorry.

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[asbril]

Thanks Michel,

 

You are the best, as I always say ! Pls give me a link where I can find more info on Polyglot.  As I am a non-tech savy amateur  and not at ease with computer programing I probably should wait until I can just add an ISY module and make the necessary configurations within the Administrative Console.

 

Alternatively, if I could pay an experienced ISY user in South Florida to help me get to the next level of ISY, that would be great . Anyone out there in South Florida ?

 

Let me take this opportunity to wish you and your team Happy Thanksgiving.

Edited November 23, 2016 by asbril

[Scottmichaelj]

Have a peek at HomeAssistant here. It may bridge the two for you. https://home-assistant.io/

[Michel Kohanim]

Hi asbril,

 

My pleasure and thank you!

Here's the link to Polyglot forum: http://forum.universal-devices.com/forum/111-polyglot/.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

With kind regards,

Michel

[larryllix]

Thanks Michel,

 

You are the best, as I always say ! Pls give me a link where I can find more info on Polyglot.  As I am a non-tech savy amateur  and not at ease with computer programing I probably should wait until I can just add an ISY module and make the necessary configurations within the Administrative Console.

 

Alternatively, if I could pay an experienced ISY user in South Florida to help me get to the next level of ISY, that would be great . Anyone out there in South Florida ?

 

Let me take this opportunity to wish you and your team Happy Thanksgiving.

From my experience with HomeSeer II, if you are not a hacker type with no programming prowess, HS would stump you very quickly on these items.

[asbril]

From my experience with HomeSeer II, if you are not a hacker type with no programming prowess, HS would stump you very quickly on these items.

I either wait till it is just an add-on module or I find someone to program it for me !