Smart Home Automation Systems with x10 controllers

Posts Tagged ‘remote control’

It doesn’t happen to often, but when it happens it’s the most annoying thing ever; locking yourself out of your own house. Your mind starts racing. Where are the people who also own a key of your place? Your looks become one of a burglar. Didn’t I leave the backdoor unlocked? Isn’t there a window open somewhere? What will be the smallest damage to my house when I brake into it?

Of course you could have hidden a key somewhere in your garden. But is that something you really want? Maybe today, it is something you want. But you would be worried for the rest of your life, worried if not somebody saw you picking up that key or hiding it away.

There is a simple solution however to your problem, a Smart Code Deadbolt.

The Smart Code Deadbolt can be as simple as a deadbolt which can be unlocked by a key as well as with a code. The bolt is a true locking dead bolt due to its motor driven bolt inside. The activation code is set by a 4 to 8 digits string of numbers. Locking is done by pushing one simple button and the code is not needed for this action. Nothing new so far, this technology has been on the market for a while and is used all around.

The true Home Automation System connection comes with the Smart Code Wireless Z-Wave Deadbolt. The bolt is able to talk wireless to your installed Home Automation System. This is home automation taken to the level it should be taken to. Imagen while unlocking your house with a simple code, the lights turn on, the alarm system disarms, the thermostat goes to high and the entertainment system turns on. Coming home has turned into a real coming home feel.

The system even takes it a step further. What about locking your house from your smart phone. Or receiving a message on your smart phone telling the children just came home. Or what in case of an emergency to be able to unlock all the doors of your house (remote if you need to) with only one command. Features which will make your life easier and saver.

Installing the system is a matter of minutes. The Smart Code Deadbolt runs on 2 AA batteries and no extra wires are needed to install the bolt. Simply remove the current bolt and mount the Smart Code Deadbolt in the door and the job is done. Remember the Z-Wave products are fully incorporated with the X10 Home Automation System. Which runs over existing electrical wires in your house. All in all, no extra wires are needed.

The bolt comes in brass, nickel, bronze, or just a simple black colour.

Next time when locking yourself out of your own house, a simple code lets you get back in.

Home alone and the doorbell rings unexpectedly. What to do, open the door or ignore your visitor? It might be a friend who drops by, it might be that person you wish you hadn’t opened the door for. A little peek through the curtains might give you a view of your visitor.  That is when you are lucky to have a window looking out over your front door. The Video Door System provides you that opportunity to have the safety of your home and still allows you to talk and even see the person who is ringing your doorbell.

With a simple push on your doorbell, your visitor will activate the Video Door System and indoors you will be notified of your visitor by a ringing bell and at the same time the monitor on your indoor console will turn on. By simply picking up the handset you can talk to your visitor and decide to open the door or not.

The system exists out of a video camera which will be mounted outside at your door and an indoor console with a handset and a monitor.

When buying a Video Door System consider the following options:

Remote Door Unlock System
Upon deciding to open the door, wouldn’t it be convenient to do it at the indoor console? An unlock button on your indoor console will give you that option. In this way the console can be located in any spot in your house. Right there in the living room or maybe the kitchen is a better spot.

Night light
When light is fading and it is getting dark, the video camera will not anymore pick up the image of your visitor. An automatic turned on night light will give you the light you need to identify your visitor. There are several possible scenarios for the light to turn on. The light can automatically turn on when it is getting dark or it can be connected to a motion detector so it will only turn on when a visitor enters your property. It can also be setup that is will be activated by pressing the doorbell. This might surprise some visitors though.

Knocking visitors
Not every visitor will always use the doorbell. For whatever reason, there will be always that visitor at your door which prefers to give an old fashion knock on your door. In this case the Video Door System will not turn on. A good feature to look for on your system is a “turn on system” button on the indoor console. In this way you can active the Video Door System from the inside console.

Extra handheld indoor console
Not wanting to walk to the indoor console when the doorbell is ringing, an extra handheld indoor console might be the solution for you. This little device can go with you, wherever you are in your house.

For convenience and personal safety a Video Door System might be the Home Automation System you are looking for.

Your home Audio Video System is beautifully placed in the corner of the living room. Electrical wires, and also the television cable wire are nicely build in the wall. All looks good. Except what about another Audio Video System in the recreation room. Suddenly another Satellite box has to be ordered, another DVR has to be bought, another audio system has to be on the list for the next Christmas. And what about the new wiring, cables rerouted through the house. The simple desire of having a relaxed time in the recreation room, suddenly exploded in a cost and time consuming project.

The solution, an Audio Video Sender / Receiver system.  This little apparatus, the Sender, is able to transmit the signal from your cable box, your television, your VCR, your DVR, your DVD player, your TiVo, your satellite TV, basically from any audio video system with an RCA output and send it out. The signal will go through doors, walls, and floors. From the basement to the kids rooms upstairs, the signal will penetrate every single room in your house for a crisp and clear Audio Video experience.

An Audio Video Receiver will be hooked up to the receiving system, the new system in the recreation room.  The Receiver should be positioned within 100 feet of the Sender, to be able to pick up the signal of the Sender.

And thats it. Home Entertainment throughout the house, with no extra wiring and for just a low cost. Systems on the market at the moment range from $350 to as low as 50$.

Something to note when looking for the perfect system for your house:

Systems come with and without the possibility to transmit an Audio signal. Shop around for the best available system, suiting your needs.

The audio signal can be transmitted in Mono or Stereo. Only when you are on a low budget, the Mono Audio system would be something to consider. Otherwise, Stereo it is.

Some systems come with a remote control included in the price, and by simply pointing at the Receiver, the Audio Video System in the living room can be controlled. It is just not feasible to walk up every time to the other room to change a channel. Look for the extra components coming with the system.

Some systems can be easily expanded by adding an extra Receiver.  Because why only installing a extra Audio Video System in the recreation room, while there can also be easily an other Television installed in the bedroom.

Most systems are easy plug and play installments. It will only takes 5 minutes to set up your new system. No drilling needed, no new cabling, no contractor hassle, no nothing.

The whole Home Automation System is based around one main apparatus, the central controller. Via this system all the Smart Home devices are controlled. Most controllers use about 10W of power under normal operation, that is only 0.24 kWh for a full day of operation. This amount will be easily saved by the energy saving capabilities of the Home Automation System. Installation is only a matter of plug-and-play and can be done by any of us. It is important to do some research before buying this important central device. It will determine your whole system and all the features and benefits it can supply you with.

If you are building a new house, this is the time to think of your Home Automation System. Where to install your build in control panels, where to mount your build in smart outlets. Make drawings and discuss them with your contractor and explain your desires.

When you already have a house, it is still not a bad idea to make a plan. What are the features you want? Which rooms will be involved? Which systems do you want to be automated? What is your budget? This will help you to make your research for the right components a bit more structured.

To following items are some things you want to concern in your research:

1. Do you want a standalone controller or do you want to control your system via your computer?

2. Check if the controller communicates via the slow RS-232 protocol or the much faster USB protocol.

3. Do you want only local control for your Home Automation System (from within the house) or also remote control (via a smart phone, iPad or remote computer)?

4. Do you want your system to communicate via Wi-Fi to all your automated devices, via the electrical network or both?

5. What are the features you want now and in the future to be automated? Is the brand you choose able to provide all the hardware you need?

6. Think of an extra touch screen to control your Home Automation System by every member of your household. A single push of a button can be even taught to the youngest among us. There are build-in units or table top units available on the market.

Some companies include a touch screen interface with their controller. Check for deals.

7. Check for starter packages, this will help to ease you into the whole automation process a bit more relaxed.

Home Automation can get very exciting, don’t get over confident though. It can get quickly very overwhelming also. Do your research, take your time, make a plan, stick to it, and start simple. Automated lights are the easiest to start with and give you immediately that big energy saving and comfort level you were looking for. Soon you will get confident with the system and can add more features. And before you know, your house is turned into a full automated home.

Hawking is a relative newcomer to the Home Automation System market. One system is worth mentioning though: The Hawkings Home Remote Pro – Home Automation Gateway. A comprehensive system that is capable of remote monitoring, remote controlling and remote securing your home.

Via the installed gateway the Home Automation System can be accessed remotely via a web browser or via a cell phone. This suddenly opens up all kind of extra features for your Home Automation System.

Remote monitoring
With installed security video cameras a peek in your house from all over the world becomes reality. Keeping an eye out on the kids, or the pet, right from your cell phone or your secured webpage online gives you the comfort you need.

Remote control
You can log in your Home Automation System straight from work, and set the security system with a new access code for your early arriving friends. After a specified set time the code will be deactivated again if you like.

Remote secure
Your Home Automation System can act as a notifier and send you an alerts on your cell phone when a security breach occurs.

The Hawkings Home Remote Pro Home Automation Gateway comes with a small service fee. The Basic Level service comes for free.