Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Building a new house any reccomendations on what to add.

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #16
    Originally posted by tt300zrcr View Post

    Mulu where did you source your z-wave roller shade module from I saw some here doenst seem to be more than any regular roller shade with control

    Products – SmartWings (smartwingshome.com)
    Since it was basically a new construction we bought new shades from Home Depot. These shades (Bali) already had the Somfy z-wave motors integrated. In the bedrooms we have Levolor shades that open from both the bottom and top. Unfortunately, when you select the option for opening from the bottom AND top then there is no option to motorize them. Initially I was thinking of doing it myself, at least to opening/closing from the bottom. But except for in one bedroom they are either closed all the time or open all the time so I never bothered looking into motorizing them. The motors are actually also rather loud so I wouldn't want to use them when my wife is already sleeping.

    Comment


      #17
      Originally posted by TC1 View Post

      IMO, the best use of tablets is for information-at-a-glance. When approaching/walking by the screen it comes on and you can see things like currently playing, temps, perimeter sensors, weather, etc.

      Also, late at night sometimes you don't want to use voice commands.
      Agreed. I mostly use it to check the weather forecast as I walk out of the house. I also use it to control the heater/AC (I should set up some Alexa routines for that, actually) and to arm/disarm the security system (the downstairs tablet is mounted by the entrance).

      Comment


        #18
        Originally posted by Bigstevep View Post

        I agree that Zwave switches are the best for lights.

        I agree. I think Touch Screens look really cool BUT no one at my house and other houses where I have done installs wants to walking around touching screens when they can just voice command Google (or Alexa) to do it. I have one Touch Screen and my house but I never have to wipe the screen off as it has no fingerprints on it!
        I concur. Last year I had the itch to go touchscreens and did research and pricing for parts and realized, I'd never use them.
        Z-Wave is also my protocol of choice. Although I still have some X-10 modules that I break out during Christmastime. (I would NEVER recommend building a beautiful new house with X-10 - but I'm sure the OP is well aware)


        For audio/announcements I just discovered the Chromecast plugin and it's been great. I must have had my head buried in the sand. My fear is that Google Home and Chromecast is gimmicky enough that it will fade so they are not permanent installs where they are located throughout our home. I'm using clean looking wall mounts that could be removed and mounting holes repaired if needed.
        The house where we used to live I had speakers in many of the rooms throughout the house and powered it with an inexpensive ELK-800 amplifier connected directly to the HS server. Talk about bulletproof!

        I've been using HomeSeer since 1999 and I've seen a ton of ideas come and go. It's nearly impossible to predict the future but if I was building and had the resources, along with the other great suggestions people have shared, I'd also suggest a neutral to every box (where possible) I think I saw that there are some newer Z-Wave switches that don't require a neutral now so even that thought might be moot.
        Dan-O
        HomeSeer contributor since summer 1999, yes 1999!

        Comment


          #19
          Originally posted by Dan-O View Post

          I'd also suggest a neutral to every box (where possible) I think I saw that there are some newer Z-Wave switches that don't require a neutral now so even that thought might be moot.
          I don't think that's an issue for new builds since the NEC now requires a neutral at all boxes.

          Comment


            #20
            i am wondering if i even should run poe to like touch panel just hide it in the wall incase i ever wanted i think that probably the best bet i rather just talk to alexa mostly. still working on the plans but i think i should have good understanding now.

            Comment


              #21
              Originally posted by tt300zrcr View Post
              i am wondering if i even should run poe to like touch panel just hide it in the wall incase i ever wanted i think that probably the best bet i rather just talk to alexa mostly. still working on the plans but i think i should have good understanding now.
              You should have wiring to the touch panel so the panels always have power. And if you run wires then just run high quality CAT6a wires. This gives you the flexibility of just running power but also more complex devices or tap into that wire to add other devices. I also have a few CAT6a cables behind sheetrock in case I want to add TVs on certain walls, ceiling mounted video cameras, etc. For TVs, route the CAT a stud away from where you have an electrical outlet. That way you can get AC and Ethernet routed up and behind the TV and the CAT cable and electrical cable aren't close enough to interfere.

              Comment


                #22
                Lessons Learned from 2017 New Home:

                1. Install a 19" wall mounted rack where all of the cables will terminate. I am using products from NavePoint. In 2017 I used CAT5E cable.
                2. Install a suitable UPS for all of the equipment in the wall mounted rack.
                3. Install appropriate patch panels CAT6 or 6A
                4. Install a power distribution strip plug in the top of the enclosure.
                5. Install a suitable Ethernet Switch (I prefer a managed switch and consider a POE version.) My main switch is a 48 port 1GB TP-LINK L2 Managed Switch.
                6. Install multiple Ethernet cables to each location. This will prevent you from have to place Ethernet Switches in the living area (Think blinking Ethernet Led's at night.)
                7. Take pictures of every wall plate and document how they are connected back to the patch panel.
                8. Test every cable prior to moving the furniture in.

                Comment


                  #23
                  Clearly mark each cable at the rack.
                  With something permanent like this, and use heat shrink labels.
                  https://www.amazon.com/DYMO-Industri...98&sr=8-3&th=1

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Originally posted by looney2ns View Post
                    Clearly mark each cable at the rack.
                    With something permanent like this, and use heat shrink labels.
                    https://www.amazon.com/DYMO-Industri...98&sr=8-3&th=1
                    Yes, labelling is critical as you install your wires. I use a Brother PTouch labelmaker to tag both ends of every wire with a coded number. In my case, I use a three component code to label each wire. The first part is the service area (for example 1 = goes to the 1st floor, B= Barn, G = garage, etc.), the second part is the type of wire (e.g., 6a = Cat 6a, 22 = 22 gauge 4 conductor, etc., and the last part in just a sequential number (e.g., 1 = the first run of that type of wire, 2 = the second run, etc. So each cable will be labelled with something like 1-6a-4 or G-18-1. This makes it a whole lot easier figure out if I have a spare wire that I might need, know where it goes, and to make sure I am terminating the correct cable.
                    Mark

                    Comment


                      #25
                      All great ideas the only thing i am unfamiliar is the whole house audio distribution aspect i would like insound in the bedrooms and kitchen living areas as well as our gym. currently i use nuvo in the current house but that is so outdated and i dont really like getting up to make changes. theres got to be better plugins that can intergrate with the likes of alexa and google for talking capabilities where we can just say play song in kitchen and vice versa.

                      Comment


                        #26
                        Originally posted by tt300zrcr View Post
                        All great ideas the only thing i am unfamiliar is the whole house audio distribution aspect i would like insound in the bedrooms and kitchen living areas as well as our gym. currently i use nuvo in the current house but that is so outdated and i dont really like getting up to make changes. theres got to be better plugins that can intergrate with the likes of alexa and google for talking capabilities where we can just say play song in kitchen and vice versa.
                        I don't care about audio distribution through HS. I simply installed ceiling speakers, free standing speakers, outdoor speaker, etc and route the speaker cables to a central location (make sure you don't run those speaker wires in parallel to any AC cables, and other noise source). After that you can do whatever you want. In my case I have a 16 channel (8 stereo) amp with inputs from Chromecast devices. Then people can just cast their music to the desired location. If something more convenient comes around I still have all those speaker wires going to the same location and make any modifications I want. The only time HS comes in play is for announcement but those announcements are done through the Alexa devices that are in each room.

                        Comment


                          #27
                          I have a similar setup to mulu but one of the inputs into the distro amp is the HS system. I use HS scripts to control the amp via RS232.

                          If I were to do it again, I'd probably look for a system with digital audio distribution via Cat5/6 to individual amps to keep the speaker wiring a short as possible.
                          "if I have seen further [than others], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." --Sir Isaac Newton (1675)

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Originally posted by kenm View Post
                            I have a similar setup to mulu but one of the inputs into the distro amp is the HS system. I use HS scripts to control the amp via RS232.

                            If I were to do it again, I'd probably look for a system with digital audio distribution via Cat5/6 to individual amps to keep the speaker wiring a short as possible.
                            So you would have an amp right where the speaker is mounted? How does it get power? Through the CAT5/6 cable? Now I wonder if there would be such solution you describe and provide both power and digital music data over the existing 2 conductor speaker cable.

                            I did initially have humming issues and even today when I move some cables I temporarily still get humming while moving cables at the central location. What I ended up doing is using a fiber optical cable from the "wall mounted" Chromecast device to a digital to analog converter right at the 16 channel amp.

                            Comment


                              #29
                              Many years ago, I wired my house and outdoors for speakers, all terminating back at my basement hub. I used to run amps and a speaker switcher to control audio, integrated through HS. But I have found Sonos to be a much simpler and far more flexible solution. The Sonos4 plugin works great, and I can mix and match zones, play my own playlists or Pandora/Spotify lists, monitored and controlled via HSTouch. The Sonos players just sit on your network, wired or wireless, so not a lot to prep for. The downside is the price of some of the Sonos players like Amp, but the Sonos One is somewhat affordable at $200 each.
                              Mark

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Originally posted by mulu View Post

                                The only time HS comes in play is for announcement but those announcements are done through the Alexa devices that are in each room.
                                Nice. How are you getting the announcements to the Alexa devices?

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X