Homeseer and X10 - Newbie Questions

[stueng]

Hi, I have bought myself a few X10 appliance and lamp modules to play around with and installed Homeseer Professional trial for 30 days; since playing with it I have a few questions

1) What are the fundamental differences between homeseer and homeseer professional?

2) When adding a device homeseer speaks of appliance modules and appliance modules w status. Where can one buy these appliance/lamp modules with status as google searching and scouring online home automation shops in the UK has not shed any light on this subject

3) When using plugins to control Media Center; iTunes etc - do these applications always have be running locally on the server or can Homeseer control a remote iTunes/Media player running on another computer?

4) Next question is about IR

I'd like Homeseer to be able to perform events (or macros) which send IR signals. What I dont understand is what I need in order to do this exactly. I obviously need some sort of IR blaster; but how would this connect back to the Homeseer server? Do they connect using X10? TCP/IP? RF? Can I also use these devices to re-produce IR signals (from bedroom to living room etc)

I'd like to create some sort of macro/event that when triggered will for example switch TV to specified input; turn amplifier to certain input; turn off the fish tank lights etc. I can currently use X10 to do the lights etc but have no idea what kit I need to do the IR stuff for the tv etc or how this would connect to Homeseer

Thanks for your time
Stu

[afmiller]

1st Question - I'm still newish to Homeseer, but my understanding is that HSPRO has all of the Homeseer plug ins, as standered HS doesn't. There is a Promo going on right now that you can get HSPRO for $399. Its the 3rd down from the bottom. I'd recommend using the promo, even if you dont use all of the plug ins, there are there. One of the big ones I enjoy is the HStouch , Your able to control devices, from any PC/Ipad/ipod touch/iphone. That plug in runs from $150-$199 normally but is included in HSPRO

http://www.homeseer.com/support/news...uly-4-2010.htm




For your 3rd Question, I have used the Itunes plug in, it has to be on the machine your running HSPRO on, and make sure your running HSPRO as a Program, and not as a service, or it won't work.

[Rupp]

Welcome to the HomeSeer message board Stu. Here's a spread sheet showing the differences in the HomeSeer levels.
http://store.homeseer.com/store/Home...son-W13C5.aspx

[stueng]

thanks guys; I will purchase HSpro

Any clues on these x10 modules "with status" ??

[Rupp]

Here's a link to a 2way X10 module
http://www.x10.com/products/x10_lm14a.htm

[stueng]

thanks - cant seem to find any appliance ones though; I cant understand why they are not more popular

[Rupp]

thanks - cant seem to find any appliance ones though; I cant understand why they are not more popular

X10 is sorta fading as a protocol. Plus those that "normally" choose X10 do not want to pay that for a module. Lastly many find that they use HomeSeer to control their devices and therefor will know the status.

[mrhappy]

2) When adding a device homeseer speaks of appliance modules and appliance modules w status. Where can one buy these appliance/lamp modules with status as google searching and scouring online home automation shops in the UK has not shed any light on this subject

For a protocol invented in the UK, X10 does not appear to have been taken on as much as it has in North America. As such some of the more intelligent functions (pre set dim/status reporting/local control) are not available in most of the devices as I doubt there is the market for the manufacturers to produce them. Now more technologies like ZWave (which is another still in its infancy here but maybe things will improve) are coming in that natively support status response then the manufacturers may never produce any more new modules.

AFAIK one of the only modules i've seen with status response in the UK is the LWM1/AWM2 but its a micro module not a plugin module, can't think i've ever seen a plugin module with status response.

[stueng]

Ok thanks guys...

Next question is about IR

I'd like Homeseer to be able to perform events (or macros) which send IR signals. What I dont understand is what I need in order to do this exactly. I obviously need some sort of IR blaster; but how would this connect back to the Homeseer server? Do they connect using X10? TCP/IP? RF? Can I also use these devices to re-produce IR signals (from bedroom to living room etc)

I'd like to create some sort of macro/event that when triggered will for example switch TV to specified input; turn amplifier to certain input; turn off the fish tank lights etc. I can currently use X10 to do the lights etc but have no idea what kit I need to do the IR stuff for the tv etc or how this would connect to Homeseer

Thanks again
Stu

[mrhappy]

I use the USB UIRT, it has a free plugin for use with HomeSeer - it connects back to my HS box via USB. I believe it supports additional emitters for other rooms but how you get those I don't know.

I'm using it in my lounge to control my xbox/tv/cable/satellite boxes and its working OK - a few minor problems but I think its as much the receiving equipments fault as it is the UIRT.

For example I have an alarm clock event, when the alarm clock is triggered and I walk into the lounge the TV turns on, input changed, cable box turned on and then the channel changed to the news. You will no doubt however need to do some experimentation with delays (how quick your cable box accepts channel numbers, how long tv takes to switch on etc) but it should be possible.

Theres other interfaces round that connect over lan or serial connections...I think all of them have their pros and cons.

[stueng]

USB UIRT

How do you learn IR commands with this? Its only a USB controller with no memory of its own from what I can tell so you would need some sort of software which can interpret the commands it learns, store then and then re-transmit them?

How does this interface with HS? Do you have to manually type in a bunch of codes and hex values or something into HS?

[Rupp]

USB UIRT

How do you learn IR commands with this? Its only a USB controller with no memory of its own from what I can tell so you would need some sort of software which can interpret the commands it learns, store then and then re-transmit them?

How does this interface with HS? Do you have to manually type in a bunch of codes and hex values or something into HS?

The HomeSeer plugin from the updater acts as the "software which can interpret the commands it learns". The commands are stored in a file on the HomeSeer system. You simply use the IRSignals page on your HS system, select learn, then point the remote at the device to learn the IR signal.

[mrhappy]

USB UIRT

How do you learn IR commands with this? Its only a USB controller with no memory of its own from what I can tell so you would need some sort of software which can interpret the commands it learns, store then and then re-transmit them?

How does this interface with HS? Do you have to manually type in a bunch of codes and hex values or something into HS?

As Rupp says mainly, when you click Learn in the IR signals page a form pops up on the HS PC (might be worthwhile being in front of the monitor/VNC'd into it) and you hold the remote control transmitting the code about 3" away from the UIRT (there is a seperate learning receiver that means you need to get quite close to it) and when you hold the button down a progress bar will fill up on the form and it will show when it learns the code correctly.

The codes are stored in the registry rather than HS, so if you move PC you need to remember to take them with you.

[cikoo]

x10

milkattable2 is correct but you can also use a normal switch to control these micro modules as well.
The only way is to get non-switched sockets and install the modules behind these.
>>mobile phone parts