Home Automation Advise (Baby Steps!)

[penngray]

do you mean component video over CAT5? Sure, that's what Penngrey does, but you need equipment that can use CAT5. NO idea about the HomeTheatre stuff or what penngrey uses though.

Actually, I Have 3 HD video zones over cat5e and 5 HD zones using RG6.

I use Baluns to send the video voer cat5e.

I use Zoomplayer to play my movies that are ripped and stored my network.

I use Extron 200 (8x8) video switch to distribute them (upgrading to Extron crosspoint HVA128 soon).

[ToyMaster458]

Leads me to another question - if 22g is good enough, then for non-fire rated stuff, couldn't you just run CAT5 everywhere and double up on that? That way you have a highly re-usable type of wire in the wall if you decide to not put that sensor in, or swap it to something else.

It is not the Correct way of doing it, but yes you could. Even in my own house I am trying to use the correct wire for the job. The main reason you want the 18 guage is for power use. For example if a Smoke Detector has a built in Siren you realy want to use 18 gauge but if it does not you could get away with 22 gauge.

[robertmee]

First off, lots of Cat5 is 24awg, not 22awg, so it would take 4 of the 8 wires twisted together to make one equivalent 18awg. So, in essence, one cat5 can become one 2/18awg. While you can do it in a pinch, I don't recommend it because if one of your wires ever came loose or broke, then your effective 18awg suddenly becomes something else. Likely not a fire hazard since we are dealing with low power systems, but still a nuisance.

[zaccari]

I'm also doing HD over Cat5 using the Cat5RX/TX combination. It even allows digital and analog audio along with IR (I'm using a UIRT for that).

As for cabling, TM is right. Using the right cables for the right jobs is your best bet. Using Cat5 w/ 4 conductors twisted relies on that manufacturer who won't warrant that type of utilization. When something goes wrong, who ya gonna blame? The best example would be smokes wired without red fire wire. If you have a fire, it could come down to an insurance company denying a claim because of improper hardware not installed by a professional. Heck, it's totally possible they could try to blame you for a self installed system but if you follow the rules, they'd be much less likely to succeed.

Russ...

[noworries]

My electrician strongly advised against wiring the smokes into a panel as the primary triggering source. He stated that then gets you into a whole 'nuther set of fire code compliance, panel inspection requirements, etc. Plus, that red wire is expensive. He suggested and I opted to install smokes hardwired in the usual way, but the smokes he supplied also provide dry contacts for external triggering of the panel. Thus, the panel is passive so to speak. I didn't bother to check out his statements, but the solution seems robust regardless.

[ToyMaster458]

My electrician strongly advised against wiring the smokes into a panel as the primary triggering source. He stated that then gets you into a whole 'nuther set of fire code compliance, panel inspection requirements, etc. Plus, that red wire is expensive. He suggested and I opted to install smokes hardwired in the usual way, but the smokes he supplied also provide dry contacts for external triggering of the panel. Thus, the panel is passive so to speak. I didn't bother to check out his statements, but the solution seems robust regardless.

The only issue with his way is that they run off the house hold electric and if the power goes out then you have no smoke detection. With the other route the smokes run off the battery of the alarm.

[noworries]

The only issue with his way is that they run off the house hold electric and if the power goes out then you have no smoke detection. With the other route the smokes run off the battery of the alarm.

I'm pretty sure that the battery in the smoke would both activate the smoke's siren and close the contact to trigger the panel. Of course, my non-red security wire might have burned up back to the security panel, but then the panel may have been the source of the firehock:

[zaccari]

I'm trying to work through this issue right now. I'll let you know what the permit folks say in the end. Some areas require 110V power for smokes with local battery backup. Technically, a panel powered is ultimately powered by 110V with battery backup in the panel but...

Russ...

[beelzerob]

I'm going to buy the smoke alarms I want him to install, which are mains powered with battery backup, so code is fine. Then I'll run simple 2c wire to them and after inspections and all that I'll hook up the relays. So, the elk will simply "notice" when the alarms are going off, it won't determine if they do or not. And so for this instance, I don't care about the firewire, either....the elk is merely a backup alarm system.

[zaccari]

Nod, it's a shame you can't walk the "better" line in clear view. I will never understand why you can't use red fire wire and hook them into a panel ANYWHERE in the country. I guess if you had to come up with a disadvantage, you would have a central place to turn off all the smokes at one time.

Russ...