Posts: 3,716
Threads: 196
Joined: Aug 2006
I am giving up on my experiment to get consumer sensors linked into CQC, soooo ...
Requirements:
(1) WIRELESS (yes vivek, i know 
(2) Motion Sensors
(3) Door/Window Sensors
(4) 'Vibration' sensors (is this a thing? i want some)
(5) IP Connectivity with a dedicated APP and CQC integration
(6) NO requirement for keypads, monitoring, or a siren
(7) NO requirement for video, lighting, audio, hvac, etc ...
This doesn't need to be an 'automation panel'; I am simply looking for a sensor network.
What is everyone using? I know the Omni and Elk are biggies here, but what are the pros/cons of them? I am assuming that using a security panel simply for sensors will be much easier than trying to do the whole shebang.
edit: forgot to add - if it can integrate with my deadbolts, that would be awesome. i currently have a zwave lock, but have no issues swapping it out for zigbee.
do the needful ...
Hue | Sonos | Harmony | Elk M1G // Netatmo / Brultech
Posts: 40,483
Threads: 491
Joined: Aug 2002
I'm not expert, but in terms of the Elk/Omni, as I understand it, the Elk basically lets you get in the door at a lower price point, because less stuff is built into the base product, you add stuff to it as separately purchased options.
In terms of integration they are both good and solid. Given that HAI was purchased by Lutron, you do kind of have to worry as a DIYer that access may go away, whereas it doesn't seem likely to happen with the Elk.
Dean Roddey
Explorans limites defectum
Posts: 3,415
Threads: 158
Joined: Jan 2006
The Elk is a little long in the tooth from a technology perspective. Since you want to go wireless and don't want monitoring, keypads, etc, you might be better off just using sensors based on whatever lighting technology you use. i.e. ZWave, Insteon, etc.
Posts: 40,483
Threads: 491
Joined: Aug 2002
But I think that's what he is trying to get away from.
Dean Roddey
Explorans limites defectum
Posts: 2,407
Threads: 244
Joined: Oct 2007
I'm thinking about doing the same thing. I really just want door, window and motion from the elk. Zwave sensors are not very good and I have found that if I add anything to my network other than Vizia RF components the network becomes unreliable.
I purchased a used elk a few years ago. It was pretty cheap because the phone portion didn't work. Maybe look for something along those lines.
|Z-Wave|Sonos|Tivo|Hue|Plex|Roku|MyMovies|Echo|
Nest|Harmony|Neeo|LG TV|Smarthings|
Posts: 3,716
Threads: 196
Joined: Aug 2006
wuench Wrote:The Elk is a little long in the tooth from a technology perspective. Since you want to go wireless and don't want monitoring, keypads, etc, you might be better off just using sensors based on whatever lighting technology you use. i.e. ZWave, Insteon, etc.
what dean said. im frustrated with whats available, and my ZWave experiment has just been awful. the only thing that might be coming down the line are the Hue sensors, but even there they need to be polled which introduces enough latency that they probably wont work.
naturally, all of the new stuff is 'cloud' based, of which i actually am a fan, but they dont also provide a local option.
maybe the elk would be the best way to go. everyone here loves it, it has an app with the network module, and its modular.
wuench, what tech might i miss out on in this space that i havent thought about? (not /s, im genuinely asking since i dont keep up with some of these things)
do the needful ...
Hue | Sonos | Harmony | Elk M1G // Netatmo / Brultech
Posts: 4,225
Threads: 365
Joined: May 2005
apart from the wireless, any remote I/O module can do the rest. Take the Click PLC, its a PLC not a security panel, but you can wire in PIR,s sensors etc just like a security panel.
As for IP, well a serial to IP adapter will fix that - that's all the M1 does - it does not have Ethernet on it natively.
If you can find a wireless gateway (to discrete I/O) then that would take care of that side of it for you, but to have it built in, then a consumer product is probably what you will end up with - something like the M1.
Mykel Koblenz
Illawarra Smart Home
Posts: 2,407
Threads: 244
Joined: Oct 2007
I'm taking a close look at the elk with wireless sensors.
|Z-Wave|Sonos|Tivo|Hue|Plex|Roku|MyMovies|Echo|
Nest|Harmony|Neeo|LG TV|Smarthings|
Posts: 3,716
Threads: 196
Joined: Aug 2006
yeah, im trying to learn more about the Elk, too. i guess if it does what i request, then i cant be too picky. and it seems like the Elk can use my VRC0P to interface zwave for deadbolts.
do the needful ...
Hue | Sonos | Harmony | Elk M1G // Netatmo / Brultech
Posts: 3,415
Threads: 158
Joined: Jan 2006
The security motion sensors don't work very well for occupancy they are geared for security to prevent falses. And they don't usually have things like light sensors built in. I use them for occupancy and there is a lot of latency. Sometimes I have to dance a 30 sec jig to get the lights to come on.
I would like to find some good 12V occupancy sensors to hook to the elk, the only ones I could find was the sensorswitch and I couldn't get them to work.
The Elk also isn't up to date on SSL security, it has very limited email support, limit voice support, etc. And the client app is a stupid access based thing. It does have a good solid HA ASCII protocol though. But Elk really does need a refresh. They have not really added anything in 5 years. It is reliable and I guess that's the most important thing for a security panel.
It just seems like the non-security sensors out there are a lot more advanced. Things like multi-sensor packages, etc. But I haven't tried them, maybe it is a grass is greener type of thing..
|
