Lee,
Seems like you have it pretty well figured out. It basically boils down to that the Elk will be able to handle most of the extra stuff you need (except the IR but they may be adding it soon). The Elk also has a nice HomeSeer Plug-in available too.
As far as thermostats, you can use either RCS, HAI, or AprilAire thermostats with the Elk.
Martin Custer
So, assume HomeSeer with a number of remote clients (Touchscreen PC, PDAs, voice, phone, etc) as the primary front end:
I'm now faced with a decision between a number of discreet components, and the selection of "all-in-one" automation panels.
I'll be integrating lighting control, HVAC, Security, Home Theater, and whatever else I can think to do. Girl's as big a geek as I am, so WAF is not a problem. :)
I'm leaning towards an Ocelot for HT, and a Secu16I for security inputs, and a Secu16 for the various outputs and a few more inputs. I'll also be needing an interface for whichever lighting system I use (X10, UPB, Insteon are the contenders, for me). A pair of HAI-RC80 thermostats should handle HVAC nicely.
So going that route, I'm looking at around $500 in hardware, plus a messy wiring cabinet and probably a good bit of coding work.
Compare that to one of the all-in-ones that integrates security, such as the ElkM1G. It looks to me like my starting cost is around $500 for an all-in-one, plus I *still* need a bunch of daughter boards.. more IO (I like discreet zones on my security sensors), etc. The thermostats are at least as expensive as the HAI, etc.
So the all-in-one approach seems significantly more expensive.
The benefits? Rock-solid security performance, and tighter integration.
My own background is in Entertainment Technology, where we're used to cobbling systems together to make them work. So to me, the lower cost approach is more appealing. I can see how the all-in-one approach is more appealing to someone with a background in security systems.
My usual question: What am I missing in my comparison, particularly in terms of implied costs and possible pitfalls?
I yield to the experience and expertise of others.
:Lee
Lee:
Consider starting with a review of the _software_ and programming interface/environemnts and chose what you like of them that _also_ meet your hardware needs. Other than lighting, hardware choices are wide and good. The achilles heel is the software in my experience.
Recognize that a system you install that depends on your programming may have positive value to you but negative value to the next occupant/owner (especially if you try to cobble the security system together with an Ocelot!)
HTH ... Marc Marc_F_Hult
I personally would never rely on a PC to be the central controlling unit for the security component. There are just too many things that can cause the PC to be down. For me, a security system needs to be rock solid, not only for intrusion detection, but also for smoke / gas detection.
I am a big fan of HAI panels (which has a HomeSeer plug-in available), but I have heard very good things about the ELK M1 as well. It may run you a bit more $, but I think the tradeoff would be worth it.
Kurt
Hi Lee Have a look at Homevision...great controller IMHO ...
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