Control/Automation Servers For The Home?

[PeteCress]

I've just stumbled on to something called "Charmed Quark Controller" (http://tinyurl.com/kth5mh) via http://tinyurl.com/nl4xp5.

Seems tb a hub for controlling various computer-controllable devices around the home - like CCTV cameras, SageTV Media Extenders, lawn sprinklers, and so-forth.

This has a certain appeal to me, but I'm totally clueless.

Has anybody gotten into this?

Other products?

Preferences?

[MitchSchaft]

I've never heard of those guys. Their sight is all text and I didn't see any products/pricing.
I highly recommend mControl by Embedded Automation, combined with the Insteon protocol: http://www.embeddedautomation.com/

I've been running it for 1.5 years with no problems. I run mine off of a WHS box and an Insteon USB controller. It sends out signals via radio waves and your power lines.

[wado1971]

I looked into CQC about 2yrs ago. If I had any desire to integrate whole home automation, it would be on the top of my list.

IVB (sagetv forum handle) has done some incredible things with this...... also integrating sagetv very well and seems to even use hd200's in his setup. You should check out some of his posts, & website (the screenshots are great).
http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/index...tpage&Itemid=1
He also has tutorials on setting it up.

rob

[PGPfan]

There are a few guys here running CQC (do a search for CQC) Charmed Quark Controller but to be honest, they've priced it out of the range that I'm willing to spend on automation.

-PGPfan

[MitchSchaft]

Wow, $400 is a big difference from mControl's $80 . I couldn't find any info on what protcol and hardware CQC uses.

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by wado1971

IVB (sagetv forum handle) has done some incredible things with this...... also integrating sagetv very well and seems to even use hd200's in his setup. You should check out some of his posts, & website (the screenshots are great).
http://www.myhometheaterpc.com/index...tpage&Itemid=1
He also has tutorials on setting it up.

That's the page that got me spun up on this.

Is anybody else besides IVB controlling CCTV cameras from whatever they are using?

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

I've never heard of those guys. Their sight is all text and I didn't see any products/pricing.
I highly recommend mControl by Embedded Automation, combined with the Insteon protocol: http://www.embeddedautomation.com/

I've been running it for 1.5 years with no problems. I run mine off of a WHS box and an Insteon USB controller. It sends out signals via radio waves and your power lines.

Just skimming the home page, it sounds like it was written for Windows Media Center.

Are you also running MCE? Or is there a way to integrate it into Sage?

To avoid making a career out of the product search stage, I'm tempted to just jump into mControl - whether it integrates with SageTV or not.

My primary immediate goal is to implement motion-sensing sprinklers at various points around the yard in an attempt to cut down on the garden damage by deer.

Yes... we're drifting off-topic now.... but has anybody been here? Mainly, is your mControl co-existing with SageTV on the same WHS server?

More appropriate fora?

[samgreco]

Perhaps looking at the actual site might help.

It is the top of the heap for total control, home automation on a PC. While mControl is nice, it is not in the same league.

Check out the forums at Charmed Quark as well. There has been a lot of SageTV integration going on there. Very tight integration by the look of it.

And the sale for the full package at $333 just ended with the release of 3.0.

I am NOT a CQC user. Everytime I am ready to jump in with one of their sales, I find myself tight on cash. Oh well. Next time.

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by samgreco

Perhaps looking at the actual site might help.

It is the top of the heap for total control, home automation on a PC. While mControl is nice, it is not in the same league.

I think that the note you're referring to I was referring to mControl.

Seems pretty clear that the Charmed Quark product is professional/commercial level. But it also seems like they think they're doing non-pros some kind of favor by offering the "DIY" version.

The rather large price diff is something to consider for me.

"You get what you pay for"....and all that.... but I'd be happy with "good enough in this case - and I don't really need Sage integration. If a product will let me read motion sensors and turn sprinklers on/off and trigger cameras that's all I need.

[MitchSchaft]

mControl does not have a Sage addin. There is a guy here working on one, though. Maybe he'll have it out soon. I switched over from MCE 6 months ago or so and still run it out in the living room. I never use the MCE plugin anyway.
I just stick with configuring through their WHS plugin, which is really cool. Otherwise, you configure it through IE.

http://www.smarthome.com/ is where you get all the toys to go with it. Insteon is the way to go.

Here is the USB interface: http://www.smarthome.com/2414U/Power...-Device/p.aspx

Here is your sprinkler controller: http://www.smarthome.com/31270/INSTE...-System/p.aspx

Here is a motion sensor: http://www.smarthome.com/2420M/Wirel...-Sensor/p.aspx

mControl is compatible with lots of cameras. You'll have to check out their site for that info. I haven't made it to the cameras yet .

*edit*
I just found this link from a WHS blog about the sprinklers. That's pretty cool:
http://usingwindowshomeserver.com/20...-friday-night/

[samgreco]

I am by no means trying to push CQC . I'm not using it yet either. I am still using Premise, which is pretty old, but free. And it's still quite powerful. You can see what that's about here.. It's a small but dedicated group. Might work for you.

Remember that apps like CQC are meant to be the do all home control app. It controls EVERYTHING, including multiroom audio. So for it's market, it's reasonably priced. But I still fight with myself to spend that much. I appreciate the value, but when times are tight, I'm cheap

[MitchSchaft]

mControl controls everything, including multiroom audio . But way cheaper, lol.

[samgreco]

It's obviously been a while. I didn't know they added multiroom audio control.

I'll have to check it out again sometime.

[MitchSchaft]

A third party company built a driver for it. I really don't know much about it .

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

http://www.smarthome.com/ is where you get all the toys to go with it. Insteon is the way to go.

To get my feet wet, I ordered:

• USB interface
• Motion sensor
• "Wireless Phase Coupler" (Access point??)
• Appliance on/off module

The plan is to install the mControl add-in, hook up the USB interface, deploy the motion sensor, plug a 100-watt bulb or something into the applicance on/off module, and fiddle with mControl until I can turn the light on by triggering the motion sensor.

Does it sound like I understand the architecture?

What breed of cat is in your thumbnail pic?

Because this has gone OT, I plan to take it over to the mControl forum as soon as they clear my ID for posting.

[MitchSchaft]

Damn, that's hardcore. Yeah, that's exactly what it'll do. I have the Venstar t1700 thermostat that works pretty well. I would love to get ahold of that Elk M1 Gold alarm system, too! Next I plan to mess with motion sensors and contact sensor for when I open the front door or something. I run mcontrol off of WHS.

My cat! His name is Bob. Nekid Bob. He's a hairless sphynx mix. Technically a Bambino Curl. A mix between a sphynx, american curl, and munchkin. I have the non-standard, long-leg version as opposed to the short, midget legs. He's the sweetest cat you'll ever meet and he's very smart. He'll be 3 in September.

[PGPfan]

Originally Posted by samgreco

I am by no means trying to push CQC . I'm not using it yet either. I am still using Premise, which is pretty old, but free. And it's still quite powerful. You can see what that's about here.. It's a small but dedicated group. Might work for you.

Remember that apps like CQC are meant to be the do all home control app. It controls EVERYTHING, including multiroom audio. So for it's market, it's reasonably priced. But I still fight with myself to spend that much. I appreciate the value, but when times are tight, I'm cheap

Wow, PremiseSYS is still working! Way back in 2000 I did some work with the developers of PremiseSYS (the founder was a former Microsoft guy, as I recall) while I desgned and built one of the 'home entertainment labs' at MS. I still have one of the first 'dongles' when it was a requirement to use PremiseSYS.

In my opinion, those guys were WAY ahead of their time! I think browser based automation really is the future, what with 'cloud' OS's and everything. Thanks for pointing out the Cocoontech forum, I'm going to have to jump in and start messing with PremiseSYS again, now that I know it's still alive!

-PGPfan

[samgreco]

PGPFan - There is an old Lantronix guy, Jim Springer, on the forum and he is working on a Silverlight browser implementation. Looks quite promising.

I am still amazed at HOW ahead of their time those folks were.

Sorry for the hijack

[sic0048]

I use CQC and love it. I started out using it mainly to control a centralized a/v distribution system. All my A/V equipment (including Sage server and extenders) and located in a central wiring closet and then I use an autopatch marix switch to distribute HD signals all over the house. I also use a B&K CT600 whole house audio system and have radio, three streams of ripped music, pandora radio, and a couple of other things as audio choices. I have the Sage system, a Sony 400 disk DVD changer and a Wii as the current video sources.

Since then, I've also expanded the system to include security and HVAC control. I hope to soon start with lighting control (via either the OnQ ALC lighting system of the Centralite Jetstream system - I haven't made up my mind yet).

All these systems work alone, but CQC allows me to tie them together into one cohesive unit. CQC also has a great graphical interface which allows you to create really nice looking interfaces for computers, touchscreens, hand held devices, etc.

I use everything from a basic IR remote to touchscreens, Nokia Internet tablets, UMPCs, and interfaces that are displayed on my TV using a cheap HP thinclient to control my system.

Just a note about the difference between the DIY version and Intergrator versions of CQC. They are infact the same exact software. The integrator version is designed to be used by a professional installer and it includes direct support from CQC. The DIY version is the same software with the same capabilities, but it does not have direct support from CQC (ie no phone number to call). But CQC does have a very active user group and even the CQC developers routinely help DIYers with problems on the forums. But that type of support is not instantaneous like the integrator support is - hence the difference in cost.

CQC does have a fully functional Sage driver which means I can control Sage via my CQC system. I can control it via any of my interfaces. I can also do things like make sure the extenders are turned off when the house's alarm system is armed away (actually I make sure all my audio and video equipment is turned off). That might be a silly example, but if you can think of something you would want to control or have done, you can basically do it.

I only know CQC so I cannot compare it to other automation systems. But CQC is pretty darn cool IMHO!

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by sic0048

CQC does have a fully functional Sage driver which means....

Does CQC's SageTV integration extend to adding a menu or something to HD200's so that the CQC screens can be accessed from an HD200?

Also, when I was reading their pages, I got the impression that there was an annual fee of $95 involved. Doesn't sound right. Did I read it wrong?