HA Recommendations

[cmclean]

I am currently completly renovating my house and during this process have electrically re-wired, install Cat5 and also coxial cables.

What I am interested in doing is installing some HA equipment.

Ideally I would like to install something to control the lights, alarm and cameras. It would also be nice to control the heating.

What HA equipment do people in here recommend? X10, C-bus, etc?

What are the main differences between X10, C-bus, etc?

I would like also control things from a PC. What do I need hardware/software wise and what is the best software to use?

Do they have any special wiring requirements?

What else do I need to know?

Sorry for all the questions

[Gooba]

Hi

Have you visited www.automatedhome.co.uk? Go there and join the yahoo group. There is a searchable archive. This sort of question has been asked before. So go visit you will pick uploads of information.

I use x10 and Homeseer to control the lights and some appliances around the house. The advantages to x10 are;

relatively inexpensive
easy to install - only need to rewire if you want to use the DIN rail modules
modular - I am adding extra bits and pieces as each room is decorated.
Should also be fairly easy to uninsstall if I decide to move.

Make sure you take a look at zwave as an alternative to x10. Similar sort of idea but doesn't use the powerline to transfer signals.

Most of the guys on teh UKHA list would recommend cbus which may be suitable if you have the whole house stripped. With cbus you need to install a cbus cat5 cable at each switch. cbus is more reliable because it doesn't use the powerline but is also more expensive.

My adive would be to join the UKHA group and ask the question there. If you can give the guys an idea of how many rooms, number of lights then will be able to give lots more advice. Most of the main UK's HA suppliers have representatives on the list but there is no hard sell.

If you decide to go down the x10 route tive me a shout and I will try and help.

John

[cmclean]

Excellent I will do that

Thanks