Did you integrate TV, Music and multimedia with Laxone? Is it compatible with 3rd party products - AVR, speakers, tuners, etc? What’s been your experience. Btw, I am already in touch with that gentleman! Thx for the contact.
Cheers!
Home Security and Smart Home
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Lightwave rf are another option for lighting/sockets.
I’ve not installed any ubiquiti cameras before but their AP’s are top notch for the money and probably the best looking unit I install.
sorry just seen that you already have them 😁
LMSC The only thing I integrated was my projector, but that was just using the trigger output. My system detects when I turn it on and closes all the blinds and turns the lights off. Then when i turn it off it opens the blinds or turns the lights on (depending on if it’s after sunset).
I have a Sonos speaker in the kitchen that it can send to, but generally I just use that with Spotify. Personally, on the multimedia front, I didn’t see a use case for our house that was worth the cost.
Hopefully Rob will help. I actually spoke to him today about some additional lights I’ve ordered, and he mentioned that you’d been in touch.
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Baldrick Thx mate. Will take a look.
hornbyben My system detects when I turn it on and closes all the blinds and turns the lights off. Then when i turn it off it opens the blinds or turns the lights on (depending on if it’s after sunset).
That’s awesome.
In the first run, switches, selected sockets, some curtains/blinds, garden irrigation and radiators.
We do not want to replace all the curtains and blinds in one go. I think, we would look at the living room, kitchen, 2 bed rooms and leave the rest for costs reasons.
Who is your curtains and blinds supplier? If blinds, are they as effective as heavy curtains, which block cold and lights ?
Music can wait. We will integrate what ever we have - TV, radios, apple devices. We want to ensure it is compliant with 3rd party AVRs, speakers etc.
He may have to drop in eventually before he can provide an actual quote.
We will evaluate this over Thread-Matter-Homekit wifi based automation, although systems like Laxone appeal me a lot.
The toughest decision is opening the floors to lay bigger copper pipes if we take the Air Heat pump. Our chief concern will be the kitchen as it is only 5 years old! Even if we put radiators, which will be on the first floor, they would require bigger pipes.
If we do open, additional ethernet will be easier on the ground floor. We will also have to replace the boiler with combi or mega flow to take advantage of the opener floors!
Thx for the inputs.
hornbyben My system detects when I turn it on and closes all the blinds and turns the lights off. Then when i turn it off it opens the blinds or turns the lights on (depending on if it’s after sunset).
pff, that’s nothing…see here https://coffeetime.freeflarum.com/d/195-down-memory-lane/161
LMSC We used https://controlissblinds.co.uk/ for the blinds. We have a very modern aesthetic, so blinds are what we wanted. They’re blackout, but probably not as good as curtains as they don’t cover as big an area. We weren’t bothered about heat retention as we installed modern high insulating windows (the sort where the condensation forms on the outside).
I have no experience of air source heat pumps, but I’d be interested how it goes in the end.
hornbyben You are a waking library on these things! It’s time to share the windows supplier as well. Is there anything that you know that we do not know in the energy efficiency and home automation side ? 😂
If the blinds are not as good as curtains, don’t you guys feel cold?
Appreciate it mate. What a thread this is turning out to be! 😊
LMSC For windows we used https://velfac.co.uk/ for the extension and https://rationel.co.uk/ for upgrading the rest of the house at a later date. They’re sister companies, and have a similar look. Outside is powder coated aluminium, inside is wood. Very thermally efficient and long life. I think the rationel have the edge, as they have a better friction break mechanism to hold the window open.
I don’t feel the cold 😀. Good windows are for staying warm, the blinds really just to block the light out. We have curtains in the bedrooms, but I didn’t find opening and closing them a hassle.
With loxone you can use your curtains/blinds as part of your heating system though. For example you can get them to provide shade when the room is too hot and the sun is shining in.
LMSC A lighting designer recommended Loxone, and I thought it looked like a good system so went with that.
Probably the main thing that swung it was that the programming looked within my skill set, which meant I could tweak and upgrade without needing a consultant.
FYI Loxone has a KNX extension, which allows you to integrate KNX devices into the system.
I’m pretty happy and don’t think I would change anything with hindsight.
LMSC is there a reason you’re against their cameras?
It’s nice to see others using their access points!
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hellojava They have made enterprise grade at prosumer price point. They are very popular and make pretty good equipments.
Unfortunately, the UniFi choices are a bit of a mess right now (UDM/UDMP still flaky; UXG under-developed; USG/USGP old and underpowered, and connectivity, no response, … in the camera space). If we google, we know. You might be ok with one or two. I’m not sure if they have addressed these in recent months, as I haven’t followed closely.
I will get their AP for sure, but will stay clear in other areas. Obviously check if their external APs and mesh are weather proof.
Baldrick To my knowledge, their Flex HD wasn’t used to be weather proof or IP rated. I was looking at it some time early last year. I was advised to place it under the roof overhang or the Eve.
Based on your noting, they now are! As I said, their APs are great. We will be adding a couple of more and we won’t look at anything other than Unifi APs.
LMSC I don’t think you’ll be unhappy with their WiFi offerings.
I install data and fibre cabling for a living - ubiquiti is what I’d use in my house 😁
I’m often surprised by the reach & coverage those little AP’s push out especially at their price point. They’re probably the most popular unit I fit outside of Cisco which would be massive overkill for a domestic install, and to be honest they’re not as nice looking as the ubiquiti offerings 😉
a month later
Whaaaat… How did I miss this thread? Home automation is probably more of my life than coffee!
Some great advice above. I think the best comment is make your house less attractive than your neighbours. If they know you have a safe, they are still coming in whatever you do. Forget internal cameras, they only know about those once in. I think best bet is external cameras, either on front door bell, or round the side and back. If someone looks over my gate they can see 2, with red IR lights at night.
Wifi and routers agree that Unifi is the way to go. Best is separate cable modem from router (USG) and separate wifi access points. I have multiple internal and the external one as well. All solid.
Wouldn’t recommend their cameras as needs their system unless you are really spending money on their high end gear. NAS and any 3rd party camera probably as good and cheaper or go with Apple HomeKit ones but you don’t get 24/7 recording there.
Home automation - Loxone is great if doing whole house rewire, but not the easiest to build out slowly. I use Indigo which is a Mac based software, is local only (but with external secure connection if required) that runs my lights (via z-wave modules behind the switches) so no changing bulbs or switches and still works if someone uses a switch, unlike Hue bulbs
Also does my TV, alarm, heating, Sonos (Sonos comes on playing ACDC full volume throughout the house if alarm goes off!), cameras, cable tv, basically anything electrical in my house and links all to HomeKit and Siri and Alexa. Built up slowly over a few years. Much much easier to use than the free raspberry pi systems but more expensive to buy, and needs always on Mac. Hubitat which I also use seems a cheaper easier system to setup but reasonably configurable and extendable.
If I had the money and was doing rewire then Loxone looks good. Be careful of things like Control4 etc as you don’t want to have to pay hundreds to company to add a new light or change logic.
Also be aware of what you want. Lots of companies will provide connected houses, ie one app on phone controls lights and blinds and alarm. But do you want to pull phone out to turn on a light or open a blind. You likely either want voice control or physical switches (and ability to easily change their logic) or you want smart. Smart requires some great logic and will be changed over time, again you don’t want to pay someone to do that. I don’t think I have touched my kitchen light switch in years. Motion and time controlled and depends on outside light levels outside, ie they come on if dark clouds during day.