At Home In The Woods

[dcyrilc]

Run some good strong strings in the conduit now, so at a later date, you can tie the string to the end of the wire and pull it through the conduit easily.

Don

Another thought which goes with this is that anytime you pull something into a conduit, you pull a new string in also to replace the one you are using.

 

[dstig1]

I know Chamberlain makes a system CLDM1 - Garage Door Monitor

They stole my idea! :laughing: Thanks. I wasn't aware there was a commercial system. I would probably want to tie it in to home automation so I may end up fabbing my own. Pretty simple, really.

 

[eepete]

dstig1: I've got both wires for "door down" sensors and wires for light beams on the garage doors. Garages are pretty easy retrofit areas, so I left that out. You should have a way to get the wires there though. Obed, add to you list a conduit and box to get to the inside area of the garage. I also have wires going to the openers that come down to the automation area, I think you can see them in another thread where I took some pix of the garage doors. I also have a framed hole in the mud room where I can put LEDs to show the up/down status of each door (so I don't have to open the door and look into the garage). Nothing makes me work harder than the ability to be lazy .

cyril: thanks. But I won't abuse that as a license to drone on (much) :laughing:.

Part of the drive I have for home automation is this: There are a ton of little independent solutions for stuff (like the Chamberlain system), but none of them talk to anything else. So you end up with a little system for the garage, the weather station is independent, the floor heat system is independent, security and lighting are independent, etc. If it's all tied together then you get nice stuff like "when you go to night mode, the system tells you if a garage door is let open". Other things like "when it gets dark out, the system tells you if a garage door is open" tie the light sensor and doors together.

There are tons of really cool things out there, but we have reached a critical mass where adding one more toy pushing things over the edge into a Tower of Babble scenario. We are exerting more energy to keep it all working than we are deriving benefit from it's use.

Tying this back to Obed's sensor question, if you can define what a generic sensor is then you can look for those solutions or make your own (like a microswitch with lever on the garage door, or a light beam at the top to know if the door is up). So inputs are contact closure, analog voltages (for temperatures), and a few serial ports for talking to weather stations, security systems, and a few other things (software not included, that's part of the "fun" at my end).

Pete

 

[bdeboer]

4) Do you guys have any other suggestions?

I apologize to thread readers who have to wade through my replies, I'm writing for the OP and hope this helps him make some decisions. Ok, I'm also just a long winded sort... :laughing:

Pete

Good information, keep it coming.

 

[dstig1]

dstig1: I've got both wires for "door down" sensors and wires for light beams on the garage doors.

What did you use for sensors? I'm Curious as I can think of a couple ways to do it, many of which end up using expensive prox or capacitance sensors (industrial controls that I am familiar with) but I know there are chepaer ways.

Part of the drive I have for home automation is this: There are a ton of little independent solutions for stuff (like the Chamberlain system), but none of them talk to anything else. So you end up with a little system for the garage, the weather station is independent, the floor heat system is independent, security and lighting are independent, etc. If it's all tied together then you get nice stuff like "when you go to night mode, the system tells you if a garage door is let open". Other things like "when it gets dark out, the system tells you if a garage door is open" tie the light sensor and doors together.

Bingo!

-Dave

 

[brin]

Hey obed...With everyone having so much fun Spending your money I wonder what will happen when your house is completed...LOL...Everyone will have to go back to spending their own money..

I know what you mean about the fog of contruction...Right about this time when the press to finish and time all the subs it gets pretty hectic....Hang in there..

 

[eepete]

dstig1: Google "TAKEX PB-10 NS"

Pete

 

[Obed]

More brick pictures.

 

[Obed]

The wife met with 2 security companies today. Today's meetings with the security companies gave us hope that we might be able to sub out the security wiring. She also met with one vinyl siding/soffit/guttering sub. We have estimates from some other vinyl subs but wanted some more.

Obed

 

[dstig1]

Dat's a lotta brick. Looking nice!