Z-Wave Remote

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DrDoo
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Z-Wave Remote

Post by DrDoo »

Hello everyone,

I will ask my question here in the dummie forum since i am one :)
Soon i would like to start auotmating some things. I got "big" plans but
i do want to start slowly, so first some lamps and after that maybe
motion sensors and built from there.
What mathers to me most is that it either goes completly automaticly (certain times,
certain activities) but what is also very important that i can do the rest of
the actions with 1 remote. So scheduled actions, events etc by PC and lighting, hifi, tv etc
with 1 remote.

At the moment i'm still orientating wich protocol i would like to use.
Zwave sounds very interesting and im reading up about this. But now for the
"dummie" question, i can't find a remote that does this all. So Zwave and hifi, TV etc...

I hoped the Harmony 895 or 900 would do just what i wanted, but after some reading i understand
that the Harmony 900 does not talk Zwave at all, and that the Harmony 895 does talk Zwave but can't
be used in combination with for example Homeseer, something to do with only master.

I've seen the Nevo remote, but 700 Euro for a remote....that goes a bit far for me, and offcourse the wife..

So i was wondering, how do other people do this? Multiple remotes?
Or are there other remotes that actually do the things i want but that i just haven't found yet?
(Btw, i did find the Remotec Z-URC 550 which is pretty affordable, only i get the feeling the remote is still
pretty expensive compared to for example a Harmony One.

Any advise / help would be most welcome.

Kind Regards,
Michiel
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TANE
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Re: Z-Wave Remote

Post by TANE »

Hi
Welcome to Domoticaforum.

The biggest challenge with zwave is that you need a remote that can communicate as a second controller.
Else you will not be able to controle your devices also with domotica software.

Zwave is a bit more challenging than other protocols and thats why Harmony is no longer supporting zwave.
In the Harmony 895 there is a build in zwave radio but only as primary controller.

The Merten and the Remotec works also as secondary controller. Thats why the high price. (Current price of Remotec 75,95)

Nevo S70 is one of the best. Only the price 1000
Enver Tanriverdi | http://blog.tane.nl
DrDoo
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Re: Z-Wave Remote

Post by DrDoo »

Thanks for the reply.
After alot of reading yesterday i was afraid of this answer.

I was hoping i could sit on my couch and press watch movie
1) Beamerscreen comes down
2) Beamer Turns on
3) receiver put on the right channel
4) Curtains Close
5) Lights Dim (or turn off)
6) Walking fridge with a cold beer :) Just kidding off course :)

But i quess this isnt possible with zwave unless you buy a 1000 euro remote...
Or you Work with a second remote, 1 for the Zwave devices and 1 for your Audio/ Video equipment.

I was wondering though. Since the above is off course not all you can do with home automation. But i assume
it covers alot what alot of people would want to do, maybe not beamer, but then it will be the TV and dvd player on the right channel etc.
Simply things. So or completly automtic, or just one remote. And i can hardly imagine that alot of people would buy a 1000 euro remote just
for this.

Are there any other protocols you could use with just with 1 remote (preferably the harmony line (One, 1000, 1100, 900). And are just as, or
close too as flexible and reliable as zwave to control you house. Off course without speding a tremendous amount of money.

Kind regards,
Michiel
mhn
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Re: Z-Wave Remote

Post by mhn »

You might be able to do it with Z-Wave. :-)

A scene on a master should be able to do it, when you press a button on your Z-Wave remote.

But Micasaverde Vera is the only master, I know, that should be able to do it. And I don't have a lot of confidence in Vera.

Maybe Homeseer?
DrDoo
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Re: Z-Wave Remote

Post by DrDoo »

I just had an "idea" after some more reading about IRTrans and was wondering if you guys it would be
possible to accomplish this (cause im not sure exactly how yet...)

In this link i stole from another post :)
http://blog.i-1.nl/wp-content/uploads/2 ... rtans3.jpg

I see that you can for example use a harmony one to control your AV equipment etc. But it can also send
a signal through IRtrans to the Homeseer Server.

Wouldnt it be possible to let Homeseer send out zwave commands?

So in this way you make an event in the harmony like this;

Watch movie
1) Turn on tv
2) turn on reciever
3) send to IRtrans a specific IR code
4) Homeseer picks this up and send it to the appropriate zwave device using the Aeon usb stick? For example lighting and curtains

This way you still program one event, with a set of actions.
Or just use the harmony to send the event to IRtrans and let it turn on the deiffernt AV equipment from the server?

Am i completly silly or should this be possible?

Kind regards,
Michiel
Esteban
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Re: Z-Wave Remote

Post by Esteban »

As soon as you have a Homeseer server with some gear, you can do pretty much anything you want. But setting up a Homeseer server with all the zwave modules, IRTrans, electric curtains etc, will cost you a fair amount of money. This is not a 200/300 euro solution (which I get the feeling, is what you're looking for?)
DrDoo
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Re: Z-Wave Remote

Post by DrDoo »

Well i kinda already knew it would cost alot more then 200-300 euro's ;-)
But the nice thing with domotica is that you can start with 200-30 euro's and expand from there.
Thats what im planning to do. Just start with Homeseer server, a few light modules and built from there.

I don't really care if it costs some money, but i don't wanna spend it all at once.
And you are right that i don't want to spent 1000 Euro's on just 1 remote :)

But anyways, i just wanna get off on a good start using "the best" system i can in a reasonabele price range.
But since i do want to use 1 remote, i first have to know if things are possible before i go
down a certain road.

But the layout i described with IRtrans, is that possible or am i a complete idiot? :)

Because that would be the first building blocks, new remote, homeseer server, some light modules
and we are off to a good start :)

Kind regards,
Michiel
Tiz
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Re: Z-Wave Remote

Post by Tiz »

You can define the actions that need to be done in a scenario in Homeseer. I think the best way to use a remote would then be to also have homeseer touch in place and use a wifi tablet kind of gadget to activate the scenario that switches the right things for you.
In that case you can expand that by just programming the remote to do anything you like to your house. The way (or the protocol and hardware) that Homeseer uses to talk to your devices that need to be controlled can be seen separate from the way that your remote talks to Homeseer. I think you need to get your head around that idea to make up your mind about which way to go.
Whatever you choose, I wiss you good luck and lots of fun.
Mathijs
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