Brian's Brain

Jul 24 2008 1:00AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (3) |
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I've recently added a few more nodes to the INSTEON-based home automation network I first described in a mid-November 2007 feature article and its online addendums, so I thought the time might be ripe for an update. Although I've now moved full-time into a former 'weekend' home, the system's control of heat and internal lights is still useful during my periodic trips to Silicon Valley and elsewhere. To wit, not only can I now control the system's nexus, Universal Device's ISY-26, from any web browser, the unit also offers user-programmable timer control of INSTEON peripherals. Therefore I can, for example, ramp down the wintertime internal temperature (but not too far) at night and crank it back up in the morning, or put internal lights on timers so that it looks like the residence is still occupied when I'm traveling.

As my November 2007 article also documents, I've got two D-Link pan-and-tilt webcams on-site. One points out the front window towards the porch and neighborhood (and Mt. Rose Range) beyond, while the other (which I only turn on when I'm away) surveys the home's interior. The INSTEON-controllable light in the living room provides sufficient nighttime illumination to enable me to access the latter webcam 24 hours a day, but until recently the porch-pointed unit was only effectively usable during daylight hours. Plus, more generally it was a bummer to return home after sunset to find the porch dark, thereby resulting in near-fatal stumbles up stairs (and snow drifts) and fumbles (and inevitable drops) of the keys as I struggled to find the correct one and properly insert it in the door knob.

Those woes are now behind me, because I've now got SmartLabs' ToggleLink Relays (also available in white, and in lower-current dimmer versions) installed in the switch slots controlling the exterior lights for both the front and side doors. They were a bit tricky to hook up, but all of the necessary wiring existed. And, because they're bulkier than the traditional toggle switches they replaced, fitting them in the switch box was even trickier. But I managed, and subsequently pairing them to the ISY-26 was a no-brainer. And of course, not only can you remotely control them, you can still use them like a traditional switch; a momentary up-press of the switch turns the light on, while a brief down-press turns it off. The default switch position is in-between both extremes of the up-and-down range, and the internal relay is nearly silent when actuated.

Now all I need is a robotic chef...and whole-house cleaner. Where's the Jetsons' Rosie the Robot Maid?