Domestic lighting via a computer controlled relay switch

[ban-all-sheds]

Do you actually mean automation, or just manual switching of relays with ELV coils?

If you want to avoid chasing walls, why not use wireless switches?

 

[SimonH2]

<Photos of some seriously ugly wiring>

Are they the before or after pictures?

Thankfully I can state, quite categorically, that I had nothing whatsoever to do with that I was only there to terminate the network cables. I think I might have made some comments about the untidiness and (presumed) lack of compliance with local wiring regulations.

To be honest, things did actually work quite well. He had some stuff set to happen to a time schedule - though it did nearly lock people out on the balcony by rolling the shutters down
And he could set it to lock certain doors, allowing him to let out the guest quarters without people being able to use the main part.

But the bit he most liked to show off was the (hidden) door between living room and master bedroom. At the tap of a switch, the whole wall (bookshelves and all) slid along to open a doorway. But press and hold the switch, and the wall rolled back a lot further to make a large open space.

He did say something along the lines of "not sure it it adds anything to the value of the apartment", I refrained from pointing out that with all this "untidy" wiring, and zero documentation, it would probably lower the value as it would effectively force any purchaser to rip it all out and wire properly - which would more or less enforce a complete gut out and rebuild. Though I suspect that most people buying that sort of property would be "doing their own thing" anyway - it's not what could be called a "cheap" location.

 

[bernardgreen]

Do you actually mean automation, or just manual switching of relays with ELV coils?

There will be some intelligence to provide some automatic functions. One function that may have to be added is automatically turning on a light when a large vehicle stops by the window and blocks out the sunlight.

If you want to avoid chasing walls, why not use wireless switches?

Batteries that go flat and the increasing risks of interference when a near neighbour installs wireless based equipment in the future

 

[SimonH2]

Of course, go with dimmers rather than on-off switching and you can do snazzy stuff like ...

You sit down to watch a film. Press a button on the remote, the curtains close, the lights all preset to "home theatre" settings, the TV turns on and selects the right input, and the DVD player turns on. Obviously the latter two might need a bit more - look into HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) which allows control of HDMI connected devices through the HDMI cable.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

]Batteries that go flat

1) You cope with that with the remote controls for your TV etc, don't you? Wireless CH programmer? Car key?

2) MK Echo doesn't use batteries.

and the increasing risks of interference when a near neighbour installs wireless based equipment in the future

Check with possible makers how they deal with that? MK market their system as good for hotels - they have hotel specific accessories in the range - so they are obviously OK with transmitting devices in adjoining rooms.

 

[bernardgreen]

and the increasing risks of interference when a near neighbour installs wireless based equipment in the future

Check with possible makers how they deal with that?

Twelve years of my career was involved designing radio comms equipment and systems. It is only possible to reduce the risk of one system responding to commands from the other. It is difficult to dealwith the problems of one systems transmissions jamming the other. Risks are small but not insignificant. Pity is the salespeople seem to be un-aware of them.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

True.

http://rfdesignuk.com/LTE.htm

 

[MJN]

The challenge: I would like to have every single room light in the house to be switched on/off using both the local room light-switch but would also like the ability to switch on/off using the above computer controlled relay board (I'm a semi-pro software developer so have the know-how to make this happen).

Whilst I am not one for knocking home automation, even where the justification for utilising it might only be 'because I can', but do you see any real benefit in controlling the lights via a computer?

I don't buy the security benefits (over and above readily-available random light fittings) but I am curious as to what you would see as the key benefits and how much bang you're getting for your buck? Incidentally, I'm not necessarilly disputing that there aren't any, but I'm scratching my head as to what they might be!

Mathew

 

[SimonH2]

Whilst I am not one for knocking home automation, even where the justification for utilising it might only be 'because I can', but do you see any real benefit in controlling the lights via a computer?

Personally, I see very little.

For me, the most compelling reason would be the ability to reset the lighting after someone has walked into the room to ask you something, switched on the main lights, and then left without turning them off again. However, even I'm not that much of a couch potato that I can't shift my corpulent backside to switch it off manually at the wall.

However, I'd not knock anyone for doing it if they want to.

EDIT: I'd just add that for it to work well, you'd need a really good controller. But I can imagine you sat there, and take time finding the remote*, switching to the lighting screen (I'm assuming one of those nifty touchscreen graphical jobs, or a tablet or smartphone app), find the right button, press it, realise it's the wrong one, ... In the meantime, your <significant other> has got up and flicked the switch.

* Which you realise was left at the other side of the room, potentially further away than the light switch.

 

[MJN]

He he... So true... Particularly if <significant other> did not really buy into the idea in the first place!