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What were your first impressions with OnAlert

Awesome this plugin It has potential!
- 5 (33.3%)
Not impressed! More work is needed!
- 9 (60%)
Junk !
- 1 (6.7%)

Total Members Voted: 13


Author Topic: First impressions!  (Read 34824 times)

Tuicemen

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First impressions!
« on: October 05, 2006, 12:08:04 PM »

I've just purchased this and I'm in the midst of setting every thing up and Wondered what others that had the opertunity to run it for a while have to say!
Personaly:
I like it!
It has great potential, but I've only ran it a few hours and found a bug! :'( :( hopefuly next update will fix that! ;)
The beta testing was definately to short with this plugin!
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tom j

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2006, 01:47:16 AM »

I've just purchased this and I'm in the midst of setting every thing up and Wondered what others that had the opertunity to run it for a while have to say!
Personaly:
I like it!
It has great potential, but I've only ran it a few hours and found a bug! :'( :( hopefuly next update will fix that! ;)
The beta testing was definately to short with this plugin!

So you bit Hun Tuice?  ;D say what was the bug anyway. I wrote at least a dozen letters to x10 suggesting beta testing after the AHP fiasco, don't know if that had anything to do with it but I'm sure it didn't hurt.

Tcj
« Last Edit: January 27, 2007, 06:47:25 PM by tom j »
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Tuicemen

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2006, 04:50:42 PM »

Not sure which was the first bug but I did post  a thread in Software Problems & Bugs

If you find any additional ones post them there! ;) :D :)
« Last Edit: December 21, 2006, 03:03:33 PM by Tuicemen »
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Billaban

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2006, 09:44:05 AM »

Greetings,

Well with only 7 votes in the OnAlert survey this is a pretty weak sampling.  I thought I would find more discussion in the ActiveHome Reviews area, i.e., "Reviews of ActiveHome Pro AND IT'S PLUG-INS" but there isn't anything.  Actually my logic presumed that there would be a folder for each of the plug-ins and getting sense of each would be easy.  So that's just my presumption.  Anyway, it seems that I will need On Alert (or write my own with the SDK update that may surface sometime) to gain the control I seek over my DX7000 based system.  I also have AHP and apparently all the plugins except OnAlert which in retrospect should have been where I started.  I have yet to spend much time with AHP so I don't have any issues yet. 

My only general x10 complaints (which are sorta minor) are:

1.  The documentation is weak.  Particularly for the PSH01. I mean this stuff is pretty simple given the appropriate morsels of information. With some guidance in this forum I got past that.

2.  The x10 website design reminds me of advertisements you would find in the back of a cheap magazine.

3.  Every starter kit should include a phase coupler(provide the option for passive or amp'ed).  It is so obvious that much churn on this forum would simply go away. 

4.  The spell checker (which I always use) is probably the worst I've seen.  It seems to want to corrupt my spelling in many cases, and I have only done a handful of posts so far.

OK, I just got down off my soapbox. 

So what should I expect from OnAlert? 

thanks.
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glt

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2006, 10:13:30 AM »

http://cgi.ebay.com/X10-OnAlert-Software-for-ActiveHome-Pro-SW39A_W0QQitemZ330063324623QQihZ014QQcategoryZ50587QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Bought here myself - is quite good - sofware will be registered to the sub contractor  - no real effect.

2. So are the prices.

3. Yep. But I had ONE house that didn't need one.

4. Don't use one myself  - isn't that oblivious?

4.5 Not a lot. Sending on the CM15a is cool and strong. (such as arming the system) Receiving the sensors is kind of hopeless, all depends. There is a forum for OnAlert - read BEFORE you buy.


Good Luck,

GLT


EDIT: Oh wait, we are in that forum?
« Last Edit: December 16, 2006, 10:16:19 AM by glt »
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Tuicemen

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2006, 10:43:54 AM »

Billaban:
Quote
So what should I expect from On Alert?

Since you have all the plug-ins
Quote
I also have AHP and apparently all the plugins except On Alert which in retrospect should have been where I started.
you really are limited to your imagination!
Had you started with Just the On Alert plug-in you would be very disappointed as you really need the other Plug-ins to get the most from this!
Since this is the newest plug-in there are a few bugs as reported by myself and others!
There also are a few options missing which users have expressed interest in so perhaps X10 will add them down the road!
If you find there is something you'd like to do but can't figure out the means post a VERY detailed  descriptionand someone here most likely will find a way to do it!
There are some very creative users on this Board and they have  amazed X10 at the ways their products have been incorporated to do things they had only dreamed of!
Since you mentioned you may write your own program with the SDK you could start off with it and create a small program and post it in the thirdparty addon section as others have.
the SDK won't as yet alow direct communicationith security modules but you can create dummy modules in AHP that will act as the middle man! ;) :D ;D
glt:
Quote
EDIT: Oh wait, we are in that forum?
You had me double checking ;) :D ;D as I only check for new posts then after make sure they are in there correct place if it is a new thread! ;)
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steven r

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2006, 10:49:01 AM »

...2.  The x10 website design reminds me of advertisements you would find in the back of a cheap magazine....
Yeah... The popups are pretty insulting to anyone intelligent. It's more annoying than some of the spam I get.
Lot's of discussion on that point here.
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BVC let's me tell my camera where to go!
:) Murphy is my beta testing pal. He helps me find problems whether I like it or not. :)

Billaban

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2006, 01:49:01 PM »

Thanks for the input.  For 20 bucks on ebay I'll go ahead and bite.  With a week plus off for the holidays I should be able to really screw-up this up and play with the SDK and maybe scrutinize some of the sample code.  I don't get to write much software anymore now that I'm a senior something or other engineer.  This could be interesting.  Ultimately I want to implement video but for the moment I'm working basic security, i.e., motion, points of entry control, and some (very) simple lighting automation.

Cheers.
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david3336

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need help
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2006, 06:44:03 AM »

I just got on alert I have ahp and smart macro voice commander and x10 dispatch my security console is the plun n power from radio shack and window and door sensors are radio shack all made by x10. my question is after installing sensors and much trouble doing so sometimes a sensor will show that it is open when it is not and has not been opened for days. also x10 support told me that it would work with my security console and it does not even show when it is armed or not kind of like it is not even hooked up. any help would be good. thanks everyone for all past help I would not have got this far without you guys!!!
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hostilejava

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2006, 09:54:07 AM »

I found that my front door module needed to be installed in AHP a few times before it stopped getting "stuck" open.  I don't know why this is, but try installing the door/window sensor again or several times to see if your problem with that sensor goes away.  Also AHP will only report the armed/disarmed status of the security system if you register each remote that you use to arm/disarm you console.    I'm also pretty sure that AHP needs to be running and the CM15a needs to be plugged into the USB or it won't know the status when you start AHP back up.  It needs to see that RF command coming in and then it will change the status in the program.  You should see a little icon towards the lower left corner indicating the status of the system.

When I first installed this plugin I was a little dissapointed, but after playing with it a bit and seeing the different ways I can use it to trigger macros and what can be done with those macro's I'm quite impressed.  I really like the fact that each remote has a unique ID so I can see by who and when the system was armed/disarmed.  I also like the fact that I can use any of the buttons on the keychain remotes to trigger a macro, and not just one macro that triggers regardless of which remote I'm using, but a unique macro for each remote.  For instance on my remote the lights on button triggers the lights to fade on downstairs.  However on the spare remote I gave to my parents it will quickly turn on all the lights in the house( for use when we are on vacation and they come over to take care of the pets).
« Last Edit: December 21, 2006, 10:04:23 AM by hostilejava »
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Billaban

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2006, 10:25:53 AM »

Not sure which was the first bug but I did post  a thread in Software Problems & Bugs

If you find any additional ones post them there! ;) :D :)

I just tried the above hyperlink to the OnAlert s/w problems and it appears to be broken.  Any suggestions? 

I bought it on Ebay and am waiting for the email to download.  I expect to experiment with this over the holiday.

TIA.
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hostilejava

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2006, 10:59:28 AM »

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Tuicemen

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Re: First impressions!
« Reply #12 on: December 21, 2006, 03:16:50 PM »

Billaban:   link is fixed now!
thanks  hostilejava for pointing the way! ;) :D ;D

david3336:  as hostilejava pointed out your remotes that you use to set your console to armed need to be set in AHP
When you configure them keep the box checked that says:
"Is this module installed in a security console?"

Note: This will also bring up more options under the security modules for when you create macros! ;) :D
« Last Edit: December 21, 2006, 03:18:41 PM by Tuicemen »
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