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[HA Dave]

What would be really cool and what I'm going to shoot for, is to have AHP in some way or another, call us on the phone or text us if the garage door is open for more that say 1/2 hour.

For starters I'll just pop off a chime or sumpthin' 

That sounds very doable to me!

I also would like a text message to a cell phone if the door is left open AND we are away. The only problem... is would the PC call me or the wife... and how would the house know if we were home or not? I certainly wouldn't want to be trying to get in contact with the wife [or home]... only to find out she left the garage door open while she washes the car. Nor would I want her called (or even myself) while I mow the front yard or operate the snow blower.

Of course... under normal circumstances... the macros can be written around workdays, holidays, weekends, and time of day [or night].

If both the wife and I used the garage for car parking... car detectors, or parking mat/switches could be the solution. I could.. I think work out some macros that would call the last person to leave and left the door open. But I park my truck in the driveway so that complicates things.

RFID tags could be a solution... although not yet offered up in an easy kit form Bill Gates Home has an RFID system.

Also, HomeSeer has a plug-in called "Bluetooth connector" that if I understand it correctly could tell who's home based on the owners cell phone BlueTooth ID. I like the idea of the bluetooth ID.

Your welcome to my Garage Door Macro if you'd like.

[bitman]

RFID gives this Christian the creeeeeps.
I won't even tag my dog.
The cat however.... where is that cat?

We discussed the need for a manual over ride but that can accidentally be left overridden.
That's why x10 is a good hobby. Little problems to work through and the feeling like you did something when you can "beat the system". Even if that system is yourself!

[HA Dave]

RFID gives this Christian the creeeeeps. I won't even tag my dog.

I wasn't actually thinking of "tagging" the wife... I was thinking of the RFID door lock tags. So it would hang on the key ring and be my key to get in the house... as well as tell the house I am home. My sons new van has an RFID key to start it... the technology isn't new... and has proved to be reliable.

We discussed the need for a manual over ride but that can accidentally be left overridden.

I have a barking dog .wav file that is triggered by a motion sensor through a conditional macro. The condition in the macro is a monitored dummy module must also be turned On. Another set of dusk/dawn macros turn On the dummy module twice a day. So I can temporarily disable the barking dog .wav but it rearms itself automatically.

......... feeling like you did something when you can "beat the system". Even if that system is yourself!

I prefere the term: "exploit the technology". Any reliable failure in a system... is a potential reliable feature too.

I've been a little bit consumed lately with trying to get the house to know who is home. I feel it is the next big evolution of my HA setup... the benefits are too numerous to mention here. There are several (high-technology) ways to do this... all of them seem to be imperfect and pricey. I am looking for something simple, cheap, and reliable. I didn't mean to take over this thread with my thoughts.

This thread inspired me to start another thread about Occupancy Sensing.

[X10 Ken]

I have a barking dog .wav file that is triggered by a motion sensor through a conditional macro.

Could I get a copy of your dog .WAV file?

Ken
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[HA Dave]

Could I get a copy of your dog .WAV file?

REX barking dog alarm right click and and save. You will have to convert to play on a windows media player [I think]. Or... the X10 robo dog plus you can search and edit/mix-and-match.

[bitman]

I just played these from my laptop.
The cat here with me was marginally concerned, but my Chow/Shep/Malamute (with a gnarly bark of her own) naps on unimpressed. 
 

[X10 Ken]

[You will have to convert to play on a windows media player [I think].

Dave, Thanks for the links.  I don't need any conversions.  I already have a program I wrote that is always running on my computer to monitor incoming phone calls for phone spam prevention and tell me who is calling.  I have it hooked up to an FM transmitter to rebroadcast .WAV files through the house.  It would take very little to update the program to scan for a control file showing up on the disk and play the .WAV file a few times.

Ken
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