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[Tuicemen]

  I had a thought to day!
Ebay has some real cheep bluetooth phones and PDAs many under $10.
I got a Blackberry for under $40 (shipping included) this way.
Why not get one for each car (no cell carrier needed) keep the Bluetooth enabled and use the 12volt addapter to keep it powered!
Set a Bluetooth dongle on a USB extention so it can see the phones when the cars are home.
 Use a program (doesn't need be mine) to watch their signals as cantbreak80 does. (uses his GPS)
Note:
One draw back if your running wireless cams  you'll have to possibly wire them, or move them, and or move your receivers!
 

[HA Dave]

... One draw back if your running wireless cams  you'll have to possibly wire them, or move them, and or move your receivers!

Some HA users... use no cameras at all. Only two of my cameras are wireless.. and one of them is out-of-range of the BT.. and isn't effected. The other wireless camera I will replace with a wired one or simply move its receiver out-of-range. However.. all my cameras are rebroadcast to the living room TV via a video sender/receiver. So I will need to run a few feet of wire. But it's more than worth it.

[stoney]

OK Dave_x10_L,

You can try this Schlage (Shh + leg) electronic door lock.

Schlage LiNK Wireless Keypad Entry Lever Lock Starter Kit System

It allows for one to "register" various people with their own individual
access codes AND it LOGS their entry(s).

For instance, your housekeeper (if you had one) could be allowed
access during the hours of 9:00 am and 10:00 am IF her access code
was entered correctly.

The link part of the lock system can run / control carious devices in
the house as well like cameras, thermostats and lights.

What else? You can also lock / unlock your house if you're away via your
cell phone or Internet connection.

Now THAT's an occupancy sensor!

[HA Dave]

OK Dave_x10_L,
You can try this Schlage electronic door lock. Schlage LiNK Wireless Keypad Entry Lever Lock What else? You can also lock / unlock your house if you're away via your cell phone or Internet connection.

I'd seen a display about them at the local building supply place... and read up on them. If I remember correctly... it's $15 a month for the use of their servers. I didn't see where I could readily incorporate the Schlage data into my Home Automation PC.

I like the concept... particularity being able to let in service people (remotely unlock). But I hate monthly fees. Does it really require the service fee/server use?

[stoney]

As for incorporating it into / with your HA setup / computer, it works with Z-wave (which also works albeit somewhat limited with X-10).

As with most restricting things, crafty people can and usually will figure out ways to circumvent said restrictions. 

Yes, from what I've read, there are people using them as secure, standalone (not requiring subscription), HA enabled door locks.

They are available as a latchable lockset OR a Deadbolt, both of which work with Z-wave systems.

[dbemowsk]

Using old cell phones is an idea I hadn't thought of.  Since my wife and I both got new blackberries, we have our old phones (bluetooth capable sprint Katanas) that I could try out.  My only issue there is that one of the reasons we got new phones was because my keypad stopped working on mine.  Odd thing is that I can turn it on with the keypad.  At any rate I could test this with my wife's old phone.

Great thought Tuicemen.

Dan B.

[dave w]

Dumb question here: If using an old retired phone, how do you keep the cell phone from affiliating (or trying to affiliate) with the local provider network? Even though the phone has been de-registered from the system, it will continually try to affiliate, won't it? Maybe that isn't a problem since it is powered by the auto lighter cord. 

I wonder if there isn't a way to disable the transmitter(?).

[dbemowsk]

Dumb question here: If using an old retired phone, how do you keep the cell phone from affiliating (or trying to affiliate) with the local provider network? Even though the phone has been de-registered from the system, it will continually try to affiliate, won't it? Maybe that isn't a problem since it is powered by the auto lighter cord. 

I wonder if there isn't a way to disable the transmitter(?).

The phone's transmitter is MAINLY used when making a call.  Old cell phones can still be used for emergency purposes and do not have to be affiliated with a provider, which means the phone can be on but not connected to a service provider. 

By setting the phone's bluetooth to discovery mode though means that the bluetooth is always available for connection, so when the PC's bluetooth module senses it in range, it will be discovered.  This can all be done without worry of the transmitter at all.  Also, if used with a car power adapter connected at all times, you could get a phone cheap that has a useless battery and power won't be an issue.

Dan B.

[HA Dave]

... how do you keep the cell phone from affiliating (or trying to affiliate) with the local provider network? ......  it will continually try to affiliate, won't it? I wonder if there isn't a way to disable the transmitter(?).

Did you get anywhere with that question? I was wondering the same thing... wouldn't a cell phone continue to "check-in" with the nearest cell tower?

[dbemowsk]

I was wondering the same thing... wouldn't a cell phone continue to "check-in" with the nearest cell tower?

A cell phone, when on, will always "check-in" with the nearest cell tower.  That doesn't mean that it will necessarily do anything though because it is not assigned a phone number per se.  I never tried with a newer phone, but with my old phone from years ago I tried once to make a call with no service assigned to that phone and I got some kind of message telling me that I could make a call with a credit card.  I had heard too that there are places that will take old cell phones and give them to battered women for use in making emergency calls.  So I think you can still call 911 at no charge. 

All that aside, the bluetooth end of things is the only thing we are using when looking at occupancy sensing.  The phone side of it would not be used in any way.

Another thing I thought may work for sensing the car and would still be of practical use are different car bluetooth devices for hands free phone use.  A quick google search got me to this site http://www.driveblue.com/ which has a number of bluetooth hands free devices available.  I am guessing that BlueWatch would see the bluetooth signal from these devices much like it would see your phone.  The only issue I can see with something like this is it may be a leach on your car battery if powered at all times, but shouldn't suck much more power than an old cell phone on it's charger.

Dan B.

[HA Dave]

......... Another thing I thought may work for sensing the car and would still be of practical use are different car bluetooth devices for hands free phone use.  A quick google search got me to this site http://www.driveblue.com/ which has a number of bluetooth hands free devices available.  I am guessing that BlueWatch would see the bluetooth signal from these devices much like it would see your phone. 

There you go! I had purchased a BT ear piece to use with my dongle (I know the dongle works with it)... does it work with the software Tuicemen?

The only issue I can see with something like this is it may be a leach on your car battery if powered at all times, but shouldn't suck much more power than an old cell phone on it's charger.

I know from my robot RED that the drain from these little devices aren't much.

[Tuicemen]

The ear piece works with the software but since a ear piece only sends the discovery  for a short time the software sees it as lost once it stops.
The same would apply for the other hands free devices.
How ever using a different Dll for the program and constantly sending a discovery to the headset seems to keep it as seen in test runs.

I still think the best option is a old smart Phone. You could hard wire it and mount it out of sight.
I purchased an old Blackberry 7250 for testing (no phone service) this works well as it is a class 1 bluetooth (better range). With the belt clip I can mount it under the dash (out of sight) easily!

Now I can still make a 911 call with it but it only tries to connect when I place a call. How ever I suspect it would continually look for a tower until it found a signal(a real battery killer with my other Phone).
 

[dbemowsk]

How ever I suspect it would continually look for a tower until it found a signal(a real battery killer with my other Phone).

This would not be an issue if you kept the charger connected and on constant power from the car.  If you were really worried about draining the battery in your car, you could set it up to only charge the phone when the car is running.  If you did it that way though you would want to make sure you had a good battery in the phone.  Otherwise the phone may go dead and discovery is lost.  Not to mention if the phone goes dead, you would have to dig it out and turn it on again.

Dan B.

[dave w]

Does anyone know if the "Airplane mode" (inhibits receiver, control channel scanning, and probably transmitter in the phone) in newer cell phones also shut down Bluetooth?

[HA Dave]

Does anyone know if the "Airplane mode" (inhibits receiver, control channel scanning, and probably transmitter in the phone) in newer cell phones also shut down Bluetooth?

I'd never even heard of airplane mode.