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[hawk1]

List of equipment and software:

Interfaces:

        CM15A(1) USB Transceiver
   CM17(1) Firecracker      
   VA572(1) X10 Receiver
   MR26(2) X10 Receiver
   VA11A(2) Video Interface
   RCA Voice Activate Walkie Talkie Headsets
   TM751(1) RF Tranceiver Module

Active Home Pro and Plugins:

   AHP (Active Home Pro)
   SmartMacros
   iWitness
   MyHouse Online
   On Alert


Third Party Add-On Software:

   BVC (Bill's Voice Commander)
   PCC (PC Companion)and all plug-ins
   Lexi

Other Software:

   PSTools (for ahcmd network commands)
   Firecracker
   Xray Vision
   Multiview
   Aiekon (Voice Operated Media Player)
        Blue Iris Full Version

Computers:

   PC1: AMD Athlon 64b 3000+ w/1GB RAM, WinXP Pro    

        SP2
        
   PC2: P4 2.5 w/1GB RAM, WinXP Home SP3
        Apps: AHP all plugins, PCC, BVC, Aiekon
   
   PC3: AMD 1gig 750mg Ram PCLinux


Devices:

   CAMERAS:
   12 Wireless Color Camera (XC18A)
   1 Wireless Color Camera (XC10A)
   2 Wireless Color Camera (Wide Angle)(XC19A)
   2 B/w Wired Camera (SC21AC)
   1 Homeland Security Color Camera (00850)
   2 Platnium B/W Wired Camera (BR26)

   Modules:
   5 Appliance Modules(AM486)
   3 Appliance modules (AM466)
   3 Lamp Modules(LM465)
   3 Wall switches(WS467)

   MOTION SENSORS:
   15 Hawkeye(MS14A)
   
   REMOTES:
   1 8-1 Learning Remote(UR24A)
   3 Slim Remotes(KR19A)
   2 Remote Controls(CR12A)
   

       
   SECURITY:
   1 Plug n'Power Personal Dialer w/Pendent Remote
   1 40mm Highpoint Semi-Automatic
   1 Double Barrel Shoot Gun (cajun talk)
   4 Ferrel Stray Cats and 1 Polecat
   DSC 3000 Alarm System w/15 magnetic door and    

   window switches, 2 outside mounted sirens, 1    

   wired motion sensor, battery backup
       
   MISCELLANEOUS:
   3 Vcr Commanders(UX23A)
   1 Battery Pack(ZB10A)
   1 Phase Coupler(3 prong Dryer)
   3 Wireless Audio/Video Receivers(VR31A)
   1 Wireless Video Receiver(VR36A)
   1 Homeland Security    
        1 XTB
Video/Audio/VCR/DVR/Commander
   5 Camera Tripods

Will write more and how i use all this later!  Trying to figure out where to start! 

[hawk1]

Well, where do I start?   

            Home Automation

I have a dedicated Home Automation Computer that runs 24/7.  Windows XP Home, Pentium 4 with a gig of ram.  On board sound with a cheap extra sound card installed.

It is also on my home network of 3 or 4 pc’s depending on how many I’m playing with at the time.

I have Active Home Pro, PC Companion, BVC and couple of other minor programs running.

I have macros setup for my home theater system and that is controlled by either voice with BVC or Remote.  Turns on both lamps and dims to 50% then turns my TV, VCR/DVD combo, Satellite and Audio Receiver on utilizing Tuicemens VCR Commander Plug-in with 2 VCR Commanders!  So, all I have to do is say Christina, theater on!  And the above programs take care of the rest. (Powermid will be added when they go back on sale)

I have macros to turn on lamp modules for my wife’s plants at 7 am and off at 7 pm.

I have wall switches in the dining room, back porch light and bar.  All that can activated by remote or voice.

The back porch light also has a motion sensor for night time turn on when motion is sensed with a delay of 5 minutes.

Also in the works is a drape controller made out of an old cordless drill, micro switches and some threaded rod. I’ll try to take pictures and instructions when I do this.

            Security

I have a Personal Dialer from Radio Shack that dials my brother-in-law which tells him to come over blazin with his 40mm pistol.  The cats and the polecat are probably the best security tools I have!  I don’t know anyone that would mess with a polecat!

            Cameras and Security

I believe the two go hand in hand.  I do have a lot of cameras but right now only 8 are running.  I have recording macros that record when motion is sensed, and BVC announces where the motion is.  Also in the plans are some cheap speakers to go outside to tell the intruder to leave and you now have 10 seconds to comply! (Robocop)

I also want to setup some of those cheap laser pointers on a motion sensor to put a red dot on the victim to make it look like a laser sight is aimed at them! (still working on that one!)

            Audio

I have a program called Aeikon.  It is a voice activated media player that is free!  Just do a google search and you’ll find it.  It’s pretty awesome program.  I was first using AHP to do this with another media player with batch files, but I didn’t like taking up a unit code and writing all the batch files.  I will probably take another look at PCC for doing this since I hate having 3 or 4 programs trying to do everything I want!

            Video

I have video going to several places so I can see who is here and what not.  One to the big screen, one going to my home automation pc, one going to a little 13 color tv, and one going to the black and white tv in the garage.  I lucked out and found a camera package that came with a wireless receiver with a built-in VCR/DVR Commander.  The receiver was able to pick up my x10 cameras with an omni antenna so I’m using that one as my main video to the HA PC.  The others I’m using the receivers I got from x10.

I also modded an x10 camera to receive any type of video that has RCA jacks, so I can hook it up to my other PC that has a Nvidia video out.  I send that to my theater screen and I can watch anything on my computer. 

I did mod a couple of my cameras with an omni antenna, but it was a pretty cheap mod and doesn’t look very good but it gets the job done I guess.

       Here’s a tip for someone who wants to mod a vr36 or any receiver that has a regular co-axil output.  If your going to use the RCA jacks on the receiver then just open up the receiver and connect the paddle antenna to the F connector on the receiver.  Then make yourself or go buy an antenna and hook it up!  Looks professional and didn’t cost much and the connector was already installed for you.

I’ll write more later.   

[astrothug]

Great set up hawk1, I was trying to find that media player Aeikon, but have not been able to yet, do you have a link.. thanks 

[astrothug]

found it its called Aiekon: Voice Operated Media Player, thanks....

[hawk1]

Thanks!   Sorry about the misspelling!        It's a pretty cool program.  Let me know what you think.   

[Kramer Chins]

Nice Set Up hawk1.....

  I really like the Laser Pointer Idea.....

[Knightrider]

    .... 
   SECURITY:
   1 Plug n'Power Personal Dialer w/Pendent Remote
   1 40mm Highpoint Semi-Automatic
   1 Double Barrel Shoot Gun (cajun talk)
   4 Ferrel Stray Cats and 1 Polecat
   
                    .......

Nice security system!!!!!

[hawk1]

Thanks Kramer and Knightrider!     Yep, my security is pretty good!  I figure if anyone can face the dreaded ferrel cats or the pretty smelling polecat they deserve to get shot!     By the way you both have way more awesome systems than mine!

I still have a lot of things i need to accomplish, but it seems time is my only enemy. 

[hawk1]

      Movies


I have over 1,000 movies in various places around the house.  Sometimes it takes

forever to just find one of them!   

With BVC and Bill's help, we have imported all my movies into Christina from

DateCrow (another great program).  Now when I need to find a movie all I do is ask

Christina "where is Tombstone"  she replies " Tombstone is number 355 in movie

cabinet one!" I go to movie cabinet 1 and look for number 355 and there it is!

This home automation stuff is getting out of hand, pretty soon i won't even have to

get out of my chair!   


      Tasks and Reminders

I do this with the "Great Combo" (PCC & BVC).  Bvc holds all my custom commands for

birthdays, telephone numbers and anything that is typical information.  "Christina,

when is my grandson Seth's birthday?  She replies when it is. I know, I know I

should remember that on my own.  But i have 11 grandkids and sometimes it just

butters my brain to try to remember them all!!

I have all of my to do lists and reminders for certain days programed into PCC! 

Now when i need a reminder for what's next on the honey-do list I just ask BVC then

BVC talks to PCC and PCC talks to me!  I put all of my doctors appointments and any

other kind of appointments on this system!   

I also have some weather related reminders for when the weather is going to be

below freezing to turn on the heat lamps for the water wells.  I would like to

automate this process but I have a very complicated electrical system.  I have 3

buildings including my house and each has it's own breaker panel.  I also have a 2

pole breaker box on the power pole which feeds just the house.  The other two

buildings (garage, pool house) come off the line before that breaker.


      Links

Aiekon (voice command media player,free) http://imperativesoft.com/aiekon.aspx
PC Companion  http://www.angelfire.com/in2/ontkoi/X10AHP/PcCompanion.html
BVC (Bill's Voice Commander) http://www.wgjohns.com/bvc.htm
DataCrow (media cataloger,free)  http://www.datacrow.net/

[hawk1]

                         The Garage

Okay, setting up the 3rd pc for in the garage with an old copy of homeseer and the cm17 and mr26.  Have the pc turn on overhead lamps on for grinding wheels, saws and the sort.

have Aiekon to play music with voice activation.

In the works for the garage are some motorized shelves that come down from the ceiling with cable and pulleys that will have an x10 module on it.  Thus voice activated (James Bond style) hide away shelfs!  Use all that wasted space above you!

Getting ready for summer here in Oklahoma so time to plugin the fans to a couple of module with a motion sensor, so when i come in everything will come on and play my favorite garage working music!

Here's the link:  http://www.instructables.com/id/GARAGE-STORAGE-SOLUTION/

[Tuicemen]

All you need now is a GreenHornet Car flipper then you can free up floor space! 
Some nice Ideas Hawk1

[hawk1]

how did you know?   

[Savage223]

That's great!

I like the shade controller:
Also in the works is a drape controller made out of an old cordless drill, micro switches and some threaded rod. I’ll try to take pictures and instructions when I do this.

That would be great to let natural light in (for the wife's plants!) at just the right times!!

That's the kind of impromptu engineering I love!

[HA Dave]

I have over 1,000 movies in various places around the house... With BVC and Bill's help, we have imported all my movies into Christina from
DateCrow (another great program).  .......  "I do this with the "Great Combo" (PCC & BVC).  Bvc holds all my custom commands for
birthdays, telephone numbers

I am a believer in.. and fan of the third party software myself! User created software is really the cutting edge in Home Automation. -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) and Tuicemen are really taking X10 users... where the users ask to go.. with software solutions.

These third party software solutions make yours (and everyones) HA setups rock!

[hawk1]

UPDATE:   

Okay, just added another piece of software to the mix, Blue Iris Camera Recording Software. $29.95 for one channel or 49.95 for unlimited!

What I like about this software is that you can mix and match.  You can have IP cameras, analog, webcams, usb cams or any windows video input can be used.  You can show 4 live cameras at once and each camera has it's own properties on how to record.   

It also has it's own DVR codec that lets you watch what you are recording.

Like AHP it too also has 3rd party programs that work with it.  One is Bicommand.exe which is a commandline commands for recording, triggering, enabling and alot more.  What does that mean when it comes to AHP?  Simply it means that you can make 2 batch files, one for record one for stop recording and use them in a Smart Macro so when your motion sensors fire it fires the macro and tells blue iris to start recording and stop at a certain time.

With BI taking care of all of the video recording you can leave ahp to do the home automation stuff! 

Also new to Hawk's Nest is Jeff Volp's XTB.  Wow what a difference it made!  I probably don't need the computer out in the garage anymore because this little beauty amplified the signal so strong that I can get it to the garage where as before I couldn't.  Good Job Jeff!   

I'm currently in the process of making a pressure plate floor mat for the outside doors and hooking that up to the laser pointer.  I modded a couple of motion sensors to be dry contact sensors to do this job.  Haven't got it all together yet, but soon!

 Here is the link for Blue Iris:  http://blueirissoftware.com/

Until next time:  Let your mind wonder and ponder, but be safe!