I love the challenge but after awhile a repeating problem just becomes a chore. There's also the expectation of others in the house (aka: wife) that things will work reliably and when they don't the fix becomes a "honeydew" item that requires immediate attention.
So off-the-shelf makes life easier which is what HA is all about.
For practicality purposes a hub with the ready to go basic home automation features would be the solution. I suppose something that included the proverbial Alexa to keep the wife happy (not an issue here) is mandatory.
The trick when creating a bespoke solution yourself is to get the foundations properly in place. Hacking bits and pieces of other people’s work and not really understanding what lies beneath it is a recipe for failure. So much time is spent propping it up its a complete turn off for the end user.
There’s no one size fits all home automation system. Bearing in mind that this is the X10 forum, getting a working X10 solution is not a problem. It’s only when the focus drifts to other elements of home automation do you start to encounter problems. There’s such a vast array of hardware on the market these days it’s sometimes difficult to include support for everything on a bespoke DIY setup. This is where knowledge of what is going on under the bonnet is important.
It seems the desire these days is for a full blown Alexa hub with its own proprietary lighting, switching, sensors etc hardware. No doubt that’s in the pipeline but until it happens you’ll need a hub with a certified Amazon skill to ensure some form of ongoing reliability. Emulators just don’t cut it anymore unless you have the requisite programming skills to maintain them.
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Topic: Alex10 (x10 control with Amazon echo, dot or tap) (Read 148052 times)