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This is the first newsletter of the joint venture between SmarthomeUSA.com and Integratorpro.com that I recently wrote you about. It's somewhat generic since it's also going out to SmarthomeUSA's customer base (and many of them have never heard of me before - imagine that!). Anyway, I hope it's not too bland for you, my educated subscriber friend! I promise we'll get into some more interesting stuff next month. P.S. -
If you've been considering some purchases, you might want to check out SmarthomeUSA right now. They're launching
some new things. Among them, check this out:
I don't know how long they'll offer this so don't wait too long....
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How Big should my Home be before I consider Automating?
Well, now... the answer to the above question depends entirely upon you. It's obviously more common that people with larger homes will spend the big bucks to integrate their home electronics. But at the same time it's becoming increasingly common that small to mid-size homes are "getting smart." If you're the kind of person who enjoys this stuff (and I'm guessing you are), then I can only say there's no reason NOT to apply intelligence to your home. Think with me for a second: When people build million-dollar homes and pay tens of thousands of dollars for high-end automation...Why do they do it? Hmmmm..... Is it because their house is so big that they just have to have it? No! While automation adds to convenience and security, it's usually because they want it AND they can afford to pay someone else to do it. But actually, it isn't true that home automation is only practical in a "big" residence. There are all kinds of applications for smart home technologies regardless of the size of your home, and at least one of them is going to suit your fancy. And besides, you don't have to spend "tens of thousands" to have a really nice setup in your own modest home). Let me tell you a little about myself (gee, I hope you care!). First of all, as the new writer of the "X10 Files" newsletter I just want to welcome you to what we at SmarthomeUSA hope will be a helpful publication. My name is Andy Jackson (www.Integratorpro.com) and I've been doing various things with HA for a number of years. I actually got my start in a previous business I owned in which I did a lot of distributed audio/video and home theater. Since A/V and Home Theater can be cumbersome in advanced settings (i.e. which button & what remote???) I found it necessary to seek out products which could simplify (automate) the steps necessary to fire up the system. From there it was a small leap to integrate other systems (heating & a/c, security, lighting, etc.). The point is that for you, it might be your A/V that turns you on. Or it could be that your focal point of interest is Security; or Lighting Control; or your Telephone/Intercom system. If you're relatively new to system integration, I'd recommend you pick one system that you'd like to develop first - and dig into it! You'll find that if you follow your interests, you'll soon come up with lots of ways to make life simpler and more interesting at home. There's just one other thing you should be aware of before you dive in: If at some point down the road you might wish to integrate other subsystems, then plan on using an "open architecture." Whatever you do now, just make sure you can interface with it via X10, infra-red, contact-closure... at least one of the standards which are common across the industry. It would be a serious bummer to spend time, money, and energy on a lighting system only to find out later that there's no way to introduce external control. This "one step at a time" approach makes it easy for anyone to get into this field. And a side benefit of using an open architecture is that it usually is less expensive than proprietary systems! These days, you don't have to have a lot of money or a big home to enjoy automation. If you want a quick and inexpensive way to begin, plop down thirty or forty bucks for some X10 modules & then start playing! I think we'll have some great stuff for you in the months ahead. Tech tips & product reviews among other things. Meanwhile, to give you a jump start on some things here's some recommendations:
See you next time!
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