Controlling it all with Stargate
It's no
secret that there are dozens of home automation controllers on the
market, and a lot of them do a decent job. Some are
software-based and require additional hardware add-ons for specific
purposes, while others have certain native hardware.
Among the
latter is my personal favorite, Stargate
by JDS
Technologies. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a
stand-alone unit (about the size of a large security panel) with the
following stuff already built-in:
- a
bank of relays
- a
row of 16 digital inputs
- analog
inputs
- web
interface
- expandable
to include IR control
- loads
of virtual devices
- 2-way
X10 interface
- RS485
capability
What's
nice about it in my opinion is that it contains all the bare essentials
for a full blown system. True, there will probably be other
things that need to be added, but you won't find yourself compelled to
buy an excess of features you might not personally need.
Most of
what's there you'll probably use in time if not right away (though
there is a "lite" version available which doesn't have the Web
Interface). Some examples of what you can do with SG include:
- use relays to switch between audio
sources, or turn low-voltage devices on/off.
- monitor the state of security sensors or
other low-voltage stuff w/ the digital inputs.
- network & web control.
- send/receive X10.
- ASCII text in/out.
- and yes, other stuff.
The power
behind bringing all these things together is in the easy to use WinEVM
software. A simple connection to your PC's serial port is all
that's needed to program and download your schedule. After
that, the Stargate will run on its own (though you can
leave the software running on your PC for enhanced functionality).
But in the
interest of objectivity, there is one thing that could use some
improvement. In my experience it seems that the messages
recorded onto voicemail have been a little low on volume.
Others have reported similar issues with the voicemail features as
well, so I don't think it's just me.
Even so, I
really think SG is one of the best values around for its features
& performance. There's also a large user
community
that's available to assist people with questions/problems, so there's
really never a need to feel "stuck."
And when
you DO want to expand you'll find no limit to the devices that work
with Stargate, primarily because it uses an open
architecture. It only uses protocols that are common in the
industry (i.e. infrared, contact-closure, X10, etc.). There
are also some add-ons you can buy made just for SG, like the Infrared
Xpander (IR-XP2) for 2-way IR control; the LED
or
LCD keypads ;
and the new Web
Xpander (LAN/ internet and email
interface) that can be added to either SG-lite or the older versions of
Stargate.
When you
feel really comfortable you can even integrate the
Stargate with other HA controllers like Homeseer .
This adds the power of VBscript/Javascript and voice control into your
home system.
*Maintenance
tip for those of you who already have a Stargate or TimeCommander:
If you
ever experience strange or seemingly defective behavior with your unit,
check for software/firmware updates. I've had several
occasions wherein I thought I had something go bad, only to discover a
simple download fixed it; and for the most part you can
expect decent tech support from JDS.
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