Reddit mentions: The best security & surveillance equipment

It's actually a really nice printer! Although quite expensive I guess, but I got it in the january sale as I knew I'd be eventually branching out to prints. Here's a link https://www.canon.co.uk/printers/inkjet/pixma/pixma_pro-10s/ It actually has 10 cartridges! Which is pretty insane! But the quality is definitly there! I actually ordered some prints from a print on demand place(I think it was printful) before I bought the printer, and the quality and colours weren't as good, and my borders weren't even straight. Being a perfectionist, I just decided to buy a printer lol!

So as for paper, it seems to print on just about anything(including canvas apparently, although I haven't tried that yet)! I am currently using bockingford inkjet watercolour paper for my unicorn prints(my only prints atm) which allows that lovely paper texture to shine! I have also printed sketches on to arches hot press paper and painted over them with great success! Both these papers need to be set to "other fine art paper". You can usually tell which setting to use depending on the thickness and weight of the paper. Although a lot of papers have their own profiles which you can download too. Also the borders come out straight!! So I am very happy with it!

Oh I should mention, although you probably know this, but if you decide to do home printing, get a monitor calibration tool! Then your prints come out exactly like they appear on the monitor. I use this https://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder5PRO-Designed-Photographers-Designers/dp/B00UBSL31Q

I only have 4 prints at the moment which are a set of unicorns that I did for myself. They do have thick white borders, but I designed them that way for easy framing. I'm not sure if I will do it for the new series yet. If you are curious my Etsy is https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KneeleyPillustration?ref=seller-platform-mcnav it really needs updating A LOT! Lol. But maybe you can see the paper texture from my printer?

I would love to see your work too if you feel like sharing! Although I understand if you don't. I'm usually pretty shy at sharing my work too, but I'm trying to get over that lol :)

Haha yes! It does feel like we have to wander around blindly a lot! But it's part of the fun I guess. Plus it is really nice to meet other artists too! It's also nice to share stuff with others who are interested, as my friends tend to glaze over a bit if I go off on a tangent about art supplies(I think I have an addiction to pens! lol)

I have recently gone down the road of automating my home. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Try not to lock yourself into an eco-system.
   
2. Google Home and Amazon Echo have similar capabilities, if you already have an Amazon, echo and if you like it go with more Alexa devices. As /u/TwiceBakedTomato already mentioned, Google Home or Amazon Alexa are only going to be voice-control part of your home automation. Also, if you already have a pixel phone, you can check out google's home skills, by using the google assistant.
   
3. Do not overlook Zwave. You can get a USB Zwave hub like this, and you won't have a bunch of bulbs and switches crowding your wifi network.
   
4. Check out Home Assistant. It is not really a works out-of-the-box solution (I can't speak for hass.io), but it is not hard to setup and has a lot of resources online. The possibilities with it are quite endless. The kind of automations you can have are only limited by the inputs/components you have configured and your imagination :)
   You can check all the components Home Assistant supports here. I have it configured with my TP-Link bulbs, switches, LIFX Bulbs, ZWave sensors, Zwave switches, Schalge Smart Lock, Roomba, NAS, Nest Cameras, Thermostat, etc...
   
5. For the doorbell, I would suggest going with the Nest Doorbell, Keep in mind there is an extra $50/yr (or $30/yr for each extra Nest cam) for Nest to save 24x7 video feed. It has however performed better than my older Ring doorbell which kept failing. Make sure your apartment doorbell is wired.
   
6. If you are getting more cameras, there are 2 options, going for a solution like Nest or Arlo, where the video feed storage, notification, etc is all handled by an external company; or getting cheaper IP/ONVIF Cameras and using your own surveillance/storage solution. I personally have a mix of both. I have a few nest cameras and a few cheaper IP cameras that record to my NAS. This gives me the peace of mind that in case someone breaks into my home and steals my NAS as well, I can still depend on Nest to have the break-in recorded and stored on their servers. I can also see the feed from all my cameras in a single place in Home Assistant.
   
   
   Miscellaneous thoughts:
   
   
7. Replacing wall switches are really easy, so don't restrict yourself to using only smart plugs. Just keep the older switches and put them back when you're moving out of your rental. (Obviously take appropriate safety precautions when working with live electric wires). They are also better when you have a multi-bulb lamp (like a chandelier), instead of getting 3-5 smart bulbs to make the chandelier smart, you can just get a single smart-switch which controls it.
   
8. Look into a smart lock, they are easy to install and are great! I currently have this one.
   
9. You can setup Home Assistant in something as small as a raspberry pi. Or if you have a older laptop lying around you can easily install Home Assistant, an MQTT server, Grafana, etc on docker containers on the same system
   
10. If you like DIY stuff, instead of getting a $35-$60 multi sensor like this, you can easily put together one with a ESP8266 and sensors which would cost about $8-$10 in total.
    
11. Make sure you set a budget. It's very easy to start buying stuff and a lot of approx. $30 stuff will add up quickly :)
    
    Hope this wall of text helps you. Happy Automating!
    
    e: spelling

Hi 'currently using bockingford inkjet watercolour paper for my unicorn prints(my only prints atm) which allows that lovely paper texture to shine! I have also printed sketches on to arches hot press paper and painted over them with great success! Both these papers need to be set to "other fine art paper". You can usually tell which setting to use depending on the thickness and weight of the paper. Although a lot of papers have their own profiles which you can download too. Also the borders come out straight!! So I am very happy with it!

Oh I should mention, although you probably know this, but if you decide to do home printing, get a monitor calibration tool! Then your prints come out exactly like they appear on the monitor. I use this https://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder5PRO-Designed-Photographers-Designers/dp/B00UBSL31Q

I only have 4 prints at the moment which are a set of unicorns that I did for myself. They do have thick white borders, but I designed them that way for easy framing. I'm not sure if I will do it for the new series yet. If you are curious my Etsy is https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KneeleyPillustration?ref=seller-platform-mcnav it really needs updating A LOT! Lol. But maybe you can see the paper texture from my printer?

I would love to see your work too if you feel like sharing! Although I understand if you don't. I'm usually pretty shy at sharing my work too, but I'm trying to get over that lol :)

Haha yes! It does feel like we have to wander around blindly a lot! But it's part of the fun I guess. Plus it is really nice to meet other artists too! It's also nice to share stuff with others who are interested, as my friends tend to glaze over a bit if I go off on a tangent about art supplies(I think I have an addiction to pens! lol)', im DAD.

You'll want to look at Smart things by Samsung or even a hubitat with z wave motion sensors, door sensors and z wave light switches.

Smart things

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SmartThings-Generation-GP-U999SJVLGDA-Automation/dp/B07FJGGWJL/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=smartthings&qid=1568218834&s=hi&sr=1-4

Hubitat

https://www.amazon.com/Hubitat-Elevation-Home-Automation-Hub/dp/B07D19VVTX/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11LGAJMZT4XTM&keywords=hubitat&qid=1568218857&s=hi&sprefix=Hubitat%2Ctools%2C181&sr=1-4

If you go the z wave /z wave plus route things tend to be much more stable and you can build a interference free IOT network. Zigbee runs on 2.4ghz so its generally less preferred to z wave that operates at a interferance-FREE 800-900 MHz.

Things like the GE Z wave light switches are great for a good reliable IOT network.


GE Z wave light switch & Extender

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Repeater-Extender-SmartThings-14291/dp/B01M1AHC3R/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=zwave+ge+light+switch&qid=1568218742&s=gateway&sr=8-2

For locks I highly recommend the Keyless Yale locks. $98 a piece, very reliable and they work great with a z wave network. They also use a hardened steel strike plate, a solid steel body, a tamper alarm, a anti saw dead bolt core and cant be picked.

​

You'll want a good quality door sensor, good reliable ones are few and far between so make sure you get something that has great amazon reviews. Dont cheap out here as flaky contact sensors are everywhere and its not worth the $5 when it doesn work half the time.


Z Wave Door Sensor


https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_4?crid=29QS4YGELWFZR&keywords=zwave+door+sensor&qid=1568220339&s=hi&sprefix=Z+wave+door%2Ctools%2C170&sr=1-4


Yale Z wave YRD110ZW619 Dead bolt

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PM6V1XW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

I also use an Abode Security System thats z wave based with my z wave locks feeding in to it. Abode is great as its got all the fancy features other alarm systems offer but has no monthly charge!!


Abode Security System

https://goabode.com/?rfsn=2685339.3291b5


​

For Smart outlets I dont have any z wave ones yet, just a couple of TP-Link kasa ones. I would probably go for GE in wall outlets though. DONT SKIMP on your outlets, lesser known brands have been know to catch on fire!

I have 19 kasa light bulbs and they work pretty darn good, but I would recommend GE outlets for much better home automation. Smart light bulbs are good for basic stuff but once someone turns off the light switch you cant turn them back on until you flip the switch.


Kasa Light Bulbs LB110

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-LB110-Smart-Wi-Fi-Dimmable/dp/B01HXM8XE2/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Kasa+bulbs&qid=1568220252&s=hi&sr=1-5

Please note that Smart things and Hubitat are booth good in there own respects, Smart things is good for people who know how to use a computer but are not power users. Hubitat is great for people who own a github account and really want the full automation experience. Hubitat runs most/all IOT commands locally and doesn't rely on the cloud for processing.

I skipped hubitat and went for HASSIO, I really, REALLY, dont recommend this rout unless your a computer tech as the learning curb can be really steep!!! It runs on your own server, I use the VB version


HASSIO

https://www.home-assistant.io/hassio/

So my suggestions: I've linked the things I use, but they're just suggestions.

• Lighting: Philips hue. This is because you don't want to wire up any new light switches. If you get a starter pack like this one it comes with a light switch you can place on the wall with double sided tape. You just have to teach the people in your house not to use the old switch anymore. In the case of kids rooms, the switch actually pops out of the holder and you could put it on their nightstand or whatnot so they can turn the lights on if they need to. The stand alone accent lights they have are really good as well, I have a few behind my TV that make the room pop somewhat.
  
• Zwave door / window sensors. With the dongle these are more useful then you'd think. If you have these and hue bulbs you could have hall lights turn on at like 10% brightness at night so you can see if you need to get up at night. I use them for my back patio so when I take the dogs out at night the lights automatically turn on, then turn off 15 min later on their own. If you're new to Zwave remember that these sensors do not repeat the signal. In your case since you don't want wire in powered devices you would need to get some repeaters to make sure you have enough signal strength or you won't receive events.
  
• Smart plugs: Weemo are good, but if you don't want to have a whole bunch of different types of devices, zwave would work just as well and it would also help with your signal strength. I actuallly use both in my setup to control things like air-purifiers and I have a few that report how much energy they use so I can automate things like when the dishwasher is running or laundry is done.
  
• Thermostat: I'm not sure if I can help you with that. I use a Nest for my whole house, but sounds like your setup may be different. There are plenty of good zwave thermostats out there you could hook up to this setup tho.
  
  

>Body shaped like a broom sitting on wheels. If it has arms they're not movable.

Wood: <$30, Aluminum: <$80. Hacksaw and drill required.

>Outdoor wheels that can move the robot on dirt, gravel, grass.

$30 + some modifications to connect a shaft

>Camera for vision

Either this or a USB webcam

>Can detect and avoid objects

With the webcam? A couple years of machine vision classes + openCV. One method would be to use an object matching algorithm (block matching) and two cameras to guess depth. Thats one of the fastest, simplest algorithms you can imagine, and it would barely run on a raspberry pi with low resolution cameras and fixed depth.

With sensors, you'd want to use the HC-SR04 or something similar. With a significant amount of work you can get a rough idea of what the world in front of you is like.

>Using GPS or something else, only drives within the bounds of a set area (like an imaginary fence)

$16 module. Note that it and GPS in general is only accurate to a few meters. Most of the time the GPS in your car can hardly tell what lane it is in. It is not possible to get better accuracy without some very hard work. GPS is only good enough to say you are around this area. Its good enough to keep you in a backyard, but not on a sidewalk. The application is very important to the solution.

>I'm imagining a robot around average adult height that you could walk around with outside. How difficult and costly of a task do you think this would be for a team to design and build? Do you know of anything similar?

This is one of the most common types of consumer robots. Fully featured they run a couple thousand dollars, or like $700 without the ipad. NB: the GPS/location problem is solved with the ipad, which uses wifi/cellular magic for increased accuracy. Also its remote controlled, and definitely can't leave a smooth floor.

Having the robot follow you on its own is an entirely new challenge. The easiest way would be for you to tether your phone with bluetooth or wifi and send your location data to the robot. Next easiest would be an infrared beacon + camera, or a sonar beacon. Complicated.

The actual hardware parts are super simple. I've used CIM motors a great deal in FIRST. They're pretty thirsty, but the FRC Victors are pretty good. You can use sprockets and chain to get a low reduction, or a gearbox. ~10x is enough to get 10" wheels to about as fast as a human can run, and torquey enough to get 200lbs up pretty much any slope/accelerate quite speedily. A 220 Wh battery would be enough to keep a 100lb robot following a walking person for a couple hours, or 20 minutes at max speed. This $100 battery is 355 Wh.

I think it's easier to search for minor inconveniences and annoyances around your house, then search for ways to automate it away.

I gotta watch out with this site or I'll end up in the non-automated poorhouse, but it's awesome for product discovery
http://www.smarthomedb.com/products

Since you mentioned OpenHAB, the supported technologies list is a good place to start a wishlist too
http://www.openhab.org/features/supported-technologies.html

I'm using z-wave for most of my devices, so the product database is full of devices that are more likely to be compatible
https://github.com/openhab/openhab/blob/master/bundles/binding/org.openhab.binding.zwave/database/products.xml

This forum thread is also great for seeing what other people have gotten working
https://community.openhab.org/t/collection-of-working-z-wave-configs/1407

Personally, I've had great luck with these devices:

Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Z-Stick, Gen5 Z-Wave Plus - ZW090 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_cIbCwbYMNV0A4

2gig CT100 Z-Wave Programmable Thermostat (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CQ4V3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_3IbCwbNFR9PQ6

MIMOLite - Z-wave Mulit-Input/Output Dry Contact Bridge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6RZ7MM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_uKbCwbF1ZBAXK

GE12722 Z-Wave Wireless Lighting Control On/Off Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035YRCR2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_oLbCwbQCFR48K

GoControl WNK01-21KIT Z-Wave Essentials Wink Enabled Security Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUXYSWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_p5bCwbRY8TXQ5

I have an old ADT installed Safewatch pro 3000 alarm, and this ties it into OpenHAB really nicely.
http://www.alarmdecoder.com/

I'm comfortable pulling wires through the walls, so I use one of these for TTS playback from my OpenHAB box:
Elk ELK-70 Echo Speaker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XP1HZ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_kZbCwb799TN4C

Driven by one of these:
Lepai LP-2020A+ Tripath TA2020 Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Amplifier with Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049P6OTI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_X0bCwb7MYGM47

A few scenarios might help with inspiration.

I have a sensor on my garage entry door that kicks on the laundry room light when the door is opened so I never enter a dark house with my hands full.

If it's 00:00 - 06:00 and any perimeter sensors on the alarm are tripped, all outside and main level lights come on at full brightness

I have a sensor on my garage door to send me an alert if it has been open for more than 15 minutes, and a camera and a mimolite to close it remotely

My wife works nights so I have a mimolite to disable the upstairs doorbell while she's sleeping during the day. It sends our phones alerts if the doorbell is rung while silenced

Get him the stuff to build a obstacle avoiding robot.

You'll need:

• Ultrasonic sensor. I just use a plain old SainSmart HC-SR04 based one. $5 at Amazon
  
  
• Magician Chassis (best price vs performance imo, $15 at SparkFun). Alternatively, you can go DIY with a chassis, but that's more work and I'm not sure a 10 year old could do it on their won.
  
  
• DRV8835 Dual Motor Driver Carrier assuming you go with the above Magician chassis.
  
  
• (Optional) Servo to turn the sensor.
  
  
• I also recommend getting quality AA NiMH rechargeables. I highly recommend Sanyo/Panasonic Eneloops.
  
  See this: http://letsmakerobots.com/start for some info. Also check out the LMR site in general, lots of info.
  
  ---------
  
  edit:
  
  
  Another good project for him would be a weather station + clock. All of the sensors + RTC for this project can be bought very cheaply and it's a fun and practical project. You'll need a DHT11, a LCD (make sure you get one with a good library and uses I2C/SPI), and a some common RTC.
  
  I recommend checking out adafruit for the sensors since they have all the parts as well as tutorials for the parts.
  
  edit2:
  
  I assume you'll help him with certain things like soldering and such. Or at least teach him to solder. I learned soldering around his age.
  
  edit3:
  
  Totally forgot to add, keep an eye out for the 3Pi robot from Poluolu go on sale during Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Last year they had it for like $50. One of the best robot kits imo.

Sure thing!

So I used a Raspberry Pi, but you could also use a virtual server or old desktop. The nice thing about the Pi is it is super cheap and uses very little energy since you have to leave it on all the time. It is far cheaper to buy the Pi than to use an old desktop that is sitting around. Use Z-Wave Plus (aka Gen5) devices, the older non-plus devices can't be upgraded and most do not support encryption.

So, things you'll need:

A Raspberry Pi: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CD5VC92/

A Z-wave plus controller (I went with the Aeotec Gen5 because it is well supported by the project): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00X0AWA6E/

A cheap Raspberry Pi case: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J1BNANM/

Z-wave plus devices you want to control. For the outdoor lights I used: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W9NWFM3/

A MicroSD card (At least 8GB, the higher the class the better, but you don't need to go overboard) : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KFXIDO/

An old micro USB phone charger

A MicroSD card reader


So there are several ways to install Home Assistant (https://home-assistant.io). I started trying out trying their new Hass.io operating system and found it just wasn't as stable as I would have liked as of yet and documentation was lacking. I'm not knocking the OS, but personally I ended up installing it on top of Raspbian Lite. To install, you’ll want to head over here: https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/noobs/  and follow the instructions on copying the files to your MicroSD card. When you get to the point of installing an OS, choose Raspbian Lite.

After you get done installing head over here: https://home-assistant.io/docs/installation/raspberry-pi/ . This gives a pretty straightforward installation guide on how to install on Raspbian Lite. It helps to have some familiarity with POSIX-oriented operating systems.

From this point on you can branch out in many directions depending on what you want to do. Home Assistant is highly customizable. Read the docs and follow examples. There are forums if you get stuck and I’d be happy to answer any questions or give suggestions for whatever use case you might have.

Hope that helps :-)

> do you guys think the AW will go any lower than 849.99 (price on microcenter)?

Watch /r/buildapcsales. This monitor gets posted almost weekly. $849.99 is fairly common, but we've seen a few posts in the last month or so where it's gone a little lower. Here's a few recent but expired examples:

• [$799.99 2 weeks ago via Newegg] (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/9thwf2/monitor_dell_alienware_aw3418dw_34_curved_1440p/)
  
• [$799 3 weeks ago via Google Express] (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/9rq1uq/monitor_alienware_aw3418dw_799_20_off_with_coupon/)
  
• [$829 about a month ago via Amazon] (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/9jjqco/monitor_dell_alienware_aw3418dw_829_25_3440x1440p/)
  
• [$829 about a month ago via Best Buy] (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapcsales/comments/9jb39z/monitor_aw3418dw_829_bestbuy/)
  
  I personally think that Black Friday through Cyber Monday will see this thing hit $799 again, possibly $779 for a new record low. Here's hoping!
  
  Dell online will also price match most national retailers and etailers. I got Dell to price match Microcenter since there is no MC near me (I think they sold it online too, but Dell's online returns are as easy as Amazon).
  
  > , but wondering if colorimeters usually go on sale— especially with Black friday coming up
  
  Prices fluctuate, but I haven't noticed any big sales recently. As per my other post, here's the 3 to watch out for and their current Amazon prices.
  
  
• [Datacolor Spyder5EXPRESS - $129.00] (https://smile.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder5EXPRESS-Designed-Hobbyist-Photographers/dp/B00UBSL2TO)
  
• [X-Rite ColorMunki Display - $151.92] (https://smile.amazon.com/X-Rite-ColorMunki-CMUNDIS-Accuracy-Calibration/dp/B0055MBQOM)
  
• [X-Rite i1Display Pro - $244.77] (https://smile.amazon.com/X-Rite-i1Display-Pro-Display-Calibration/dp/B0055MBQOW)
  
  Checking CCC for the price history on those, here's what I'm seeing.
  
  
• The Spyder hit $79.99 last black Friday, and again around Christmas. It typically goes for $120-$130. The current price is near the high. I'd wait.
  
• The ColorMunki hit $89.95 around the holidays last year, and typically goes for $150-$170. Aside from those big sales, the current price is fairly decent.
  
• The i1Display Pro hit $159 during the holidays last year. It typically goes for $205-$260, and the current price is near the high end.
  
  If you have to buy today, the ColorMunki is the best value when compared to the other options, and compared to historical prices. If you can wait until the holidays, they all should hit some fairly low prices. I'd still recommend the ColorMunki as I feel it's the best consumer home-use colorimeter, but some like to splurge for the i1DisplayPro as it's a better long term option for multi-device calibration due to the better build quality, durability, and faster sensor.

Cheap tripods are great for traveling, and I've given over a hundred demos with them, but they kinda get in the way, and the larger you make the footprint (to improve stability) -the more they encroach in your play space.

I use these tripods with these swivel adapter things for my on-the-road show. As long as they don't get bumped, you're good to go.

For home, I use This tension rod and this rod mount - you may need a longer rod- I run it from the top of my dresser to the ceiling and the top of my computer desk to the ceiling. The 87 inch one isn't long enough to go from floor to ceiling for me.

As far as other essentials, two of these help with plugging the lighthouses in. An HDMI Extender, Power extender, and a USB 3.0 Extender (those three work perfectly for me) will make your life 100x more easy, especially if your computer isn't directly next to your play space. The extra 10 feet makes a world of difference for reducing tangles, reducing the number of times you have to stop and untwist your cord, and making you not worry about yanking on your computer when you get to the far corner.

Lastly, this wireless keyboard thing will save you from running back and forth from your desktop.

---

As far as sweatyness, I got over the ickyness pretty quickly. My friends have mastered basic hygiene, and face sweat doesn't smell all gross or anything. After each demo, I run the foam under the sink to rinse it off, then dab it with a paper towel and set it on a box fan to dry. It's good to go as soon as the next person is done and I repeat the process. I ended up buying a set of new face foams from the HTC website after I lost my narrow face foam though :(

HA is definitely more user friendly. Its discovery process does an excellent job of finding most entities. I find openahb to be more stable with the z-wave protocol, but it's a more established product. HA has a lot of momentum. They are prolific with updates and feature additions.

I'm currently running Openhab because I have z-wave stability issues in HA, but I have a feeling I will switch to HA eventually once it irons it out. The beauty of raspberry pi is that cheap SD cards can act as swappable hard drives. So I actually have one card with Openhab and another with HA. I simply shutdown, swap cards and I can run the other system. 8GB is plenty if home automation is all you're running on an image.. those can be bough for $6 nowadays.

One thing you'll want to do is research protocols before setting it up. In addition to HA or Openhab, many protocols require additonal hubs or controllers to talk the language to those devices. So for Z-wave, you would need something like this. HA and Openhab are very flexible and can talk many protocols, but just keep in mind that talking multiple protocols may or may not be exactly free (depending on the protocol/technology).

Yep, Arduino is a great starter robot platform. It's got all the low-level I/O to make it work. A Raspberry Pi is not out of the question, but it's better at small form-factor general purpose computing.

If you can solder and have enough budget for it, the Zumo Platform is one of my favorites.

If you want to home-brew, you can get various shields and sensors and whatnot to make something on your own.

I advocate getting a genuine Arduino to start with for a variety of reasons. The biggest one is that the Arduino folks make a very high quality product, and you don't want to be chasing board issues on your first product. There are a whole slew of clones available that would probably be fine, but are much better for your 2nd or 3rd project once you're more comfortable with your programming and connection skills.

There's also more specialized boards like Pololu's A-Star line and the Ruggeduino that are great if you know why you want something like that. But for now, the stock Arduino Uno is probably a pretty safe bet.

I'm lucky and already had a Spyder 5 Express that I use to calibrate my theater projector. It's more important for that because as the bulb ages, the calibration needs to be done again so it's a matter of keeping it looking its best. The bonus is that I can calibrate every monitor in my house too (which there are a shitload including the AW34 haha).

​

Another thought, if you have a few friends who game with high end monitors, is to see if they want to go in on it. Split 3 or 4 ways, the cost is low and you can keep passing it around as necessary. Just realize that many monitors come out of the box with a halfway decent calibration so don't expect a miracle but it's nice to know that you have a perfectly accurate display for every movie u watch, game u play, or photo u edit. Oh, there's a nice before/after switch you can toggle when the calibration is done which is pretty cool.

​

Otherwise, I would use the link that _blackwatch listed below and do it by eye. That works pretty well too.

​

Cheers!

You could try fishing a neutral wire from the ceiling fixturewall outlet to the switchbox. I've done it in my house, but I don't know if I would try it in an apartment.

Alternative products: Since this switch controls an outlet, it's against code to use a dimmer switch on it. And dimmer switches are the only "smart" products I'm aware of that can operate without a neutral.

You're probably better off replacing the wall outlet with a smart outlet or any smart wall wart. Here's GE's in-wall smart outlet since you seem to be leaning toward zwave already.

You can control that smart outlet with something like GE's wall controller or velcro an aeotec minimote to the wall and use that. Even better - you could use an Amazon Echo for control - I rarely physically interact with smart switches since I got a modicum of automation running and a few Echos around the house for voice control.

Pretty much most custom setups here use the aeotec z-wave stick and either Open Hab or Home Assistant. Open Hab has a pretty new configuration UI but its not finished yet so there is still a far amount of not so trivial configuring that you have to do. Home assistant is just writing config files (YAML) but the documentation is amazing and its pretty easy if you are even remotely tech savvy. As stated already in the thread you do need a spare computer to essentially act as a hub.


I've been running this setup for almost a year (home assistant) and I haven't had any problems so far, its very stable.


Also you can give home assistant a shot before you switch as it supports the smart things hub!

You can read about it here. It is between 108 and 137 MHz and is AM modulated. Like 2gigch1 said, you need a good antenna. Here is an homemade antenna that works great for me. If it's for plane spotting you can buy an handheld like the Uniden BC75XLT. The better the line of sight, the better the signal will be. If you go the SDR route, there is an awesome project: rtl_airband (works great on raspberry pi). Have fun!

Although Robo Recall was a bit too arcadey for my tastes, it's still very fun and free, but Lone Echo... omfg, Lone Echo is amazing. Absolute must-play.

I also recommend Wilson's Heart, Obduction, and Robinson (which just got Touch support!) if you are into VR adventure games.

If you are into racing, and have all the right gear (seat + wheel + pedals), check out Dirt Rally and Project CARS 2, as well. They are incredible. I've noticed that people don't tend to have nausea problems with racing games when they are using a seat and wheel.

If you are ready to step things up, Elite: Dangerous is the one VR experience that keeps me coming back more than any other (Dirt Rally comes in second). You can easily spend a lot of money on it, though. Add a HOTAS setup, Voice Commander, and a VC voice pack, and you've added $300 to your purchase price... but once you do, it's no longer a game... you are genuinely living in space. I don't even really think of it as a game anymore. It's a second life. It's real.

Oh and as others have mentioned... don't leave your Rift near a window. Those damn fresnel lenses can damage your screen like a magnifying glass focusing on an ant... and Oculus will NOT repair it, not even for a fee.

Also, I strongly recommend mounting your cameras to a wall or ceiling. These are the mounts I use and recommend: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D49TU4/

I've found just about any USB3 extender cable works, but apparently, some people's motherboards don't output enough power for longer cables. If you run into that problem, use a USB3 or USB-C (if your mobo has one) based, independently powered hub. I've found you can get away with 2 cameras running over a single powered hub connected to a USB3 port, or 4 cameras connected to a hub connected to a USB-C port.

Here's the USB3 hub I recommend to everyone with power issues: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VDVCQ84/

Edit: Oh, and if you already have Alien: Isolation, there's now a mod that restores the game's original VR support for CV. Keep in mind, it still has plenty of rough edges and is gamepad only, but playing through that in VR is one my most cherished gaming memories.

My current go-to with that set of requirements would probably be the LG Neo Blade III. I personally really like LG monitors, they've got a great price/performance and really good colour reproduction. Currently I'm seeing the Neo Blade III for $189, which is a bargain.

My other recommendation would be to invest in a colourimeter like the Spyder 5 Express. Most monitors these days can do a decent job at reproducing colours so long as they are accurately calibrated. Unfortunately, most monitors these days also come out of the box suffering from what I call "Best Buy Syndrome"- all the contrast and saturation dialed up to 11 like those shiny demo models in your local Best Buy. Spyder 5 with the free software DisplayCal will do you great. Slap it on your monitor, follow the instructions, and in about 30 minutes you'll have accurate colours for editing.

• Step 1 - If you haven't already, recalibrate your monitor using a hardware colorimeter such as a ColorMunki Display, or a DataColor Spyder. Calibrating using software only is a complete waste of time.
  
  
• Step 2 - Be certain that you've got the brightness set correctly (and then lock those settings if you can), as well as being sure that there are no auto-brightness control settings enabled. (99% of the time, this is going to be the problem)
  
  
• Step 3 - Identify the correct paper profile for your printer/paper combo. If you're using something other than Epson Paper with an Epson printer, you'll need to look to google to track down the right profile. (If you have an Epson Printer and you're using Epson paper, the paper profile is likely already installed on your machine).
  
  
• Step 4 - Now that you're certain that your display is calibrated and the brightness is correct, load the image in to Photoshop, and soft-proof it with the correct profile for the paper and printer you're planning to use. This is not the most straight forward topic and there is a TON of data to ingest about it, but you can get started here, but understand that this may take a good amount of time to wrap your head around because it's a complex subject. TONS of info on google/YouTube though.
  
  
• Step 5 - Confirm that your print settings are also using the correct paper profile. Here's a quick primer on that from Red River Paper (Who, by the way, you should buy some paper from because it's pretty great).
  
  Good luck!
  
  Ninja Edit: Just as an FYI, current versions of Lightroom, and Capture One Pro also offer some soft proofing capabilities. The workflow is similar - although most of the info/tutorials available online are going to be written for photoshop, and I'd do it there anyway because it'll give you the most flexibility.

Hi! Welcome to the expensive, frustrating and exciting world of home automation!

You will find people using all sorts of things for switches, from arduinos shoved behind a wall plate, to multi-hundred dollar crestron panels.

I would suggest diving into the world of z-wave for this particular niche. I did a lot of research on this subject, and I think it will best accomplish your goal. GE makes a line of z-wave switches. They aren't cheap, but they work really well with home assistant. I would check those out! Feel free to PM me or reply below with any other questions.

Good luck!!

Edit: You might also want to check out something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OUWABU

Most people do it just by personal preference/eye-balling or they use a custom ICC profile made from someone with the same monitor. This won't ever get the colors perfect, but it's plenty fine for the significant majority of users.

If you are a professional photographer/graphics-designer or just a high-end user and want as close to perfect as you can get, you will need to buy a monitor colorimeter or hire someone with one to calibrate it for you. This is sometimes offered for free with expensive television purchases from places like Best Buy.

That's an interesting approach. But 2x $32 micro switch/dimmer, plus $40 scene controller is $100 minimum. Even if I was happy with my old fan, that set up won't give me control over the speed of the fan remotely. I thought that dimmers should not be used to control fan speed.

Unless I am looking at the wrong parts:
Aeon Labs DSC26103-ZWUS - Z-Wave In-Wall Micro Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008VWBNAU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SZ6CzbJ281ENH

GE 45631 Z-Wave Wireless Keypad Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OUWABU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_P06CzbWC2KG9Z

For half that price I can get this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Wink-Enabled-White-Universal-Ceiling-Fan-Premier-Remote-Control-99432/206591100

That controller gives me speed and light control (with dimming) at a remote on the wall and in Wink. I would guess it's just zwave, so SmartThings might work with it too.

I would go for the $50 controller if I liked my existing fans, but part of the drive is that I don't like the style, and one fan is dying. I like that $200 fan that includes the automation better than any $150 fan I have seen, so it's a net savings too.

I also have a situation that may not work with those micro components anyway. My fan was wired power to fixture, then switches. So I don't have any real neutrals at my switches for the scene controller. Like this:
http://www.easy-do-it-yourself-home-improvements.com/images/wiring-a-4-way-switch.jpg

Congratulations! I recently moved into my own place and have found a few things that helped.


Depending on your budget, I'd recommend the Canary ($200). It's a wireless camera that instantly alerts you if there's any activity in your house while you're away. You can also check in via wireless video at any time.


I also use a door alarm for extra peace of mind while I'm home.


I now always carry readily-accessible pepper spray and a small flashlight when I'm going out or coming home in the dark.


A final random tip: I keep my energy bill low by using a space heater in the room I'm hanging out in.


Hope that helps! Best of luck with the new place. :)

Not mentioned here; but IMO any camera will put people on notice that there is a camera present. I think my neighbors think I'm a bit on the paranoid side; yet there have been no problems in my neighborhood for some time, and others nearby have had break ins, car burglaries; etc. I also have a back alley; and this keeps people away from the cars and garbage in the rear alley (last Christmas we had a car break in).

I don't however, recommend Ring Cameras; (doorbell is fine; but put another 4-5MP camera out there). Why? Better granularity /clarity in terms of visibility; esp at night. I recommend Reolink for their great night vision.

Imgur (B&W), but color is possible. IR in USE

Argus2: battery powered Color night vision: Imgur

I started with the excellent Reolink Argus 2's because of the exceptional night vision; have moved up to their 5MP dome camera for my rear driveway. I would recommend the Reolink PoE or Wifi (I am using 5ghz wifi with no problems) system. In the front, for appearances sake, I am using the ring doorbell2 with a solar powered (solar array is in a flower pot near the front door) Argus2 higher up. In the back, a Reolink 422W (vandal resistant dome) under the garage door frame. I'm very pleased.

I don't need an NVR; I'm using SD cards and my phone app and Windows client on my PC to run it.

Here is one such buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Surveillance-Supported-Security-Recording-RLK8-410B4/dp/B01AHXEHSU/ref=sr_1_5?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1543322543&sr=1-5&keywords=Reolink

Welcome to OpenHab! I've been using OpenHabian on a Raspberry PI for over a year and I love it.

Here's a link for steps to install OpenHabian on a Raspberry PI.

I'm not sure if it's the best Zwave stick but I use the Aeotec Z-stick Gen 5. I've been using it for over a year and it works great, I haven't had any problems. Getting my Zwave stuff working was the first thing I did when I started using OpenHab, so I'm a little foggy on the setup steps. I think I referenced this link to setup my Zwave stick with my OpenHabian. I don't remember using a guide to setup the Zwave stick. I'll poke around to see if I can find one.

If you haven't already, I would recommend reading through the Overview section on the OpenHab website before starting to setup the Zwave stick. That will walk you though the main concepts of OpenHab. If you need more help let me know. I would be happy to offer recommendations for different sensors and actuators that have worked well for me.

​

You are correct to be paranoid, but thats just a natural reaction. Increase your security, and the paranoia should subside.

Some ways to beef up your urban living security situation

• Get a dog. Best. Security. Ever.
  
• Add a little security tech to your pad. Doesn't matter how broke you are, you can afford a $12 Door Stop Alarm. You could also splurge $40 on a motion detector that will email you when the door is opened.
  
• Get some creepy security alarm stickers for the windows. You make think that is ridiculous, but its cheap, easy, and makes you at least a slightly less attractive target.
  
• Lock your doors

Opposite corners, up as high as you can, so they're looking down at you seems to work best if you want 360 coverage with 2 sensors. Unfortunately, that'll probably require you to get extension cables, but they aren't that expensive. The front facing setup that Oculus recommends is really fast and really easy, but losing the ability to turn around in VR really hurts the experience, imo.

If you are able to buy a couple extension cables, I'd really consider trying to get them all the way up in a top corner of the room. You may want to consider a third sensor if you really want to go full room scale, too. I have three sensors mounted up high in 3 out of the 4 corners of my room (2 in front, one in back) and tracking is essentially flawless. It's a little bit of extra work to actually mount something to the wall, but it's worth it if you're setting it up for the long run. I used these mounts.

Having extension cables also gives you extra room to work with so that you can properly route the cables in a neat way instead of having them just hanging loose on the wall. I bought some cable concealers and they pretty much blend into the wall, so you really just see the sensor itself. Looks a lot nicer.

You could do this using zwave devices. It will cost some money up front but you'll have a solid base to build out more complex home automation tasks if you want to.

You can turn any computer into a local "hub" with a Zwave USB dongle. This one is pricey but works really well. Plug that into a spare laptop lying around the house or buy a Raspberry PI.

Install the Home Assistant package on the computer or PI that you plugged the dongle into. This makes it easy to send and receive signals from Zwave devices without having to learn a bunch of low level APIs. You can write automation commands using YAML markup or write complex, custom tasks using Python. Home Assistant is just a bundle of open source free software, so I don't think of it as a "service", but you could roll your own software if you like that replaces it. It all runs locally, not in the cloud, so you own and control it.

Now you can buy any Zwave switch you want. GE has a bunch of reasonable priced switches.

You can get an "add on" switch that does not hook into your home power but controls smart light bulbs like Hue using over the air signals.

Or you can buy a real switch that does control existing lights through the power in your home -- this will let you send signals to your switch using your Home Assistant "hub" to turn lights on or off and dim them without having to replace existing bulbs.

Have fun.

Some dumb ideas to help get the ball rolling in this thread...

Motion activated security camera using Motion or MotionEyeOS -- it's one of the go-to Pi Zero W projects, and you could set it up to email you photos and video.

Perhaps a Check-In system? Just spitballing, but a Pi paired with a touchscreen would allow patients to check-in electronically when they show up for their appointments.

Similarly, an ultrasonic sensor connected to a Pi could be placed by the front door, and could send you a notice every time someone entered the room. This could be useful if you regularly have to leave the front office empty.

I don't work in a doctor's office, and I know I'm totally not being helpful but think of all the things a computer can do in your office -- and then ask, what are some things you'd like to automate, or some things that could be more effective if they were smaller or more portable?

For example, would it be useful to put a $5 Pi Zero in each examination room and pair it with an RFID reader, for tracking doctors and/or patients?

Like with any technology, it might be easier to identify specific areas for improvement in your office, then ask in what ways a Pi might solve those problems via its basic attributes (eg low cost, low profile, GPIO pins, etc).

If you know anything about Linux it should be easy to pick up. If you don't know anything about Linux and you want to learn by doing, this is a great way to start. I'm somewhere it the middle, and it taught me a few things without being totally annoying.

Grab a Raspberry Pi and follow the instructions in the Getting Started section of http://home-assistant.io. Since it runs a database on your Pi, get a fast SD card; that will be the bottleneck in speed for the UI.

The Z-Wave contoller I'm using is one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-ZW090-Stick/dp/B00X0AWA6E/

It holds all of the information regarding your Z-Wave devices direcly onboard the dongle.

The Z-Wave controller plus the Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant are the equivalent of the "hub" you're talking about. You can expand it to do pretty much whatever you want, too.

Yes, it's more complicated to get set up, but you can do a lot more than the name brand hubs once you're comfortable with it.

Their forums are a good source of help, but if you take the dive and get stuck feel free to PM me.

Thanks for the information.

I thought Zigbee/Z-Wave wireless sensors were generally compatible with any transceiver (as long as they're the same protocol)? So if I had (for example) a Z-Wave USB dongle that provided a generic virtual serial port or some other interface, I could send and receive messages from a computer to Z-Wave sensors that were paired to the wireless network? (Note: I just randomly selected those two links from Google for examples -- I have no idea if they're compatible or anything, I'm totally new to these technologies and this is what I'm researching.)

I don't have a Raspberry Pi, but I read a few articles talking about modules that could communicate with Zigbee and ZWave, so that's why I mentioned it. I'd rather just use a USB dongle transceiver/antenna with my existing Linux server.

My NVR is just a basic Python application I wrote that's running on the Linux server that records my camera streams to disk with a web interface to view them live or from recordings. It'd be easy to additionally listen to wireless sensor messages, and then log them, tag the recordings and send an alert. That's what I want to do, but I don't know what kind of hardware to look at.

I could set up a motion detection zone on each camera and capture ONVIF events but I feel like a simple door is open or closed sensor would have less false positives. Plus, I want to learn about wireless sensor tech. :)

Just so I get this straight, you want to put the dashcam inside your house or your car? It sounds like you want to put it inside the car but I'm just checking. Additionally, unless you angle it straight up, I'm not sure you'll get a good angle on the third floor balcony from the windshield of a car.

To answer your question, you could run the camera off a booster pack for cars if you have one. They're usually fairly large in capacity and have a cigarette lighter plug included. Something like this.
Some cameras just use a USB cable that plugs into a cigarette lighter adapter so you could also use a large battery bank and use it on motion detect like that. At that point though, I'm not sure if something like a cheap 1080p security camera like this one wouldn't do the same job. Just be careful with the battery bank if you live in a place where it gets really hot.

>Any ideas of a good scanner that can pick up the aircraft band by chance?

If you're looking for a new handheld scanner, the default answer (at least in the US) is usually Uniden. The lowest cost BC75XLT is perfectly fine, although I personally prefer scanners that have alphanumeric channel names, e.g. the BC125AT. The really good one is the BCD43HP, a wonderful toy, not cheap.

Edit: if you're interested in military aircraft as well then the entry level is the BC125AT.

https://www.uniden.com/radio-scanners/handheld

Uniden BC75XLT on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1VSO9M/

There are products like this, but the reviews show people having a good amount of success as well as people who say it doesn't work.

Also, there are things like this, where it will merely alert you to your door opening.

That's a nice price. Too bad they apparently don't work (based on the other article).

The GoControl ones work, but cost more, unless you get them in a kit.

Home Depot link

Apparently, they're rebranded under a lot of names. Monoprice sells them, too. Honestly, I wonder what's inside the one you linked.

I picked them up for $41.23 (check the price history on camelcamelcamel) in this bundle on Amazon

... and these, also at Home Depot, look suspiciously similar.

I'm still experimenting with the motion sensor; once you understand how it sleeps between motion alerts, it seems to be working fine. I installed it at the recommended 6', enabled small pet, and it still detects my cats. I'm entertaining raising it or trying the large pet setting.

The sleep value is programmable with a compatible system, but can't be programmed (currently/if ever?) with Wink. You can override it completely via a jumper (always on), but at cost to battery life.

It also includes a temp sensor that says it updates every 1 degree, but the Wink app will often say it's been 68 for five or more hours; no way the temp in my house is THAT stable. I'm left wondering if it reports temp when there's no motion in the room.

These window/door sensors also have TWO contacts; the first one is obvious (the included internal sensor); there are terminals inside that let you add another external sensor contact; it can sense two doors/windows from the one remote, but Wink doesn't (currently/if ever) respond to the code from the external sensor. I hope they will, as I want to use another on my french door refrigerator. One wireless remote monitoring two door sensors.

I'm using one right now on our freezer, and was able to hide it fairly well, too, especially after removing the magnet from its plastic housing that makes it 5 times the size (and any powerful enough magnet would do the trick); our freezer door has never closed very well, without an extra push ... and is often left .5" - 2" open until someone notices hours later after the temp has risen to 17, it's been running all day trying to get back down to 0, and everthing inside is slushy and covered in frost; we now get an alert if it remains open 3 minutes and 5 minutes.

I plan to get more of those kits from Amazon and use the motion sensors as vacancy sensors to turn off lights in empty rooms.

... and here's a comparison review I just found.

After proofreading this I should preface this by saying I have zero affiliation with them other than buying the system a few months ago, but I really like it.

I have this Reolink system. https://www.amazon.com/Reolink-Business-Security-Waterproof-RLK8-410B4/dp/B01AHXEHSU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1492349113&sr=8-4&keywords=reolink+security+camera+system

Seems to meet all your requirements except text alerts. I does support email alerts though. Supports up to 8 cameras and comes with 4 bullet cams. Grab a Reolink dome camera for about $100 or so and you are way under budget.

The biggest negative is that they say the system only works with their brand of cameras. Not sure if that means they just don't officially support other brands or if they just plain wont work with the system. I only have the 4 that came with it and have not purchased extras.

The software while not the most intuitive, is easy enough to figure out and has a good amount of features. The mobile app is very easy to use and works well.

I have a couple of these on a sliding glass door. They work pretty well and they are sensitive enough to trigger when you're opening the door. Problem is if my cat messes with them they can go off.

As for door opening something like this or this

Now granted I'm no guru when it comes to home defense. I live in a nice area where people can leave their bikes out over night unlocked and expect them to be there in the morning.

I have insurance so if I do get robbed I'm covered. I have valuables secured as best as I can since i'm renting. My concern is when my gf or I are home and someone tries to get in or something I want to be awake.

@Gottria

I was really trying to make the RP3 version work, but it had two limitations:

1. Only 5 plugins allowed ( I'm already way past that)
   
2. It is linux based, which would normally be a good thing - but since HS is .NET, there were a fair number of plugins that did not run (or get supported) on Linux / Mono.
   
   
   I bought the HS3 software only (not pro, just regular). My understanding is HS does a 50% off deal 2x a year, so I'll wait for that and upgrade to pro. (TIP: put it in your cart, and leave the site for a day or so. I got an email with a 25% off coupon for it)
   
   I bought my own mini windows box (this thing is tiny, and it's actually really cool) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1LA8MB/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   And this Z-Wave USB device (in my reading it had better reviews than the HS one, and it works great) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X0AWA6E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   So far this stack has worked out great for me

I use a Uniden BC125AT, others have mentioned it. I used it at the race track (Portland) with the stock antenna & the Koss QZ99 others have also mentioned.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000051SD1

https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC125AT-Alpha-Tagged-channels-Lightweight/dp/B00772MR0K

I program the known scanner frequencies before I head to the racetrack from the spotter guide, using the free software scan125. (PC only unfortunately, I used parallels on my mac to get it to run.)

From what I can tell, the driver coms, race control & indycar radio network don't change much during a season.

The same is not true for tv, at least in my first two years of scanning the races. I use the racing scan mode to figure out the tv broadcast frequencies, there will be one "clear one" and the the others you find will be interrupted with comments such as camera direction, etc. With NBCGold this year, I was able to easily lock down the good frequency the first practice session to listen to the tv broadcast.

Indylights used the same frequencies as the main event, (TV/radio/race control) They had other frequencies for the drivers, but I didn't investigate if a list was available online somewhere. Other series I couldn't find any coms, but they may have not had radios.

I have some other thoughts. If you share the scanner with two people, you may find the volume is too low. I purchased an amplified splitter, but didn't need at the racetrack.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EIWCFE

I would go with the 125 vs the cheaper model, due to being able to set an alphanumeric id instead of only looking at a frequency number on the scanner channel.

Like i mentioned before, I preprogrammed what I could before I arrived at the track on Friday, I then programmed the tv stations at the track, but it is a pain to label everything and get a logical order into the scanner banks that way. When I got home the first day I was able to use the scan125 software to "clean up" the order and get everything labeled properly, to make it easy to switch from tv/radio/pa & race control as I cared to.

I put a fresh set of AA batteries in the start of the weekend, and replaced the batteries again before the main race. I would carry at least 4 AA batteries to the track each day, just in case.

Yeah, calibrating by eye is really no calibration at all even with a good panel like yours.

However, I do have a scenario for you to consider. Say, you purchase a Datacolor Spyder 5. The model is irrelevant as you will not use their useless software (don't register it!). Instead, you would use the excellent, free and open source DisplayCal which can very accurately calibrate your monitor. You could then calibrate all displays at your disposal in the time span of a week or two. Then, theoretically speaking, you could be compelled to return the device to Amazon and be entitled to a full refund! Thus, you would have calibrated monitors for very close to $0.

Interesting thought experiment, no?

You would be best served by using software that is specifically designed for accurately outputting digital files to print. The clear leader in this area is of course the Adobe Creative Suite, which contains Photoshop and Illustrator. Your specific inputs (scanner, camera, etc.), as well as monitor and printer would have to be carefully configured in the software so that colors are represented on the screen and in print as accurately as possible:

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/creativesuite/cs/using/WSBB0A8512-8151-408c-9F79-4A9E9E3BA84C.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/printing-color-management-photoshop1.html

Once you have the appropriate software, and you have properly configured all the devices in your work environment in the software, you can further increase the color fidelity of your output by purchasing a color calibrator. This hardware device allows your computer to directly sample the accuracy of the output which allows it to perform fine-tuning to achieve the most precise result possible. This type of device used to be expensive, however, in recent years the cost of such equipment has drastically fallen. It is now possible to purchase a decent color calibrator on Amazon for under $100:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UBSL2TO

Regarding Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe no longer sells this software in standalone format (they now require a subscription and recurring monthly payment). However, there are some reputable sellers here on Reddit which still offer the software at a discount, in standalone format, which does NOT require the recurring monthly payments. Adobe Design Standard CS6 is currently available for only $100 and includes: Photoshop CS6, Illustrator CS6, InDesign CS6, Acrobat X Pro, Bridge CS6, and Media Encoder CS6. For an additional $50 you can get the Adobe Master Collection CS6 which includes pretty much everything else they make:

https://www.reddit.com/r/microsoftsoftwareswap/comments/5oqz5s/h_windows_10_7_8_81_server_office_visio_project/

If you get the 13R3 OLED you can calibrate the color with a SpyderPro device. They are expensive but it would be worth the investment. But with it being a hobby, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I love my 13R3 for photo/video work and gaming is awesome on it.

This would be your best bet, but you do have to know/learn how to get the code up and running on both the Arduino and SmartThings IDE, so maybe a bit intense for some. Plus they stopped selling it a while ago... I'm still mad I didn't buy more.

I've made a few customish sensors (i.e.: doorbell) with these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUXYSWU - they're relatively cheap, and it's super easy to add external sensors to them. You're stuck with the motion sensors, but I can always find a use for those. But on the contact sensors, just snip the hall sensor out to disable the contact feature, then connect your wired sensor to the provided terminals. Thats it, but If you're feeling ambitious you can copy the device handler in the IDE and edit it to represent what you're actually sensing. May find this handy if you're combining sensors or something similar (i.e. need to know all 1st floor windows are closed, not listed individually).

All that said, I would just stick to straight wireless wherever possible, because the mesh network is strengthened with each device you have scattered around the house. But if you can find an Arduino shield, that would be wayyy cheaper since you could use one device to integrate all pre-wired sensors.

I had it at roughly 4 ft off the ground aimed parallel to the ground this seemed to give the best result.

I wanted to give some information on my testing using IR transmitters to create a play space. I bought the "80ft" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075ZYG89D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 transmitter and attempted to use it to create a full size 25x25 foot play space.

It will let you do that you can get a full 25x25 foot play space however it's only front facing. The issue is when you turn your back to the transmitter it doesn't see enough to continue tracking and will drop you out of the experience you are in. If you limit yourself to about 10x10 feet then you can get 360 degree tracking (as it can see enough when you back is turned to keep tracking). It seems like I might be able to grab some spare cellphone flashes on the back side to get a full 25x25 foot play space. It seems reasonable that the "200ft" transmitter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0771HSGH4/ref=emc_b_5_i should be able to give you a full 25x25 foot 360 degree playspace.

if you already know about a smart dongle thing that lets you talk to wireless smart devices, and you know about smart door contacts... your question is more about which smart vendor might be open source? i'm afraid i can't advise about that, i just don't know.

-

i am unfamiliar with most of the wireless home automation stuff, the likes of Z-Wave, so there certainly may be a solution from that vendor i don't know about. i am familiar with wireless security equipment, and generally speaking vendors are very protective over the channel encryption and usually don't like to share frequencies.

there are usb I/O boards : https://numato.com/product/8-channel-usb-gpio-module-with-analog-inputs

could be combined with z-wave relays : https://www.amazon.com/s?k=zwave+relay+module

and a z-wave door contact : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/

IR Blasters are directional Infrared Radiation (IR), a spectrum of light that's mostly invisible to human eyes but the Wyzecams can use to record its surrounding in the dark. In other words, video recordings in the dark, look like clear, bright, daytime, black and white scenes.

These light sources use electricity but it also has sensors that turn "on" the light when dark, and on average illuminates about 12 hours everyday depending on its installed geographic location. The longer its light is on the more money it takes operator - but it makes a huge difference for video recording when installed correctly.

With the Wyzecam and sensors triggering the Wyze smart outlets that now controls my IR blasters, it only turns on as needed, which reduces the energy cost, by my guesstimate of 99%, which translates ruffly into $18.92 savings per year for my current energy rates of 27¢ per kWh on Oahu.

I have been using this light fixture with no failures or operational issues.

My biggest lesson with IR blasters was that the light source cannot be too strong or the details get "washed-out" like a person's face. How the IR blaster is aimed takes trial and error to get it right for each installation but the results are worthwhile.

Sorry could not resist. I travel a bit and I monitor my indoor lettuce hydroponic garden with one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0151Z8ZQY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gives me a nice snapshot of what's going on from my phone or tablet. It is indoor only though. Still check my growing area everyday when home. Every successful gardener will check their garden as much as possible.

Good luck and have fun.

For what you are trying to achieve, z-wave and/or zigbee will do you best. The first thing you are going to need is a smart hub that has z-wave and/or zigbee radios. I use Samsung SmartThings, and it's decent and has both radios. There are other options on the market, but I think SmartThings is probably the most popular one on the market.

I can link you some products that I have in my house that work great with my SmartThings hub, and will work with various other hubs on the market.

Fan Control (speed only, not light)

Motion sensor (You can normally find these for $30 or less)

Door/window sensor

Dimmer switch

Garage door opener

Plug in outlet

I don't have the video cam, so I can't offer up specific recs, but there are a number of mini/pocket sized tripods with small ball swivel heads that might help if you're wanting to set it on a shelf or table. Manfrotto offers a pretty solid one, or some of the ones sold as cell phone tripods might work if they aren't so lightweight that they fall over easily.

Alternatively, something like this could also work, though depending on camera weight or the center of gravity, you'd probably need to screw it down to the shelf or to a board painted to match: https://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-Adjustable-Mounting-Installation-Surveillance/dp/B001D49TU4/

Gotcha, well you can still get the basic hub+remote for $135 it looks. I have this, but never use the remote really, cause everything is exposed as switches to my other systems.

There's plenty you can do if you know how to code, but if you aren't writing plugins for HASS you can get away with just learning some basic YAML pretty much, and there's tons of useful resources on the website.

I use this sensor for a lot of things, including temp/humidity. It's also got a light sensor, if that would be in any way helpful there as well. It shows up in HASS with the assortment of sensors that can then be tied to whatever automations and such.

I've been really liking these for the plugs lately: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075ZNZX8J/

They are nice and compact and also report energy usage if that's needed.

As for the sensor - I've heard good things about these but never personally used them: https://smile.amazon.com/Aeotec-Multisensor-temperature-humidity-vibration/dp/B0151Z8ZQY/

I have some junky Monoprice ones they cause me a lot of headache. I also have these which seem to work pretty well. I like 10-yeah battery life and how compact and intrusive they are: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com/products/sensative-z-wave-plus-strips-comfort-indoor-outdoor-temperature-moisture-sensor

I got them on sale though for I think $35 each.

Coding can be done in python. Rasperry pi has by default a RPi.GPIO package that gives you very very easy interfacing with the GPIO pins on the board. You will need some resistors, and some leds, and a breadboard (board that lets you put wires into it so you don't need solder). Assuming you have a pi and that is working I would get these:

breadboard

jumpers

resistors and leds starter kit

DMM, not necessary but nice to have.

Here is a nice guide to the pinout on the pi and the numbering system

This is a nice guide to using rasperry pi GPIO python package

This is the generic python tutorial assuming you do not know python.

edit:

while we are at it here are some other fun things you can do with a pi:

Make it move with these ICs and DC motors. Not pi can not hook up dc motors directly, thus the chips. There are also rover kits with dc motors and wheels already.

There are sonic range sensors.

GPS receivers

temperature sensors

uv light sensors

There are a lot of projects you can do with relatively cheap sensors with the pi.

Alrighty that looks like what I was thinking. I was checking on this stick from amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Z-Stick-Z-Wave-create-gateway/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=z-wave+usb&qid=1565731713&s=gateway&sr=8-3

​

I have read reports of some users stating that they had an easy time allowing the USB pass through from the ESXi host running the HA VM.

​

Thanks for the additional info about the flashing part, something I will need to consider as I would prefer to make my devices linear rather than buying all different types of Smart products.

Windows and MacOS have built in utilities to help calibrate monitors, but I've been using the test images from here for about 10 years:

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

That page will do a pretty good job, but if you really want to get it 100% right, something like this is what is needed:

https://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder5PRO-Designed-Photographers-Designers/dp/B00UBSL31Q/

We do. It was originally suppose to be a man cave for my husband but plans change. We have four dogs ranging from 8-75 lbs. It is a finished basement that has their crates, food, water bowls as well as a tv for their doggie channel and an old love seat for lounging.

YI 1080p Home Camera, Indoor IP Security Surveillance System Night Vision Home/Office / Baby/Nanny / Pet Monitor iOS, Android App - Cloud Service Available https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4AR9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_D8k5BbAFH6MFE

That is the camera we use to keep an eye on them. Two way mic, 24 hr recording(that’s extra), and motion detection.

Buy a color calibrator, or do it very crudely (if you are selling prints I would not do this) and hold your phone next to your MacBook and use the basic software adjustments like contrast, gamma, and rgb settings to match it. A proper color calibrator will ensure your photos are accurate and as even as they can be across all screens. Some of the higher end ones even allow camera and printer calibration. Once again, unless you are just shooting for fun, id STRONGLY recommend actually buying a proper calibrator like these:
Datacolor spyder5PRO or the spyder5elite

x-rite colormunki display or the x-rite idisplay PRO

I calibrated mine using the spyder5 pro. It looks much better compared to being not calibrated.

I shared my two .icm files here https://www.reddit.com/r/Alienware/comments/5lf8c2/anyone_tried_the_fhd_1080p_120hz_display_on_r3_15/dbvc6al/

Each panel is different though so you should calibrate it yourself to get the best possible result.

EDIT: Just realised you posted there as well haha.

I can only recommend you getting a spyder5, go with the express, it's 23% off on amazon at the moment https://www.amazon.com/Datacolor-Spyder5EXPRESS-Designed-Hobbyist-Photographers/dp/B00UBSL2TO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483894706&sr=8-2&keywords=spyder+5

If you cant/dont want to go the route of ny1105's Fibaro (which is a great option) and you still wanted a repeater with some other useful features, I'd suggest the aeotec multisensor. In the USB powered mode, it'll act as a zwave+ repeater instead of just a battery powered node. And now you have motion and temperature sensors that you can use for other fun automations :)

​

I use one of the outdoor GE (dongle) switches as a repeater for my gates. Just barely enough range to hit the back gate ~300ft (los) away

>Control smartthings without going through the cloud

OMG. That would be perfect. If that is the case, it would solve any hesitation i have about migrating to Home Assistant. Do you by chance have a link to the code base?

>Some of the Zwave sticks dont support...

Do you have any recommendation as to which one to get? I was thinking about the Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Z-Stick Because that seems to be the one with the most support. Like I said, I've only done a cursory glance at rolling my own because as "Unreliable" as smartthings is, Its still "Good enough."

If you don't want to spend a lot, these Yi cameras are an amazing value and work really well. No cloud subscription is required (though it is an a available option), data can be stored locally on an SD card, and live and past footage can be pulled up at any time from the app. I have setup many of these over the past 2 years. Essentially a Nest Cam at 1/6 the cost. I continue to be pleasantly surprised by how well they work.

They also make an outdoor version that I have been meaning to try as well.

Thanks! Please let me know what you find. Luckily, my son just got back from college ...with a digital calipers.

They confirm power AFTER the breakout is 1.3mm (inner dia.) x 3.5mm (outer dia.) like this cable I'm using:
http://www.amazon.com/Hanvex-HDCA12-Extension-Foscam-Wireless/dp/B00FT9VW0O

And the power IN to the breakout appears to be 1.3mm (inner dia.) x 3.75mm (outer dia.) And this roughly agrees with my caveman assessment: it feels like I can cram the breakout A/C adapter into the extension cable above, but I can't quite - even with some force.

But, I don't see an extension cable like than anywhere. Mouser has a 1.3x3.7 connector, and a few 1.3x3.8 connectors. 1.35 inner diameter also seems to be popular. This stuff is all new to me.

I've always loved aviation, airports, airport operations and all that. So many cool things going on.

This was taken to the next level as I started taking pilot lessons. Man nothing and I do mean nothing instills that sense of freedom better than climbing into a small airplane and taking off. You quite literally feel that there is no place you can't go. So awesome.

We have a small airport in OKC that actually has a restaurant that overlooks the runway. You can watch all kinds of small and medium sized aircraft take off and land. It's so cool.

Also if you're into plane watching, you should look into buying a small hand held scanner and look for your airport's frequencies. It's quite interesting even if it takes awhile to understand what they're saying.

> Also note that their maximum recommended area is 8'x8'. And in the link from support the maximum distance between sensors is 14'.

Yeah, I saw that, but I imagine that they are underestimating the range to be on the safe side. I guess I might just have to experiment with the install. It's going to be a bit of a pita to have to experiment, but oh well. I ordered three of these mounts:
https://www.amazon.com/OdiySurveil-Security-Housing-Bracket-Camera/dp/B00R96X9DS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1500067030&sr=8-4&keywords=cctv+mount

So, I'll be able to use these mounts to angle them down towards the play space better. (I currently have them on maximum tilt, but I still don't think they are angled down far enough) besides currently being too far away as well.

I have a few of these Z-wave Plus Motion Detector, Easy to install with PET Immunity, White (PIRZWAVE2.5-ECO) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQXXG0I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KGQ0DbYVGQB2J around and they work pretty well. Snappy triggering.

However, like others have said, you might as well spend another 6-8 bucks and get the aeotec trisensor which is just as responsive, more configurable, smaller, and with 2 additional sensors to use.

This is terrible, and I'm so sorry you aren't being taken seriously.

You said you're in southern PA - try reaching out to the people at Laurel House. If you're not in the area they serve, they should be familiar with other regional resources and be able to refer you appropriately. They have a hotline number to call (1-800-642-3150), and I'm sure that they'll have advice and suggestions that we won't come up with.

I agree with the restraining order. Some thoughts off the top of my head about living alone:

1. Did he have a key to your place? Or access to your keys at any point where he could have made a copy (say, while he was bringing in your mail while you were out of town)? Change the locks.
   
   
2. Look into some kind of home security system. If you can't afford to go the ADT route, there are alternatives that may give you some peace of mind, like this door stop alarm. Check out what other home security options show up for windows, sliding glass doors, as they apply to your place. A motion sensor light may be helpful.
   
   
3. Ask your neighbors to take any alarms seriously!
   
   
4. Lock down your social media so that he can't find out where you are, what you're doing, and when you will or won't be home. If you're on Facebook and you have mutual friends, make sure you have everything set to "Friends only" - if you have it set to "Friends of Friends," any friend the two of you share can be his gateway into seeing your info. I believe you can flat out block certain members, too.
   
   
5. I know it's a PITA, but you could change cell phone numbers - although if he finds out your new number, you've done all that for nothing. As an alternative, I know that Verizon lets you block up to 5(ish) phone numbers for a few months for free. After a few months, you have to reblock them. There may be a paid service that lets you block them indefinitely. See if your provider has a similar service.
   
   But really, call that hotline I listed above, because I'm just spinning my wheels thinking of anything that could be useful and those people handle this stuff every day!
   
   edit: added the hotline # since it's not on the Laurel House main homepage.
   
   

I've ordered some of these Command Picture Hanging strips and a couple security camera mounts that I'm going to try to use with the Rift's sensor(s).

The picture hanging strips should allow for moving the second sensor from one corner to another if necessary. E.g. game "A" works best with two front mounted sensors but game "B" works best with opposite corner mounted sensors... In theory I should be able to detach a camera and reattach it in the desired location without much fuss and without making a lot of holes in the wall.

I think Oculus said these things because they didn't want to scare casuals away. It is much easier to grasp the setup when they tell you to set them on your desk. Also initially Oculus started with one sensor. Then touch came and you had two sensors. Then you had the option of buying 3rd and 4th sensors. My point is with one sensor the closer the better because it can't triangulate your position and tracking accuracy drops drastically with distance. With 2 accuracy is better and distance because the system can much more accurately track at distance. With 3 and 4 sensors tracking can keep track of your distance from each sensor and position within that 3d space amazingly well.

With each step up from one sensor the effective tracking distance is increased and tracking at any given distance is improved in terms of robustness.

Trust us. Put your sensors as high as you can. You can mount them with these upside down in the corners of your room: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D49TU4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Use these extensions cables for the sensors: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0179MXKU8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you need even more length I have had luck with this extension but I only use it on my furthest sensor: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DMFFL2W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Always keep your cabling as short as possible. The first extension I posted can be used on all sensors without issues. I haven't had any issues with the second 33ft extension but I would not attempt to use that one on all sensors unless I had too.

I have my 3-sensor setup at head level... about 6'. Initially I was going to place them much higher (around 8'); but came to the realization I would be losing a little range in the bargain. It wouldn't be much, but given the size of my playspace, it was borderline achievable, so I played it safe. I rarely encounter tracking issues.

I'm not much a fan of tripods. I find them cumbersome and tacky. I also don't relish the idea of wires hanging out all over the place, or having to reconfigure or reset every time I want to jump in to a session.

I suggest you find a weekend to spend some time measuring the dimensions of your area, invest in some cord concealers at the local hardware place (you can paint them), pick up the recommended USB extension cables (if necessary), and purchase some cheap wall mounts.

The result is functional, an aesthetically pleasing.

My setup - image 1

My setup - image 2

My setup - image 3

Edit: Formatting

My area is up two 4-6 hour wait times for assault and about 30 minute - 1 hour wait times for armed robbery.

Useful skills/Tips for Public Safety.

• Get First Aid Training,Basic Life Support,CPR and AED-Defibrillator Training.
  
  
• Learn to use Naloxone, You might find yourself in a situation where you may have to administer the drug to someone that potential overdosed.
  
  
• Get a Public Safety Scanner or Police Scanner.
  
  
• Keep a EMS grade/large first aid kit in your vehicle/home.
  
  
• Keep a safety helmet or hard hat in your vehicle/home.
  
  
• Keep a seat-belt cutter on your person/vehicle.
  
  
• Help clean up your local parks or recreational areas with a sharps container.
  
  Feel free to add to this list. :)

Here is a very old thread about the sizes for the power connectors: https://www.reddit.com/r/Vive/comments/4e3qft/size_of_dc_power_connector_for_link_box/d3pmpyw?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

​

>Thanks! Please let me know what you find. Luckily, my son just got back from college ...with a digital calipers.
>
>They confirm power AFTER the breakout is 1.3mm (inner dia.) x 3.5mm (outer dia.) like this cable I'm using: http://www.amazon.com/Hanvex-HDCA12-Extension-Foscam-Wireless/dp/B00FT9VW0O
>
>And the power IN to the breakout appears to be 1.3mm (inner dia.) x 3.75mm (outer dia.) And this roughly agrees with my caveman assessment: it feels like I can cram the breakout A/C adapter into the extension cable above, but I can't quite - even with some force.
>
>But, I don't see an extension cable like than anywhere. Mouser has a 1.3x3.7 connector, and a few 1.3x3.8 connectors. 1.35 inner diameter also seems to be popular. This stuff is all new to me.

Thank you again, so if i purchase these myself would the installer still add them to the panel and such, I am sure i could do it as well, I am just curious what happens if they show up and you have equipment, when they did my parents house they did do a nice job of mounting the motion detectors so that would be nice if they did that, not currently happy with the placement of mine.

I also have a few motion sensors but i dont know if these would be compatible?

https://www.amazon.ca/Ecolink-Z-Wave-Motion-Detector-PIRZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B00FB1TBKS

And one last question I would like some outdoor camera's, from what I understand unless you purchase an additional storage type device the outdoor camera's will still record and store a short clip based on motion?

Do you happen to know what outdoor camera models they use? Since you dont use these maybe you have never looked into it.

Edit: And any idea what the skypanel costed as well?

Can you or her afford $30? Do you have wifi? If so, you can set up a camera in literally 5 minutes. We have 6 of these around our home inside and out. It's absolutely worth the security and sound of mind. PM me if you need any help or have any questions, I'd be glad to help.

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Security-Surveillance-Monitor-Android/dp/B01CW4AR9K/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=yi+camera&qid=1562349080&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Alright! So if it were me, I would do a camera covering the front drive or the windows to the basement if you have any.

Cost: $36

This little guy supports a range of programs and email alerts.

Then I would cover the windows to the basement with these. They scream if they sense the glass has been broken or vibrated.

Cost: $25 for two.

Add in 10 magnetic alarms on windows and any door you want.

Cost: $11

And to finish it off, setup this wireless motion detector in your basement and you can it set to email on motion alerts. You can even set it for certain times when you know you are not home.

Cost $40

Total: $112

Or you could do an all in one system.

Get a wink hub. This thing will connect to your smart phone and will tell you everything that is going on in your house by whatever you attach to it. Its pretty cool.

Cost: $70

Get the door/ window alarms for it that connect to the hub.

Cost: $65 for two

Add in a motion detection in the basement that connects to the hub.

Cost: $28

Total: $163 Barely over budget.

You can even connect that camera to it thats listed at the top of this post. Wink connects all the compatible products and allows you to control/access them from your smart phone with alerts.

Let me know if you have any questions! Hope this helps.

HomeAssistant. You can even use your Smartthings hub to connect to your devices, but control everything through HomeAssistant without the flakiness.

A Raspberry Pi 3 is all you need.

However, if you need to throw your Smartthings hub in the trash and want everything local, you can buy this dongle for the Pi.

HomeAssistant is much more user friendly than OpenHAB, has phenomenal community support, and development is fast with improvements coming out on a very regular basis.

That's so scary! I'm glad you're getting the locks changed! Have you gotten a camera yet? If not, I recommend this one. It's small and fairly inexpensive. It has night vision, motion detection, and records sound also. It runs via a phone app, and you can talk into the microphone and it plays through the camera. We have two that we use as video monitors for our daughter since it was so much cheaper than a true baby video monitor. My husband sometimes checks the app when he's at work so it works from any distance.


YI 1080p Home Camera, Indoor Wireless IP Security Surveillance System with Night Vision for Home / Office / Baby / Pet Monitor with iOS, Android App - Cloud Service Available https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4AR9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5rNSAbM0F2YTW

i dont think thats very necessary. though, yeah, might as well. i know exactly what he's talking about. any security camera mount will do.

here are the ones i got.

https://www.amazon.com/OdiySurveil-Security-Housing-Bracket-Camera/dp/B00R96X9DS/ref=pd_sim_63_34?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00R96X9DS&pd_rd_r=AKK3TTZB98ME2QCMTB4J&pd_rd_w=o7hH7&pd_rd_wg=jHVox&psc=1&refRID=AKK3TTZB98ME2QCMTB4J

you can get them in the perfect spot and angle, easy.

The wiki goes over the different home automation protocols. The biggest reason these protocols exist is because a lot of HA devices need to run on batteries, so they need to be extremely power efficient, and bandwidth isn't a big concern for HA. There are some newer devices such as LIFX that just connect to your WiFi, and don't require a special protocol or gateway.

To link all of your devices together, you want a hub that can communicate with all these different protocols. Right now Home Assistant is quickly becoming the dominant player in open source home automation hubs. If you run Home Assistant on your desktop you can immediately connect to any networked devices, such as Chromecasts, and can monitor whether your phone is connected to the network to trigger automations. If you want to talk to one of the HA protocols, you need to buy an adapter, such as the Z-Stick that allows your PC to communicate on the ZWave frequency.

I have an array of motion sensors and can tell you even the same brand has different reporting times. My GE motion sensor in my closet turns the light on the minute i hit the door but the one I put in the upstairs bathroom doesnt detect my motion till im fully in the room. A lot of the delay can also be from the server side too. If you are running a pi it may take longer than on a NUC. I've noticed with my door sensors since I went to a stronger PC to run my HASS that some of my sensor that would occasionally miss a door open or close don't anymore.

for my actual recommendations:
the best motion sensor I have is the Ecolink 2.5 however it is a big unit. You aren't hiding this bad boy anywhere.

My favorite door sensor are these because I like that they are no show. However these are my ones that would occasionally miss an open or close until i upgraded my system.

You can try something like this. But both the washer and dishwasher go through different phases of cleaning, some of which likely don't take much if any electricity (e.g. while filling). That could create some issues with a current detector setup. It might take a fair amount of fine tuning. Search around (SmartThings communicy, HASS, Webcore, etc) a lot of people have tackled this problem. I'm guessing there are routines and pistons already well developed.

For the dryer, and maybe the washer, I've read of people having a lot of success using multipurpose sensorsthat have a vibration/movement sensor.

Your worst case scenario is to put 2 remote zwave switches up in the ceiling fan. This will require bypassing the remote module in the fan, and wiring the lights driectly to one of these zwave switches. Secondly, You would remove the wall switch as it won't help this setup (wire it straight through and put a cover on the box.) And finally, you would still have to use the original remote to control fan speed. Maybe put a zwave scene controller panel over the unused wall switch box.

If you open the wall switch box and you find that 14-3 wire was run between the switch and fan, then your options just got alot better. You could expand the box to be 2 gangs, Put in a zwave switch for the lights, zwave fan controller, and send the power down that the black wire, and the other the red. You'll still have to bypass the fan's remote control module, but now for the fan and the lights as the zwave in wall fan controller will handle the speed.

It depends on your platform. I use SmartThings, you can set something up that when one light is turned on, others do as well. Kind of like grouping them as a scene selection. With other HA systems, you can set up where a quick double tap to one switch turns on others.

If you're on straight z wave, then you could use the GE zwave keypad and group scenes. It's a nice item, doesn't need a gang box, just mount to the wall. Available on Amazon.

I needed the exact same thing. This is what I went with from amazon. They work great. One is the set of the tripods and the other is the mini ball head you will need for each lighthouse with the tripod.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012FTXOW4/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001WB02Z4/

I would also recommend extending the triple cable an extra 10 feet. You won't be able to keep the cable and HMD in the box after adding the cables, but it doesn't get tangled as easy and just works better when having other people try it for the first time.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C7SA21U/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJ517VI/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FT9VW0O/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008JHB14/

Z-Wave is a popular protocol for HA devices that creates a mesh network so that even if the furthest device can't directly see the "hub," if it can see a device that can see the hub, messages will hop from one to the other. There are a bunch of inexpensive Z-wave devices from garage door openers, switches, plugs, outlets, etc... that all work with Home Assistant. You will however need a "hub" to control them. Fortunately you can get a usb stick to act as the hub and just plug it into the computer you are running HomeAssistant on and you don't need another big device, just the usb stick. (Though you can use something like smarthings to act as the hub interface but I don't really recommend it)

The two most popular usb sticks are the Aeotec and the HUSBZB-1 (note: the HUSBZB-1 also has Zigbee, another popular protocol)

If you'd rather stay with wifi, I have seen some people take a sonoff that they've put inside a waterproof box. Though I have not tried it myself.

The room is 11'x12'
No bed however there is a couch which takes up some valuable space.
I used wall bushings that I sawed partially in half with a dremel so that I could slip the cable into it without having to cut the USB head off. I also had to soak the bushing is boiling water to soften it up a bit for bending. It makes the hole in the ceiling very clean. The hole itself was drilled just wide enough to get the USB head through. I'll post some pics soon of the wires. :)
Here is a list of parts.
Ceiling Mounts
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D49TU4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Wall Bushings
https://www.amazon.com/Single-Feed-Thru-Bushings-package-CIMPLE/dp/B01EKG1K1W/ref=pd_cp_23_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01EKG1K1W&pd_rd_r=69VB8HQYJYJ1ABYZDDNH&pd_rd_w=kvX5u&pd_rd_wg=VNk2q&psc=1&refRID=69VB8HQYJYJ1ABYZDDNH
StarTech 4 port PCI Express
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJZEA2S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Cable Matters Active USB 3.0 16 feet
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DMFB5OK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yes, you can set the two sensors up diagonally in each corner of the play area.

Optimally, they would be mounted up high, angled down, to minimize occlusion from your body. This could be on a bookshelf, a tripod, or cheap camera mounts (the sensor stand unscrews so you can screw it into a standard mount). They don't need to be the same height, either.

If you can't do that, then having them at desk height gets you pretty decent 360 tracking too. You might notice some drops where your hands shake a bit.

I have about a 10x10' space, 3 cameras, and wall/ceiling mounted two of them. Tracking is just about perfect.

https://www.amazon.com/GOCONTROL-WNK01-21KIT-Essential-Z-Wave-Security/dp/B00XUXYSWU?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_sims

This is by far the best deal that's been going on for a long time now, so more like standard price (though it goes up to $42 sometimes.)

Not ST brand but compatible and well reviewed. Great price for all three sensors (2 open close and 1 motion). $38 right now.

What about a baby monitor camera with an app on the phone? This is ours - you pull up the app and see him in real time. Obviously not a permanent situation, but might be good for this learning phase to give him privacy but also give you peace of mind.

YI 1080p Home Camera, Indoor 2.4G IP Security Surveillance System with 24/7 Emergency Response, Night Vision for Home/Office/Baby/Nanny/Pet Monitor with iOS, Android App - Cloud Service Available https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4AR9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wbuqDb9ET9QXN

I have all 4 of my sensors mounted 7 ft up, I have switched back to only using 3 till I get this issue resolved.

I tried using the cable matters 16ft active USB 3.0 cable for one of my fronts sensors but it wouldnt detect as 3.0, so I swapped it for the 10ft passive one and it worked fine.

Here are the mounts and cable I have had success with:
Mount-https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R96X9DS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

10ft USB 3.0 cable-
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C7SA21U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you have the room/ability, I'd mount the sensors on the ceiling or corners of the room. I got two (VideoSecu 2 Pack 2-6 inch Metal Wall Ceiling Mounts Adjustable Pan Tilt Video Camera Mounting Brackets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D49TU4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_bYfm6J1rX8VQH) to mount them cheaply and securely, and three (Cable Matters SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Type A Male to Female Active Extension Cable 5 Meters/16.4 Feet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMFB5OK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_z9Cm45OtYiwYz). Purchasing a third sensor nets you a USB extension cable, and I also got an HDMI extension cable to give my Rift some extra room. Sorry for all the links! The ceiling setup gives me pretty flawless tracking.

I'm not home atm so cant take pics. Ill try to do that tomorrow but if you dont hear back just cokment on this tread again to remind me id be more than happy to show you. Here are the three cables i purchased, id recommend only these three as i had to do some research because a lot of lower quality cables will cause latency or simply not work at all also, any more than 10 feet will cause issues as hdmi cables dont transfer data over long distances very well. The towel rack and shower rings where purchased at a local home improvment store so no links for those but you can find those at any walmart target lowes etc.

Cables:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FT9VW0O/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1MJXBMMDKYADG
ox_sc_act_image_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1AMUYYA3CT6HJ

It's actually fairly simple. You need a calibration device (i've heard good things about this or this , I personally use one of a firm that no longer exists on monitors which probably don't even deserve calibration) and software which can talk to it. Most software is pretty self-explanatory and generates a color profile for your monitor, usually in an .icc file. You can then hand this .icc file to your operating system configuration. If your postprocess stack is color managed, you should then get reproducable colors. There are a lot more subtilities like colorimeter ($) vs spectrometer ($$$) and such.

I second getting some webcams. I purchased Yi Home Cams from Amazon and they have been great. It sends an alert to my phone when it detects motion, along with a 6 second clip uploaded to the cloud (for free). You can also subscribe to their enhanced cloud service which will send all recorded video up to their cloud servers.

My cousin bought a Blink camera and mounted it in an unreachable location on the exterior of his house. Although pricier than the Yi, it runs on batteries so no need to worry about running power - the battery supposedly lasts up to 2 years. Like the Yi, it captures video and sends an alert to your phone when it detects motion.

Of course with both, you will need an active internet connection with wifi.

I'd go with a proper computer be it mac or pc as it can just handle more and needs and skills usually grow with time.

Aside from this something you may want to do is buy a couple of external hard drives for backups. It's really important if something goes really wrong mechanically or there's a flood or whatever else. If they're precious family pictures 2 backups is the way to do it. One at home and keep the other off site at your work or a friends house or something and keep them regularly updated.

As for colour reproduction you'll need something like [this] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Datacolor-Spyder5EXPRESS-Colorimeter-USB-Connector/dp/B00UBSL2TO/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1468087478&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=spyder+4) and get them done at a decent lab. That way the profile from your monitor and their calibrated printers will match up give more accurate colour reproduction in the final prints. Monitors are fairly easy to calibrate but calibrating printers isn't really a thing without it costing an arm and a leg for the home user. Find a good lab and they'll do you just fine.

I am using the Reolink camera for my own house and love it. And I add one for my parents' house on the Amazon Prime Day. Given you budget and requirement, you can try this security system out https://www.amazon.com/Reolink-Security-Channel-Outdoor-RLK8-410B4/dp/B01AHXEHSU/ref=sr_1_4?m=A15NUCR7ITLOD6&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1499940771&sr=1-4. Not sure it still has discounts. Hope it can help you!

Either of these are going to do the job just fine. Expect to spend about a hundred bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-Bearcat-Channel-Numeric-BC125AT/dp/B00772MR0K

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-Channel-Scanner-Weather-BC345CRS/dp/B00ALNPM2C

(edit: Removed the scanners that couldn't receive mil-air frequencies)

Take your pick between handheld or base scanner.

The Uniden BCT15X is a nice mid range base scanner for a little bit more.

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BearTracker-Tracking-Scanner-Support/dp/B002IT1C8U

Another good and cheap option is RTL-SDR. These inexpensive dongles are used with your computer and open up a whole world of cool stuff to do, from just basic listening to more advanced projects.

http://www.amazon.com/NooElec-NESDR-Mini-Compatible-Guaranteed/dp/B00VZ1AWQA

Ahh yeah, family complicates what should be a business matter.

The temporary lock, i think, would technically still be a violation, but it'd at least protect you from light attempts to enter, at least while you're at home. You could probably accomplish a similar result by using a doorstop. And I see one that has an alarm; that'd be nice so if someone tried to get in, it'd wake you.

It does a pretty good job. Lights up my whole living room. If its not enough however you can help the cam by getting more IR LED lights like this one.

I have a few circuits in my home where I can't easily install remote controllable switches or dimmers. I ended up using hue bulbs in those fixtures and it works great. The hue (white only) bulbs are as low as $13 each at amazon. IMO getting the hue hub and bulbs is worth it. It is reliable and integrates with everything. I also like that I have the option to add some colored accent lights later.

I use these z-wave motion sensors and they work really well. They are small, accurate, also read temperature and brightness, and they don't actually look like eyes as in the marketing pictures.

I run all of this off of Home Assistant on a raspberry pi 2 with an aeotec zwave stick.

If you like to tinker, you could potentially get a cheaper hub by creating your own with Home Assistant. I'm running it on a spare PC, though it would probably work on a Raspberry Pi 3 just fine.

There are two potential downsides though:

1. It's not as plug-and-play as ST. Be prepared to spend time customizing, maintaining, and tinkering with things.
   
2. You'll need a USB dongle for Z-Wave connectivity. My recommendation would be the ZW090 Z-Stick.
   
   If you're not interested in that, I think ST would be a great choice.

Gonna be pretty hard to get quality cameras with only $500. Yes, IP cams still record locally to a NVR, analog cameras record to a DVR. Analog is so limited, I could not recommend buying any. IP cams have the quality and clarity you seek. I would look into Reolink IP cameras, which can be purchased on Amazon, something like this.

I'm having the same issues with my recently purchased pans. 3 cameras in various rooms throughout my house, the IR alone barely penetrates a few feet into the dark. In my kid's rooms they leave nightlights on, so it's not an issue. In our playroom though, I ended up putting my old FosCam on a shelf, and plugging it in just as a supplementary IR illuminator. It has far more IR lights and it lights up a large playroom like a christmas tree. I'm loving almost everything about the Wyze cams, but a little disappointed in the apparent weakness of the IR lights. I'd definitely suggest checking Amazon, they have some cheap IR illuminators that could help.

This one has decent reviews and is mentioned to work great with Wyze cams. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075ZYG89D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aG80CbEE00161

I have a couple of these - https://www.amazon.com/Z-wave-Detector-install-Immunity-PIRZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01MQXXG0I/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1 which use a somewhat uncommon CR123 battery. I was worried about having to replace them regularly but it actually ended up being OK - they've been running for a year and a half, with regular daily activation and they're still reporting strong battery life. I don't know how that's possible, but I won't complain!

I can't comment on the effectiveness of my mounting yet, since I've still just got one sensor until tomorrow - but I've mounted mine about 7 feet high on the wall (just above door frame height). When testing potential mounting spots, I found that any higher and tracking would get wobbly or that the Rift sensor setup would complain about being too far from the sensor.

I used these security camera mounts from Amazon (they sell them in both two packs and single packs, so I ended up buying three total). I like these because they can extend out from the wall with the included extensions and I needed that extra length because I have a really deep desk that would occlude tracking if they didn't stick out so far. Note that these mounts are probably too heavy to use with command strips, they really do need to be screwed in (I tested them with command strips just while I was trying them in different positions and three large command strips did hold the mount+sensor during testing, but didn't seem like it would hold reliably forever).

When testing different positions, I used DeskScene to visualize and test the tracking area. Note that it currently only works with one sensor, but the developer has said he's working on adding support for additional sensors.

I think if you have room for them on your desk, your desk doesn't occlude them when you crouch, and you can step far enough back from your desk when playing to be in their sweet spot, there's no special reason to mount them, though.

This is the closest thing to that I know of: https://www.amazon.com/GE-45631-Z-Wave-Wireless-Controller/dp/B003OUWABU/ref=sr_1_13

It's not wall-mounted but I've got one of these, as well as it's smaller brother, the HA09: https://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-Settings-Wireless-Master-Control/dp/B000BRGU2E/ref=sr_1_1

Both of those works pretty well but now I need to add them to Home Assistant properly so that things stay in sync when I use them.

> Colormunki Display

Thank you for the amazing reply.

The Colormunki Display came out in 2011, right? It has better sensor even though it came out 4 years earlier?

Is this 2011 one, the one you're talking about:

X-Rite CMUNDIS ColorMunki Display CDN$ 168.99

Datacolor S5P100 Spyder5PRO CDN$ 187.16

The Spyder5 express is the same price as the 2011 Colormunki Display.

These worked great for me as far as the mounting goes. The 3M strips did work for ceiling mounting it, even though the bottom isn't flat. Eventually, after a month or so of testing I will probably screw them in.

I'd also invest in some cable hiders because while the mounted sensors look great, the wires look like shit running all around my room lol.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R96X9DS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 These puppies are amazing. All metal, SUPER small, and have complete adjustment for height and rotation adjustment. 6 bucks.

I hope your have better luck than me. When I posted my review on Amazon, I got a few responses from people having the same problem.

I moved them from doors to windows since they weren't reliable enough to monitor my doors. I figured if I used them less, they'd be more reliable. However, I'd open the kitchen window to let some fresh air in, and the sensor wouldn't pick up that the window opened. That was the last straw, and I returned them as defective to Amazon. Replaced them with Ecolink units, and they've been bang on reliable. Ecolink's motion sensors have also been pretty solid, although they lack the feature set of more expensive multisensor units.

Looks nice, but I wouldn't store the Rift upside down.
Aside from that you should consider wall mounts like this : https://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-Adjustable-Mounting-Installation-Surveillance/dp/B001D49TU4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1496041851&sr=8-5&keywords=camera+wall+mount

Very easy to set up.

Hello, this is the camera. It actually offers a cloud service which I ended up taking because it's pretty cheap. The night vision also works surprisingly well. My original question was more about if deterrence was better than recording a thief.

Do you have a color calibration tool like a Spyder? If not, consider investing in a calibration tool, as that's the best way to get consistent and accurate colors. I'd also recommend using DisplayCAL over the Datacolor OEM software.

I'm not colorblind but I can't really do it by eye myself.
I use a Spyder 5 Express, which is pretty easy to use.
amazon link

Maybe something like the Aeotec Multisensor


You would just stick it in. They promise about 2 years on battery life.

This is Z-wave, so you would also need something like the Aeotec Z-Stick and leave that in a computer you leave on. I have one at home on a Raspberry PI running home assistant, and view the sensor data there.

I'm sure this isn't the cheapest solution, but it would allow you to expand with other z-wave devices in the future.

I haven't used it for a while but try Netcam Studio, its free (for 2 video sources). But scan for malware nonetheless.

Also if you have some money you could invest in those standalone camera's like this one, the advantages include motion detection and online viewing of the camera, also it can record the video to an SD card on the camera or online so even if the camera is stolen you still have the footage, plus you don't need a PC running all the time to use it. Some are as cheap as $50 so it might be worth your money.

https://imgur.com/gallery/qIbQBB5

Retractable with great height, even with this low entertainment block. 😼🎶
Should work with either generation PS4 camera; just remove its stand.

I made one of the mount holes large enough (with a small drill bit.. ideally you'd have the proper bit size 🥴) to fit my TV's bolt. If yours is smaller screen size it may have smaller bolts.

The parts:

• https://www.amazon.com/UBeesize-Extendable-Monopod-Wireless-Compatible/dp/B0746B6GP9/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/OdiySurveil-Security-Housing-Bracket-Compatible/dp/B00R96X9DS/
  
• https://www.amazon.com/TR-Industrial-TR88302-Multi-Purpose-Cable/dp/B01018DC96/

Wow. I've got 2 of the SC7s and they are really great, especially for the price. I found 2 sites selling them for ~44 + shipping, but I got them originally for <$40 shipped. There is the GE 45631, but it appears to work as a full secondary controller rather than a scene controller. Even the Levitons are more expensive now!

Aeotec has the minimote, but it's not wall-mounted--there's this Eaton controller, but it's still more than the Enerwaves for fewer buttons. The only other ones I know of are the Evolve LCD scene controllers, but they're way expensive. Really not sure what happened to the trusty Enerwaves...

https://www.amazon.com/iSaddle-Thread-Double-Sided-Adhesive-Universal/dp/B00QSFKJ8E/ref=sr_1_12?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1481588853&sr=8-12&keywords=saddle+dash+cam+holder

It's an Amazon seller, I ordered 3 of them and only received 2 of them so I can't say I recommend buying from that seller, but I do recommend the product. They are nice and strong, which is unfortunate that I didn't get all 3.

I placed an order for this one for my 3rd sensor:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R96X9DS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Which is almost the same, but doesn't have the 3M adhesive. I suppose I could buy my own adhesive, or I can use 3 thumb tacks as I've seen people do with these.

I don't have experience with that one, but I do have experience with a different type that I'm very happy with and would highly recommend.

https://www.amazon.com/OdiySurveil-Security-Housing-Bracket-Camera/dp/B00R96X9DS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1521469198&sr=8-5&keywords=camera+mount
It's sturdy and still cheap, the swivel locks in place and the sensor screws right into it. It's very solid.
I mounted mine right to the ceiling in the corners of my room, and used cable trays to hide the wires.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Legrand-Wiremold-CordMate-Channel-White-C10/202059078

Excellent, cheap, smart security cameras:

1 pack($29) : https://www.amazon.com/YI-Security-Surveillance-Monitor-Android/dp/B01CW4AR9K

4 pack($118) : https://www.amazon.com/YI-Wireless-Security-Surveillance-Monitor/dp/B01CW4CEMS

If you're looking to use openHAB, I would start by consulting the supported hardware list: http://www.openhab.org/features/supported-technologies.html

However, don't let that dissuade you from trying other technologies as I've typically never run into issues finding a round-about way to integrate my devices.

For a Z-Wave stick I would recommend Aeon's: http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-Aeotec-Z-Wave-Z-Stick/dp/B00X0AWA6E

If you just want to toy around with Z-Wave devices and not break the bank, I would recommend starting with turning something on/off using a wall plug: http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-DSC06106-ZWUS-Z-Wave-Energy/dp/B007UZH7B8

I'm not an Aeon rep, I just happen to know both of those products take very little time to get working on openHAB and tend to work flawlessly with it.

I would start there and then decide how much further you want to go with automation.

While there are online resources for listening to police radio frequencies, you can pick up public safety wideband scanners for pretty cheap, and if you flip through your local channels when you hear the helicopter or sirens, you can usually get the scoop before the media finds out.

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-Bearcat-Channel-Numeric-BC125AT/dp/B00772MR0K/

The Uniden and RadioShack Branded PRO model scanners can be fetched on Ebay for cheap as well.

Here are your local frequencies:

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=225

It is sounding like they might be a good option then.

I'm concerned about security with remote streaming. If you check out the first review here you'll see somebody mentioned it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B01AHXEHSU/

This person mentioned a concern also: https://reolink.com/topic/issues-that-reolink-has-not-resolved/#post-26468

Other than that it is really looking good.

What have your clients said about the system? Any complaints?

Since the cameras have to be unfiltered in the IR to see the controllers, there's a good chance you could get a small IR illuminator like this $19 one at 940nm that should be effectively invisible to humans and just illuminate the room with it if you want to use the unit in darkness. The IR should bleed through all RGB/Bayer filters to put data into every channel, meaning that even if the Quest only uses, say, green to identify objects it will still work.

If you're handy with a soldering iron you can probably make a light for $5-6 in a pinch.

I just finished playing 15 levels of Brookhaven Experiment (amazing game), 3 sensors is all you need. I have two in the front corners on tri-pods roughly 5 feet from the ground and 8 feet apart angled toward the center of the play space and one rear center mounted 6" down from a 8' celing with this mount approximately 13 feet from the front. I know this isn't the recommended setup, I plan to try a few setups and decide what I like best. I had a 4th sensor on order but I decided to cancel it since 3 sensors works so well. My play space is roughly 9' x 9' right now, the only time I notice any goofiness is when I'm facing one of the rear corners and slowly turning, the handoff from one sensor to the next makes my pistol move in or out about 3-4 inches. It's not noticeable when I'm playing the game, just when I'm slowly rotating to test tracking.

Sorry, but I don't use Instagram. I'll link the cameras here instead.

• This is the dome cam. We own one of these to monitor the driveway.
  
  
• This model basically has the same features and specs as the dome model. This one is smaller and can come out of the stand. Oh, and it's $31!
  
  P.S. The cam that caught all the orbs is the $31 model. They really are great cams for the price point.
  
  
  

I had the same issue. The image based motion detection just is not ideal for this use outdoors. It works well indoors where you don't have wind or car headlights usually. I ended up setting up PIR motion detectors outdoors in conjunction with a Raspberry Pi running Domoticz. Configuration was not at all easy, but I'm much happier with the alerts I'm getting now. Just getting Domoticz setup as well as adding the motion detectors to it was a chore. Then there was the added hassle of handling the motion events in Domoticz to trigger an HTTP request to a node server I setup, which then made a call to Blue Iris itself.

I used these motion detectors and this z-wave adapter in the setup.

Scrolled through the replies, so I won't repeat what everybody else has said as they are all correct. But I didn't see anybody mention getting a Weather Radio. Here's the one I have (non-affiliate link, and not promoting anything):


https://www.amazon.com/Midland-WR300-MIDLAND-Weather-Radio/dp/B00009V2YV


You can set the alerts to cover not only your county, but those near you. I have mine set to alert on the counties to the southwest, west, and northwest of my county so that as storms develop I know what's coming. (Storms always track from West to East. And NORMALLY track Southwest to Northeast, but sometimes track from Northwest to Southeast.) When the radio alerts on a county that is west of us, I flip on the TV and start monitoring radar. The radio has a LOUD alarm so it will wake you up in the middle of the night if there is sever weather when you're sleeping.

TV channels to watch, 4, 5, or 9. Each one has pros and cons, so pick the person who is the least annoying to you. I flip between all three as their storm trackers are scattered all over the state during severe weather.

Also, if your the technical kind of person, get a scanner and monitor the Amateur (Ham) Radio repeaters. The storm chasers will use ham radio to report back to the National Weather Center in Norman. These folks are on the ground and will know what's going on before anybody else. You can normally find out about a tornado on the ground about 90 seconds earlier than they report on the news channels. Here's a good handheld scanner:


https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC75XLT-300-Channel-Handheld-Emergency/dp/B00A1VSO9M/ref=zg_bs_172530_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4X5AMGKE7X3W7Z5NRNE3


The frequency to monitor with your scanner is 145.41. This is the WX5OKC repeater and is connected to a network of radio towers all over the state. This is the repeater that the Weather Center in Norman will monitor for updates from storm chasers, so it's usually pretty quiet except during severe weather. As an added bonus, the scanner will also pick up the different weather radio frequencies (pre-programmed), which can give you an update on warnings and watches.

I bought a pair of these off Amazon. They arrived yesterday and they seem like they are going to work perfectly for mounting up on the wall for my cameras. Comes in a 2-pack.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D49TU4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would get an Aeon Z-Stick Gen5. I have one and it works (so far) i got a few devices connect. So far so good.

They are fairly low cost, and support ZWave Plus (I have a few sensors that are zwave plus).

Note it is the WHITE ONE. The black ones are the S2, they work great as well. But no zwave plus support, spend the extra 4-5$ for the current gen.

Will I have success with the 60 dollar ones or will I end up returning it to get a more expensive one?

To me 60 bucks isn't all that bad when you are used to seeing 200-400 for them.

I was thinking something like this Amazon

I would go zwave. I have two of these Ecolink motion detectors that I use with an Aeotec Zwave stick. Their range back to the hub is very good and are great on battery. I moved the jumper on these so that they reset after motion in seconds instead of minutes.

https://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Z-Wave-Motion-Detector-PIRZWAVE2-ECO/dp/B01MQXXG0I?th=1

More than just temp and humidity, so might be overkill for you, but I have one of these that I really love:
https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Multisensor-temperature-humidity-vibration/dp/B0151Z8ZQY/ref=sr_1_sc_1

Not only is it battery powered, but it comes with a usb cable so you can plug it in if you are close to an outlet

Although older the X-Rite ColorMunki Smile (CMUNSML) is an inexpensive option depending on your region:

• $75 CDN - Amazon.ca - X-Rite ColorMunki Smile (CMUNSML)
  
• $99 USD - Amazon.com - X-Rite ColorMunki Smile (CMUNSML)
  
  If you're in the UK/Europe, the Datacolor Spyder5EXPRESS (S5X100) might be cheaper though:
  
  
• £89 - Amazon.co.uk - Datacolor Spyder5EXPRESS (S5X100)
  
• $110 Euro - Amazon.de - Datacolor Spyder5EXPRESS (S5X100)
  
  Note some of those are/might be sale prices due to Cyber Monday!
  
  Failing that, just search your local Amazon and check out reviews of the cheaper options. They all work about the same for non-pro users.
  
  Edit: I just purchased the X-Rite ColorMunki Smile (CMUNSML) as I couldn't pass up the Canadian sale price today. If you want to use newer, open source software with more options look into DisplayCAL, but check the Supported Instruments for colorimeter support.

This is exactly what I used for a long time. The only hiccup is that Baofeng can be complicated to program if you're not used to ham radios or scanners.

​

Now I use a Uniden Bearcat125AT. I like it because it's easy to program either manually or via your computer, it has alpha tags and there's a weather (WRX) pre-programmed that is always useful to have when the gray clouds are looming.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC125AT-Alpha-Tagged-Emergency-Lightweight/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3DGMTQC0YES0L&keywords=uniden+bearcat+scanner&qid=1563205158&s=gateway&sprefix=uniden+bearcat%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-3

Sounds like you've done everything I would think to do in this situation. Your mother (and perhaps, you) may have lost the sense of security inside her own home at this point, so caring for that aspect will be important. If you'd like, I'd be willing to purchase some anti-theft items for your home to relieve just a bit of that stress. Some things I found on Amazon with Prime shipping and decent reviews are Addalock, Door Jammer, and Door Stop Alarm. The last one might quickly become a nuisance from false triggers or if people in your household go in and out of your home at random hours. PM me your mailing address if you'd like me to send any of these to you.

Its just a zwave motion detector. I took it apart so that it doesn't detect 180 degrees of motion. I just put some white tape on the internal sides of the translucent lens. There is still a bit of light that can come through, but I have that limited to a smaller degree. This is because sunlight can sometimes set the sensor off. I have it secured to my porch ceiling looking straight down. It seems to be very accurate. I suppose if you entered my porch from behind the bushes, you could bypass it, but thats not really the point. I wanted more accurate notifications vs 100 a day. I am using this https://www.amazon.com/GOCONTROL-WNK01-21KIT-Essential-Z-Wave-Security/dp/B00XUXYSWU/

I'm not really having issues with it, its not supposed to be outdoors, the only issue seems to be that after freezing, the temp sensor is inaccurate. That's not really a problem for me. I just hide the temp sensor for that particular device. I originally bought these units because I have a wink system, but I am getting away from that. Really any motion detector would take care of business.

I don't have Aeotec's door sensor but I do have the multisensor 6. I also will not be buying any more sensors after that experience. Hardwired the motion sensor works ok but I question the readings I get from the other sensors. On batteries it's a crapshoot, which sucks because I really want more to use some more of those types of sensors.

For door sensors I'm using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5 and they work great.

You could look into products utilizing Z-Wave. There's a few modules that can be placed into a box behind switches or above light fixtures, like potentially this one. But you'd still need a Z-Wave controller, something like the SmartThings Hub, perhaps.

EDIT: Here's another Z-Wave wire-in switch. There are even motion sensors like this one and other things that speak Z-Wave.

You would have to look up the laws in your area/country. Though I have never really though about the legality of it in other states etc. We have a few scanners and run a piaware adsb feeder. Most scanners are fine for picking up air traffic.
I have one of these bc125AT that we use out on the road. Is quite small and works great. have probably had it over 10 years. Fairly cheap for a analog scanner. Most important is the antenna. Here we have a large 30 foot antenna but in our old apartment we used to use a glass mount on the window. Scanning is a huge hobby and can be as cheap or expensive as you want.
Let me know if you need more info.

This might seem silly, but have you tried skypeing with your husband as you fall asleep? It might ease your mind being able to talk to and see your husband next to you as you're drifting off.


Edit: As for actually safety (as opposed to just feeling safer), I just saw this in another thread: http://www.amazon.com/GE-Personal-Security-Door-Alarm/dp/B0000YNR4M

These are the mounts we used, and a lot cheaper than the ones linked on the wiki: OdiySurveil (TM) Metal CCD Security Housing Mount Bracket for CCTV Camera


We also bought this 3.0 USB Anker port as I was under the impression we would need it and it was recommended on a thread. We actually ended up not needing it, but we still have it available in case we need to free up usb slots. I would double check on other threads that it does indeed work before just taking my word for it, as I haven't tested it yet personally

I had that exact same issue in our house and I used it as an excuse reason to start some home automation. I installed zwave switches and then some keypad controllers to be able to control the lights from more normal locations.

I also had secondary switches (second switch on a three-way setup) that annoyingly controlled things that weren't the closest, so I was able to use auxiliary switches and set them to control what I wanted them to.

But all that said, Lutron makes great stuff and based on the comments from /u/jehovahs_waitress if they have an option that makes sense, it would be much easier to do that than to start the path of home automation.

Those are the smart sensors, They control the 3 exhaust fans per temp readings. They also act as motion sensors and turn the lights on in the room when I walk in. The white boxes on the right wall are 240v smart switches that control power on/off from my phone manually or triggered by scene i.e. temp to high, or ping failure reboot rig. Energy monitor installed inside breaker box also smart home (Z-Wave). All is controlled by a Vera smart home controller. Links below.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0151Z8ZQY?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MBIRF5W?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XD8WZX6?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01BX9P89Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519912082&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=vera+plus+controller&dpPl=1&dpID=31jWnlwJITL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007ZU69DU?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd

Man, you have no idea how well it gets rid of that line of sight issue. I can lay prone and shoot! People were getting mad at me in multiplayer for it, lol.

It's super easy and will only cost you $40~ - here's what I used with mine:

• Mounts (2 pack)
  
• Cable Hooks
  
• 10 Foot USB 3.0 Extension
  
  The sensor cords are only 8 feet, so chances are you'll need to extend both. Use USB 3.0 for the first 2 sensors, and USB 2.0 if you get a 3rd.

agreed in some part. my concern would be our dog and at night when in a "home mode". i did see the likes of the below to [maybe] solve the pet matter, but that functionality seems sort of questionable to me that it could actually work:

https://www.amazon.com/Z-wave-Install-Immunity-Detector-PIRZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01MQXXG0I/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_421_bs_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=V83F6AYJJZCR68XN8QD4&th=1

i didn't consider mono-price. i do want to find that sweet spot between highly affordable and highly effective/functional. :)

My fav Z-Wave motion sensor is the ecolink (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MQXXG0I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Out of all my zwave motion sensors these are by far the best motion sensor I have. Only 'down side' is the detection range is sort of large for my rooms so motion is triggered from hallway when walking by.

Pros:
- Fast triggering

- Very long battery life (running same batteries over a yr now)

- Has never needed tinkering with after setup, very stable and reliable

​

Other Z-Wave motion sensors i have, ordered by best to worst imo:

- Aeotec multisensor 6 (3x) best multi sensor option imo but burns battery fast (~1-2months) (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0151Z8ZQY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

- Fibaro Motion Sensor (1x) works great most of the time, but every few months it freaks out and constantly triggers motion and needs to be removed and re-added to network. prob bad unit (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KOGDETI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

- Mono Price multi sensor (2x) very slow motion sensor detection, scan freq is low and afaik unconfigurable. bottom barrel option imo, do not recommend as motion sensors but do ok w/ temp / humidity / light but lite measurement is in a weird scale vs other lux sensors i have (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRYFE90/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

https://www.amazon.com/GOCONTROL-WNK01-21KIT-Essential-Z-Wave-Security/dp/B00XUXYSWU/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1484259929&sr=1-2&keywords=wink+go+control

I imagine these would work. I use them on my front door.

I'm using a MyQ, it's more expensive but works great.

I'm not him, but I used these and these. Looks great and tons of adjustability. I trimmed the command hook/loop strips so only the pull tabs stick out the bottom, (nothing out the top...since the strips are rectangles and the mounting base is circular...).

Manufacturer claims like '1 billion colours' are complete shit.

Two things matter for colour. Your spectrum coverage and your deltaE value. There are different spectrum's that manufacturers like to use, some less relevant than others.

http://www.displaymate.com/Display_Color_Gamuts_1.htm

NTSC for example is of no real value. sRGB or Rec.709 is the normal standard for colour display. DCI-P3 is a stepping stone, being 26% larger than sRGB. Rec.2020 is the next gen standard, being 72% larger than sRGB.

DeltaE is the human perception of colour differences. A larger value means the difference is more distinguishable, an average DeltaE of 1 is considered the minimum a human can notice. Any display with a value of 2 or under is considered good, although professional calibrated displays should easily be under 1.

http://www.colorwiki.com/wiki/Delta_E:_The_Color_Difference

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/calibrating.htm

You can have a wide colour spectrum, but somewhat poor accuracy despite that. If you buy an expensive monitor, I recommend renting or buying a calibration unit to achieve the best possible results.

https://www.amazon.ca/Datacolor-S5P100-Spyder5PRO-Colorimeter-Black/dp/B00UBSL31Q

Avoid the cheapest calibration units, as they tend to lack features such as room lighting monitoring.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't know about AM being used for traffic. Im a military pilot and they just tell us we are using UHF and VHF and nothing beyond that.
I found this one on Amazon and it seems to fit the requirements. Opinions? Is it overkill for what I need or is there a cheaper alternative?

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-Bearcat-Channel-Numeric-BC125AT/dp/B00772MR0K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408849864&sr=8-1&keywords=aviation+scanner#cm_cr_dpwidget