Building Z-wave HC system

Community Playground General Discussions
1

I am in the process of building a Z-wave control system for my home, Interlinc lighting controls are on the way and getting ready to purchase a Vera to control, Ademco 20P security system, and Schalage Link (or Black and Decker lock when if it is released soon). I have a Monster Cable MCX-300 Z-Wave remote that I currently use to control my Home Theater system. I have a few questions prior to my purchase of the Vera…

  1. Will I still be able to use my MCX AVL300 to control lighting and theater once the Vera is in my system?
  2. The Ademco Secruity System has X-10 control but no Z-Wave control; I want to have the door lock open and close upon arming and disarming of my alarm system. Is there an X-10 Bridge control that will interface with the Vera to allow me to perform this function?
  3. Will the Vera control my Home Theater system through the Monster OmniLink and still Allow the AVL300 to function as before?

Thanks,

Tony

2

You can find some info here: http://forum.micasaverde.com/index.php?topic=243.msg1544#msg1544

3

Thanks but still not quite the answer I need prior to making the purchase… I am down to 1 remote that will control everything (lighting and home theater), just need to know if the addition of the vera will interfere with the current method of control I have with the monster remote and the other questions answered. If anyone can help I would be grateful.

Tony

4

I can’t give you an exact answer about the other stuff but as far as the A/V stuff goes: We are waiting on MCV to finish up some stuff on the database for the IR codes for controlling the equipment. Once that is completed we can pick up the GC-100 or better yet hopefully the USB UIRT. I don’t know if MCV has abandoned this effort since they are moving towards the UPNP devices but I sure hope not. As far as using you controller for lighting and controlling A/V: I just got off the phone with Monster and he is going to get ahold of the engineer and call me back. He didn’t know a lot but said he was “pretty sure” that the controller communicated with the omniLink via Z-wave and not the standard RF frequency. Problem is that he said he “thought” that only the Remote would talk to the omniLink. This means that either he was wrong and it talks through non-zwave RF or it does talk through zwave and there is something in the firmware only allowing it to talk to the remote. If the later is the case and if it was possible for monster to “unlock” the device then Vera could talk directly to the omniLink adn that would solve a lot of problems! The controller, however, should be able to control the lighting modules like they do as well as Vera control the modules too. The only problem I see with the remote right now is being able to use Vera to control the A/V unless there is a change to the omnilink. Hope that helps

5

Just got the callback from Monster. They said the omniLink will act as a repeater for the zwave network but can’t be controlled by anything other than the remote.

6

Thanks that was extremely helpful… I believe I found out the answer to the X-10 to Z-Wave question as well, it will exist once Wayne Dalton releases it :slight_smile: OK, time to order the Vera and have some fun.

Tony

7

One more question about the Monster Remote… Can it be added as a hand held controller to the Vera for lighting and other stuff and still be able to control the Omnilink for my hometheater?

8

That, I can’t help you on. I would ASSUME you can add it as a secondary controller on Vera but sometimes it’s picky so . not having one of those remotes, it’s hard to be 100%

9

Thanks, Vera is on order I will update once I have a chance to try connecting the monster remote.

10

My logic tells me that with a secondary controller, Vera will be able to control the lights as the primary and you can set up scenes within Vera and the remote will also be able to control the lights but different scenes would need to be created within the remote. Even if they are the same as the scenes in Vera since they are two completely separate controllers. That what my logic tells me…then again I HAVE been called retarded before.

11

Augeas, have you made any progress toward getting your security panel linked up to Vera? I’m especially curious whether you opted to involve an Ademco add-on X10 interface and/or tested your Vera with the (recommended) Insteon/X10 PLM that will allow Vera’s new Luup firmware to “speak” to these older protocols.