I don’t own a MicasaVerde system. In fact, my home isn’t automated beyond thermostat and burglar alarm. Whether I will get a Vera 3, or not, largely depends on the feedback I get from you experts in this informal “focus group”.
I am a faded geek in his mid 70’s. Although C++ and LSIs carry no horrors, I no longer enjoy burning the midnight oil chasing some elusive bug. My experience with home automation is limited to a short, but less than satisfactory affair with X-10 in the 70’s and 80’s.
But now, home automation seems to become relevant again for us. I am thinking of a simple, but expandable system. My medium term goals, in ascending order of complexity, are as follows:
Have some timed lights turn on and off in a rational pattern, when we are away.
The ability to check the security and integrity of our home, when travelling.
To introduce some additional security features, such as monitoring a stove.
To give our children some peace of mind, as we become older and more addle-brained.
To allow them to check in on us regarding safety.
To allow them remote management of our home automation.
I don’t want to spend an excessive amount of time setting up, coding, bug chasing, firewall securing, and firmware updating. Here are my questions:
Is Vera 3 mature enough to meet my needs?
Would it be better to get a professionally installed ‘turn key’ system?
I am looking forward to your suggestions and advice. Thank you!
I am in my forties with a 4 yr old daughter whom consumes my ever minute when not working. I dont have time for “extras”. Ine month ago my house was robbed and since then i researched an alarm system and home automation. In one ine i bought, installed, programmed an alarm system and vera3. And have them wirking toghter with a couple of zwave devices and android phone monitoring. Vera3 is easy to install and configure. Its stable too. The most buggy part is the android app for monitoring alarm.
Have some timed lights turn on and off in a rational pattern, when we are away.
Yes, there is a pluging developed to manages this very easily and to simulated occupancy.
The ability to check the security and integrity of our home, when travelling.
Yes, it can and a lot alarm manufactures are covered e.g. DSC. GE etc
To introduce some additional security features, such as monitoring a stove.
Yes, there can be either integrate via the alarm system and there are only starting some release z-wave recently.
To give our children some peace of mind, as we become older and more addle-brained.
Yes, it can provide this function.
To allow them to check in on us regarding safety.
Yes, it can provide this function.
To allow them remote management of our home automation.
Definitely.
I don’t want to spend an excessive amount of time setting up, coding, bug chasing, firewall securing, and firmware updating. Here are my questions:
Is Vera 3 mature enough to meet my needs?
Yes. If you haven’t used it, there is a learning curve, but given it has a web interface, you should adapt easily.
It does take a few hour to setup and the users forum are very helpful and willing to assist where logic is not always obvisious.
Would it be better to get a professionally installed ‘turn key’
system?
Not in my opinion. Even some of the major player (e.g. Control4) started to intergrate with Vera to provide a greater range of product more cost effective installtion cost. Most “turn
key” system imply hands off and any changes requires an a visit by an
installer.
Whatever you do make sure you get a Vera3. I have had not had any problems with Vera, having said that though I only have about 15 switches and SQ Blaster. I just wish they would create a Russound plugin. I wanted to go with HSPro, which does have a Russound plugin, but was told to wait until the HS 3 comes out. Which is apparently still in Beta.
I wish I could. Would not even know where to start. I have looked and still do not understand where to start.
[quote=“garrettwp, post:5, topic:172568”]The only way to get a Russound pkugin is either wait until someone developes on or you get your hands dirty and create one. I
The vera3 might be alightly over kill, consider a vera-lite.
The web interface is pretty good but it does pay to creep around all the pages.
In any “life saving” situation, and you have a decent alarm panel, I would always go with the alarm system. Good systems (DSC for example,) are purpose built and very reliable with back up power etc. Using any HA system is not advised.
X10 blows chunks compared to Z Wave. Z wave is “smart” and it will confirm with the vera that a command has gone through. This feature is worth its weight in gold. The app is very good and it will also get an command update.
I actually install vera’s so getting an installer may not be a bad idea. There really is no “turn key” system, it is what the client wants.
Although you may be up in years, you just might find that you like “hacking” around with a vera. The system is very stable and has oddles of gizmos you can control with it - it is fun.
Also IMHO i would seriously consider a vera-lite or 3 over any computer based system. I have furtz around with 2 usb Z Wave sticks and several server client software. Biggest complaints are slow to no confirmation of command sent status and you need a computer, a usb stick, software, modules yada yada. The vera is an all in one solution.
When I look at the ‘advanced’ parameters on my Ademco motion detector, I don’t see a ‘TTL’. The detector uses the ‘D_MotionSensor1.xml’ device file. Is there a way of enabling the TTL display?
I explicitly steered away from X-10 because my friends complained about how immature it was.
I had big hopes for Z-wave.
I started purchasing Z-wave equipment several years ago, mostly because we purchased a house where the electrician did a poor job of laying out light switches.
You will spend an excessive amount of time setting up, coding, bug chasing, and firmware updating … firewall securing is the only one of your criteria that won’t be a problem.
[quote=“papaworx, post:1, topic:172568”]Here are my questions:
Is Vera 3 mature enough to meet my needs?[/quote]
No, I do not think that Vera 3 and Z-wave are mature enough to meet your needs.
I have been very disappointed with Z-wave interoperability. I bought Vera 2 a couple of years ago, spent a tremendous amount of time on it, and ended up frustrated. My hopes were raised with Vera 3 and I upgraded immediately. Unfortunately, I am again disappointed.
If you want to turn on one or two light switches, then it will be fine.
I have spent a lot of money on Z-wave equipment from multiple vendors over the years. I have invested hundreds of hours. I must be a glutton for punishment because I keep hoping that the next solution will be better.
Based upon my (bitter) personal experience, I think that Z-wave & Vera 3 are still a hobbyist toy … way too immature to be deployed to be deployed by anyone who isn’t willing to invest tremendous amounts of time and frustration.
[quote=“michaelthoward, post:12, topic:172568”]No, I do not think that Vera 3 and Z-wave are mature enough to meet your needs.
I have been very disappointed with Z-wave interoperability. I bought Vera 2 a couple of years ago, spent a tremendous amount of time on it, and ended up frustrated. My hopes were raised with Vera 3 and I upgraded immediately. Unfortunately, I am again disappointed.[/quote]
I have to agree that interoperability isn’t flawless, but it’s not that bad either. Interoperability is often an issue with new devices; stuff that has been on the market longer does work… mostly. Some things (association, state change notifications) sometimes fail in odd little ways, or require some tweaking. For what the OP is trying to achieve, I think that Z-wave is a good option and will not require an insane amount of fiddling. The only thing is that I’d recommend a separate alarm system if security is important. As said, many of these can be tied into Vera as well.
Coming back to interoperability, what I really miss in Vera is the notion of a device driver, or a plugin that allows coding all the way down to the Z-wave interface level. That way, manufacturers could provide Vera compatibility out of the box (it’s a sizable slice of the market I suppose), or the community could go in and fix issues instead of having to wait for MCV to release a patch
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