sq blaster pro - Vera killer?

Apps & Remote Access
#1

Pegged for release in Q2 2011

http://portfo.li/atopicon/835954-sq-blaster-pro-is-a-wifi-z-wave-and-ir-blaster-home-automation-powerhouse

If this duplicates the functions of Vera, with the flexibility and reliability of their iPhone App I’ll be jumping ship in a heart beat! (still no real automation in Vera, unless you want to programme lua, it’s a glorified remote control with timer function… (IF THEN AND OR where are you?)

Square Connect also, (in my experience), have great, responsive tech support.

Details are sketchy, it might run on mios, it might not, who cares as long as it works - and works reliably ?

Most of my investment is in dimmers, switches, ipod touches etc. my controller is the smallest part of my home automation investment, and as an owner of a vera mk 1 i’ve already been left behind, so this might make deciding not to upgrade an easy choice, especially since my family wont have to learn anything new - it will still work with SQ’s iPhone App!.

What are other peoples views?

#2

Looks interesting but VERY thin on information, so too early to tell. I have been buying z-wave modules the last few days (thermostat, switches, applicance modules etc), but still open on the controller. I also plan to use sqremote app for control, so a sq blaster was in the plans anyway. Will have to see how pro compares to Vera. I would also need it to work with DSC alarm system, which Vera seem to do (or close to, but a couple of features missing). IP Cam support will also be important.

#3

Square connect app is great, but honestly, my advice to you if you haven’t got a controller is to give Vera a miss, or at least wait until they get their act sorted.

Check on the forums for anything more complex than turning a light on and off and you’ll see it’s not as simple as their site makes out.

#4

Its not that bad…you just need to sort of learn as you go with this.
Its still the cheapest automation solution out there.
I’m controlling all the stuff in my sig and everything is automated.
I’m not as concerned about vera as I am about zwave.
I’m just hopeful that the medium status around…out only diy automation.

#5

“sort of learn as you go with this”?

Would that be learn to wait 10-20 seconds for a light to switch on after you flick a switch - tell my girlfriend that. (obviously not every time, but when there is a slow down it negates any appreciation of the benefit)

Would that be learn that when you’re out of town and you really want to check on something and you can’t access vera you just say, “oh well it works most of the time”.

Or would that be to to learn to accept that even though you spend good money on a device that is z wave certified, that you won’t actually know if it will work until you install it?

Ok, I get that it’s a cheap route in to HA, and if you’re a beta tester you might enjoy hours of tinkering, but you’re in the minority when it comes to mass appeal for this sort of thing. I’m a tinkerer, but i’m getting so frustrated with Vera, it’s miss sold on the website as being easy to set up and easy to use.

Reliability, just take a look around the forums - sure, if you get a problem you can probably find a solution, but you shouldn’t need to - home automation needs to be 100 percent reliable, or it’s useless, because what’s the point of turning something off, if you then need to worry whether it’s really off? Your system only need to fail once or twice to sow that doubt in your mind. Still if you if you can “sort of learn to go with this”, next time you lock up your house and turn the heating off, good for you.

Me, I think i’ll look for something BETTER, which is what this post is about - the potential arrival of the SQ blaster pro, (or homeseers new plug computer, or if it’s not vapourware qees’s upcoming zwave/zigbee controller) there’s a lot of competition coming micasaverde needs to step up.

#6

Very interesting thread with some great points. I agree-

  1. Vera is not reliable enough for the masses.
  2. MCV will have to step up in order to not get crushed by the slew of competitors on the horizon (HomeSeer, SQ, Verizon, Somfy Tahoma).

Z-wave, however, is not in doubt. Too much momentum, too many companies. Who cares if I swap out my Vera in a year for a Somfy Tahoma? It will be a one day project. No more than I spend with a single bug in my Vera system!

#7

[quote=“markbawden, post:5, topic:167323”]“sort of learn as you go with this”?

Would that be learn to wait 10-20 seconds for a light to switch on after you flick a switch - tell my girlfriend that. (obviously not every time, but when there is a slow down it negates any appreciation of the benefit)

Would that be learn that when you’re out of town and you really want to check on something and you can’t access vera you just say, “oh well it works most of the time”.

Or would that be to to learn to accept that even though you spend good money on a device that is z wave certified, that you won’t actually know if it will work until you install it?

Ok, I get that it’s a cheap route in to HA, and if you’re a beta tester you might enjoy hours of tinkering, but you’re in the minority when it comes to mass appeal for this sort of thing. I’m a tinkerer, but i’m getting so frustrated with Vera, it’s miss sold on the website as being easy to set up and easy to use.

Reliability, just take a look around the forums - sure, if you get a problem you can probably find a solution, but you shouldn’t need to - home automation needs to be 100 percent reliable, or it’s useless, because what’s the point of turning something off, if you then need to worry whether it’s really off? Your system only need to fail once or twice to sow that doubt in your mind. Still if you if you can “sort of learn to go with this”, next time you lock up your house and turn the heating off, good for you.

Me, I think i’ll look for something BETTER, which is what this post is about - the potential arrival of the SQ blaster pro, (or homeseers new plug computer, or if it’s not vapourware qees’s upcoming zwave/zigbee controller) there’s a lot of competition coming micasaverde needs to step up.[/quote]

I didn’t mean to illicit this response so sorry if I wasn’t clear.
I think all I was trying to say was basically you get what you pay for.
For me, I enjoy the experimentation so its different.
I personally have no delays in executions here and remote access has always worked for me.
I had to work a bit up front to get everything the way I wanted but after that its been very reliable.
I like what I’m seeing from other companies like homeseer but I’m not quite ready to spend that kind of money yet.
I also like SQRemote very much but am waiting on Android support…No Apples in my house :wink:
Like I said everything is working the way I want so why upgrade.
But that’s just me. If your not happy with it, obviously you should try something else.
If you decide you want to try to make this work, there are lots of good people here that can help.
Otherwise, as always, competition is a good thing so we’ll see what the future brings.