Concerns Questions about Embarking down Z-Wave route Options

[MarkAnderson]

Hi All

I've just sold my house (moving in 4 weeks, but not sure where too yet ). The houses we are looking at are older homes, so I'm not sure I'm going to have neutrals which means I won't be able to use a lot of stuff. The house will be 2-3000 sq ft.

• I want to install home automation (initially ligthing scene control, garage door and maybe HVAC. Later IP cameras, and blinds/drapes).
• The lighting control must work with my IR Logitech Remote (not interested in alll the hassle involved with 890/890Pro - such a shame it has such severe limitations with Z-wave and Logitech isn't doing more with z-wave).
• The garage door must still operate with built-in homelink controls in car.
• Blinds and drapes are a question mark. Mostly I want for home theater, but until I know how easy it will be to wire and what windows there will be, it's impossible to determine what I'll do. (I don't want any surface wiring)
• Must have remote access.
• Must have iPhone App (e.g. Melloware z-wave commander, et al.)

I've read virtually everything I can find on the web and determined z-wave is probably the way to go. I ordered one of those cheap $35 starter kits to have a play with a few lamps/appliances). I'm trying to decide which route for controller software hardware. I'd like to get started learning the software ASAP, so need to decide whether I'm buying a bundle with a USB stick (e.g. ThinkEssentials/Mi Casa Verde) or a separate stick (for HomeSeer).


Concerns
So much of the info I've found is 4-5 years old. There seems to be little recent info (WRT amount of old info).

Logitech seems to be one the fence with Z-wave. I've seen posts about z-wave been dropped in firmware upgrades.

I live in Chicago and found a Chicago home automation users group. Every forum said "no posts in lat 30 days"

The product reviews on this site are way old: 1 review in 2 years

Is z-wave on it's last legs?


Hardware
Leaning strongly toward Leviton Vizia RF+ dimmers and switches

Would like to get something that works with an existing garage door opener, but don't mind replacing opener with new one of it's only a few hundred bucks and still works with the built-in homelink controller in the car and can trigger scenes when opened with that remote (i.e. if door opens and it's after dusk, turn on lights A, B and C)

Lutron's RadioRa2 looks good, but $400 for a two button wall switch!


Controllers

My current thoughts are:

HomeSeer (but $600 for unlimited and $489! to upgrade from v1.7 is a bit steep). I hear people have got Unlimited or Pro for $299 with coupons

Mi Casa Verde looks linteresting and good value, but was reading their forums and got concerned when reading about upgrades

ThinkEssentials Pro, with floorplan and analysis/optimization (seems like good value at $100 incl. USB Stick). Now it's owned by Leviton too.

Has anyone got any comaparative experience of above products?

Z-Troller or Leviton VRCPG-SG
I'm considering a tool like Z-troller for ease of inclusion and identification, etc. (I know you can do inclusion with Z-Stick). The Z-troller seems very basic (erase settings, identify and add). For the same price, you get a ton more functionality in the VRCPG-SG or am I missing something?

Any comments/suggestions?

Unanswered Questions
I'm still not sure how I'll trigger a z-wave scene with my logitech IR. I know I can get a USB device that will will accept IR and send to the software, but my controller PC is probably going to be in a closet in the basement so I can't connect anything directly. I do have a HTPC, so could I connect the IR receiver that and have it somehow send something to the PC. Is there anything around that will do this. I was looking at Insteon at one point (most people said go z-wave) and it seemed that this (IRLinc receiver would do the trick. Can't find anything similar for z-wave.

I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions

Regards

Mark

[chewie]

Wow, it's like you are in my head. I just joined up and was about to post something very similar. Looking to do scene lighting, use Homeseer, have lighting triggered from motion sensors and have lighting groups triggered by opening of garage door.

I have been reading up on several technologies and Z-wave is the way I am heavily leaning, but there are a lot of people supporting UPB and it seems (Maybe this is a misnomer) that there are more products and a wider range of products for UPB.

What can you guys tell me about reliability and diversity of products?

[deanej]

Funny this thread should show up. I too am leaning toward Z-Wave, but I sense Z-Wave isn't going anywhere. I sincerely hope that is not true.

It would certainly be interesting to know some facts, and perhaps what the statistical trends are of Z-Wave vs UPB, if such things are available. I don't consider Insteon in the race, but there are some knowledgeable users who are more positive on it than I am.

Mark, any answers that show up to your questions will be useful to others as well as yourself. Thanks for your excellent post.

By the way, you might get some interesting responses if you also posted your questions over at CocoonTech.
http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/
There's a lot of great knowledge over there.

Deane

[MarkAnderson]

Funny this thread should show up. I too am leaning toward Z-Wave, but I sense Z-Wave isn't going anywhere. I sincerely hope that is not true.

It would certainly be interesting to know some facts, and perhaps what the statistical trends are of Z-Wave vs UPB, if such things are available. I don't consider Insteon in the race, but there are some knowledgeable users who are more positive on it than I am.

Mark, any answers that show up to your questions will be useful to others as well as yourself. Thanks for your excellent post.

By the way, you might get some interesting responses if you also posted your questions over at CocoonTech.
http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/
There's a lot of great knowledge over there.

Deane

Hi Deane

I have to say that I have less faith in Z-wave than I had a few weeks ago. Besides your's, I haven't had a single reply to my post, and nearly everything I do find is 3-4 years old. At this point I'm nervous about investing $1000+ (immediately) and several thousand dollars longer term in Zwave

Regards

Mark

[kaldoon]

Hi Deane

I have to say that I have less faith in Z-wave than I had a few weeks ago. Besides your's, I haven't had a single reply to my post, and nearly everything I do find is 3-4 years old. At this point I'm nervous about investing $1000+ (immediately) and several thousand dollars longer term in Zwave

Regards

Mark

Welcome to the journey this has been a good place to gather information and share experiences about the technology. I live in a 50 year old concrete block/stucco house (3000 sq ft) that had no neutral in the boxes when I started - I was able to automate about 85% percent of my environment without needing a neutral. I think this technology is the best for doing retro-fits.

[thezman]

Zwave probably has the most choices of lighting than any other Rf technology. Meaning you are not restricted to one particular manufacture.
THere are also many other devices avalable that should work with each other.
However that said the biggest problem right now is a controller that can handle all the features you have installed. THen there is price for this controller. You have Vera2 from Micasaverde/Mios. and then you have Homeseer. There are others but they are limited in support of certain devices. Vera is chaep but it is still undergoing growing pains. It is soon to release it's new iterface with broad support of Zwave devices. Then you have homeseer that is quite more expensive. It has many add ons such as touch screens. For some much more difficult to set up. All the controllers work and will grow as new products become available.


Certainly zwave is cheaper than Lutron or Crestron.

[mhn]

These should be available around October this year in EU. I don't think, it will be much later in US. Hence there will be new Z-Wave products.

The products will be at http://www.smarthomes2010.com/

http://www.qees.eu/products-2/

Quick comprehensive view on pictures page http://www.qees.eu/product-pictures-32/

A lot of products from one manufacturer including a master.

It looks good. I hope it works good too. But that remain unknown until fall.

2 of us from zwaves.dk paid QEES a visit about a month ago. They seem really serious.

Regards
Morten