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

[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