Reply to post: Take a look at Domoticz

Lights, power, action! Smartplugs with a twist

Andrew Jones 2

Take a look at Domoticz

Or for anyone that has basic computer skills - hopefully everyone here. Get yourself a Raspberry, pop along to www.domoticz.com to download the free open source home automation system that supports a huge multitude of protocols from RFXComm through ZWave and even MQTT. Our system started with those Radio Controlled plugs you buy in a pack of 3 from B&Q at this time of the year in the Xmas lighting section, they are called Home Easy sockets made by Byron. There is a whole range of additional stuff you can get in the Home Easy product range and a Transmitter/Receiver USB dongle for the Pi (or any reasonable spec old machine you have lying around) will control them all. Want your Byron Doorbell to turn on a light and email you a picture of who is at the door from your CCTV system - easy peasy. The event system is powered by Blockly which enables you to snap devices and actions together to run easy or complex tasks when events happen. For example we have one room with a ZWave socket controlling a LED light, a Byron door contact switch and a Byron movement sensor. The Door contact or the Movement sensor being activated will turn on the light for 20 minutes, and that counter is reset each time one of those devices is activated. Now we can go in and out of the room and the light will stay on, but if we forget to turn the light off (Byron wall mounted wireless switch) the system will turn it off automatically after 20 minutes with no movement. Home Automation no longer costs what people think it does nor is it anywhere near as complicated as people think it is. As an added benefit the RFXtrx433 USB dongle we use for all the 433MHz stuff, also receives data from Oregon temperature sensors in various rooms and the OWL electricity monitor.

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