Hi! Does anyone know if it is possible to control outdoor lights using either a wireless module or somehow through a powerline type device? I have a detached garage converted to a granny flat about 15m from the house. When it was converted, the previous owners installed a lamp post as well as lights for the gates, but controlled with light switches in the annexe. This is, of course, a pain! There is no way for me to get an Idratek cable across to the annexe, but the power to the annexe comes from the main house itself, through a breaker. I am currently using a wifi repeater for wifi access, but might try and get a powerline device for wired ethernet (assuming it would work through the breaker). It would be fantastic if there was a wireless idratek module!
Wireless lighting control
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>no way for me to get an Idratek cable across to the annexe ...
how about a more circuitous route, between house & annexe - if not with the mains supply, straight across, how about in a pipe let into the garden - distance maybe doesn't matter ?
or, perhaps, without a cable, using some of the Rako kit ...Last edited by chris_j_hunter; 6 November 2013, 12:13 AM.
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Originally posted by chris_j_hunter View Post>no way for me to get an Idratek cable across to the annexe ...
how about a more circuitous route, between house & annexe - if not with the mains supply, straight across, how about in a pipe let into the garden - distance maybe doesn't matter ?
or, perhaps, without a cable, using some of the Rako kit ...
1. X10 - I had forgotten about X10 - it is a type of powerline technology, afterall!
2. LightwaveRF - sounds possible, but I don't think I can get Cortex to interface to it. Not sure how reliable the RF is either.
3. Wifi enabled energy saving light bulbs - might be an option.
If only idratek packets can be modulated within TCP/IP packets in a module. I can then use a powerline ethernet device and plug the module in.
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just a thought, but .. when we needed to run IDRANet out to the shed, not having planned or made provision to do it, we threaded cables (Cat-5e STP IDRANet, Cat-5e UTP Ethernet, Cat-6 Ethernet) into a redundant water pipe that ran from house to shed ...Last edited by chris_j_hunter; 6 November 2013, 11:17 PM.
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Originally posted by chris_j_hunter View Postjust a thought, but .. when we needed to run IDRANet out to the shed, not having planned or made provision to do it, we threaded cables (Cat-5e STP IDRANet, Cat-5e UTP Ethernet, Cat-6 Ethernet) into a redundant water pipe that ran from house to shed ...
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Don't know about lightwaveRF, but I can probably help you with a HomeEasy genre solution. Believe it or not but we do have some radio transceiver 'development' products which have ben gathering dust for a few years... One such should allow you to control a HomeEasy device. If you think this might help contact me for further detail.
As for IDRATEK - IDRATEK over TCP/IP, well of course this has existed almost from day 1 in the form of the Cortex bridge object, but not very practical for small situations since it requires Cortex at both ends. Yeah, I know what you're going to say about porting to linux...
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Another wireless solution would be enocean. This has the added advantage of not using batteries in the local transmitters. The button press generates the electricity required to transmit the signal.
You may find these links of interest
http://shop.loxone.com/enuk/enocean-extension.html (you will of course need the Loxone miniserver as well)IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
Renovation Spain Blog
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Originally posted by Karam View PostDon't know about lightwaveRF, but I can probably help you with a HomeEasy genre solution. Believe it or not but we do have some radio transceiver 'development' products which have ben gathering dust for a few years... One such should allow you to control a HomeEasy device. If you think this might help contact me for further detail.
As for IDRATEK - IDRATEK over TCP/IP, well of course this has existed almost from day 1 in the form of the Cortex bridge object, but not very practical for small situations since it requires Cortex at both ends. Yeah, I know what you're going to say about porting to linux...
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Did you look at the links then, as you don't need the buttons and you can have it all controlled via a Loxone miniserver and extension module. And then control it via a smartphone or any web browser.Last edited by toscal; 12 November 2013, 08:51 PM.IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
Renovation Spain Blog
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wonder if there's a simple IR approach that could work more affordably ?
ie: Idratek includes IR capabilities, usually used with remote's & AV equipment, so maybe a simple (but secure) IR relay could be a way to do this, hopefully with a range of codes, so could have several such relays in a room ...
but do such relays exist ?
PS: found these :
Independently control two relays rated up to 24Vac/dc, 1A with an infra-red remote control (not included). Toggle or Momentary selection for each channel. 12Vdc powered. Ultra compact...
Compact 2-button IR keychain remote designed for use with Velleman MK161 IR Relay Board and most IR receivers. Range up to 15m. 16 channels (multiple transmitters in one room)...
but .. are they compatible with Idratek ?Last edited by chris_j_hunter; 12 November 2013, 09:26 PM.
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Originally posted by toscal View PostDid you look at the links then, as you don't need the buttons and you can have it all controlled via a Loxone miniserver and extension module. And then control it via a smartphone or any web browser.
There is possibly a marginal reliability benefit to using enOceon by virtue of it using the more tightly regulated 868MHz band, but I think it is otherwise similar to the likes of HomeEasy, lightwavRF and so on in terms of using unacknowledged communication protocols relying on multiple message copies to try and counteract message loss. None of these is great for deeply automated systems like IDRATEK's which can also have high message volumes, hence our reluctance to introduce interfaces to such beyond our early foray into X10 and Rako. Zwave and Zigbee are better but still some issues for us. So for the time being a simple radio gateway to the former might be the most practical.
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IR possibly has some security advantages in the sense of lower leakage out of rooms and vice versa, but of course conversely the disadvantage is that you generally need a transmitter in the same room and message loss due to obstructions more likely. Having said that of course some people do use IR to operate fans and AC units from the system. The lack of acknowledge or even bidirectional data tends to make these sort of operations a bit risky without human feedback, but its not much different for the simplistic radio protocols either. However Cortex can help to improve reliabilty by regularly re-asserting states and under some circumstances its verification logic might be useable through some serendipitous sensor.
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>some people do use IR to operate fans and AC ...
would be good to know which IR devices or protocols people have had success with ...
the Vellemann units previously linked-to are not expensive, but would they talk the right language ?
we have some lights for which this approach might be our only way !
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just to add that yesterday we noticed this :
Browse our full range of products from dressing tables to complete modern kitchens. Click here to find the right IKEA product for you. Shop online and in store today.
difficult to make-out much detail, but seems possible it could be adapted to make something that could be commanded from Cortex ...
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