Self Builder Needs Help

[wrighty23]

hi all,

this is probably a question thats been placed on this forum several times, and i want to apologise firstly if this is a repaet post.

im currently awaiting planning approval of a new house iam building and im eager to have it the new home automated.

iv done alot of readin and now i seem lost.

im thinking of using c-bus........i want to be able to control lighting, cctv, alarm, heating, gates and garage. and also send AV and especially music to multiple rooms around the home ie. different music in each room.

would appreciate some advice on here from you guys who have vast knowledge of the routes to take.

would like to be able to use touchscreens throught the house to control the various devices.

really im looking for someone who can guide me in this process and throughout the build, only via email, not as a contractor as i have a team of electricicans already.

reagrds

mark

[toscal]

Re: Self Builder Needs Help

Do your electricians understand home automation systems etc.
You may also want to take a look at EIB/Konnex. http://www.eibshop.co.uk/catalog.asp

Just remember if you have one cable to a location run another one. You can never have enough CAT5 or similar.

Have you looked at Abitana's range of Home Networking products. This can handle the Audio, video, TV distribution etc. But bear in mind it is a propietry cable based on CAT5e. Abitana are at www.abitana.com

[Nobby]

Re: Self Builder Needs Help

If you are looking at EIB, which as you know has evolved from the commercial environment and may present challenges (programming & fine tuning both technically and cost wise) for the residential market, then you should probably look at Lutron Homeworks.

Sure EIB has gateways into control systems (AMX/Crestron) but Lutron, IMHO, wins hands down.

Be very very sure your electricians can manage this. With all due respect if you are posing these questions in this forum then one could get the impression that you may have good sparks but not necessarily with the HA competence your project needs.

You risk wasting a lot of time and money and potentially risk a failed project. Don't scrimp because your project will suffer cost and/or quality wise. Pay someone to design it for you and get an experienced HA spark to oversee your sparks.

There ends your free consultation.

Good luck.

[wrighty23]

Re: Self Builder Needs Help

thanks for replies guys.

will check out the links you have given me and research some more.

forgot to say in my original post that iam co-director of a electrical wholesalers/contractors in the north west and employ 16 electricians, hence the reason why i dont want to get a firm in to the job.

thanks again

mark