Welcome to my blog. By keeping this journal, I hope to record my entry into Home Automation, making mistakes so you don’t have to. Let me tell you a little about me, so you can decide if reading further is going to work for you.
I am a self-diagnosed technology holdout. I’m not anti-technology, but I’m against flashy, undependable gadgets that cost a lot and don’t work. A quick example: I had all my audio on record and cassette, so I held out repurchasing everything on CD. While my friends gladly paid $400 for portable CD players and countless quantities of disposable income on CDs, I was glad to purchase records (new/used) and make tapes to listen to in the car.
My descent into the world of home automation was not intentional. I had bought a new home, and a close friend gave me my first hub (Vera 3) a number of years back. He added in a few light switches and dimmer modules he no longer needed. It didn’t ‘take’ with me. I installed the wall dimmers and controlled them with an HA07 Intermatic tabletop unit. It worked, but I really didn’t get into programming or progressing further than turning off the lights from bed. I never did get the Vera hooked up.
As my full time job played out, and my freelance design business grew, I found myself working on displays and promotional materials (for the same friend) with words like Z-wave, interoperability, and home automation. The buzzwords of the trade meant little to me, but I admit my curiosity was piqued.
The design worked in the industry petered out; either due to my lack of understanding of the client’s needs, someone who was west coast was easier to work with, or a lack of work. It was done. I pressed my contacts for more design or video work. I was at a stage where it was difficult to keep a full time job and freelance. Contacts came back with no design work, but plenty of technological work to keep me busy.
At first the work was updating Z-Wave firmware, then pairing the devices with gateways for use in apartment buildings. To start, the work was mindless and required no understanding of the larger view. But now it is requiring an education in all things Z-Wave, IT, and Home Automation. As I learn these, I will share with you. Time to dust off that Vera 3.