A Z-Wave Horror Show?

So, how was your Halloween? A lot of planning goes into the holidays. Some really followed through on those plans. Others, like me, have grand ideas that never see the light of the day. Work schedules, family and other tasks always seem to supplant creating costumes, planning parties, decorating the house, and hosting visitors. Once done with pumpkin carving and costume making, I barely got a few things together this year to decorate, but my Z-Wave lighting and appliance devices helped a great deal.
 
The main focus of my outdoor lighting was an Aeon Labs ZW098-A52 LED bulb. At $50, it's not a cheap bulb, but it has a cool secret. The device is capable of displaying millions of colors, including 2 types of white. It's got a 50,000 hour lifespan, and it has been the go-to device to create cool moods for a couple holidays so far. Color change is controlled by a plug in for your Z-Wave controller (like a VeraEdge) or manually by quickly turning a wall switch off/on/off/on to cycle the colors, then turning it off again to 'lock' the color in. That way it works with any Z-Wave controller; even WINK or just a Minimote. By far the coolest device so far I've used for this purpose. 
 
Also on the list were the standby GE 12720 Outdoor smart switches. When used according to the directions, these can control outside lighting, decorations; just about anything that will plug in outside. They would be great for those air-filled setups that you just bought from the box store. Turn them on/off from inside! I used them for some decorative lights on the bushes, although it would have been great to push a Minimote and have a ghost jump out of the bushes. (Next year!) I adjusted the ZW098 LED to be a brilliant orange to match the halloween lights. With just a few things I was able to transform my front yard, and yet have the control of Z-Wave from my phone (or Minimote).
 
Where this will really come in handy will be for Christmas. I imagine green and red bulbs; modules controlling a giant snow globe . . . all on a timer through my gateway so I can save on energy and buy more decorations. 

How will you use Z-Wave for the holidays? Tell us on Twitter @Zwaveproducts

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