ᐅ Smart Home / Home Automation – Consultation

Created on: 9 Feb 2016 21:36
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Acd85
Hi,

I’m still undecided about installing home automation in our planned new build.

My requirements are as follows:

- Control of roller shutters or blinds (possibly window contacts to detect open windows)
- Control of heating / air source heat pump or solar system
- Control of a video intercom system via a tablet

Of course, I have looked into KNX and the material costs alone would be around 6000€ (approximately 6,350 USD). As an alternative, Loxone is mentioned increasingly often, although the proprietary format is a bit off-putting.
My requirements could also be met with a manufacturer-specific system.

Do you have any recommendations for or against home automation (in my case)?

Best regards
Acd85
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FreakErn
1 Apr 2016 12:57
SirSydom schrieb:
Of course, you can also avoid the purchase costs for the KNX actuators by breaking into the electrical wholesaler and taking them. ETS5 is copy-protected with a hardware lock, but like almost every copy protection before, ETS5 has already been cracked.

I think you keep misunderstanding me. Apparently, there is a way to work with KNX using a free version of the software, but it requires some kind of workaround. I’m not talking about anything illegal, but rather something that some people do with KNX. In any case, I believe this discussion doesn’t really belong here.
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b54
1 Apr 2016 13:00
There is the Light version, which I believe allows managing up to 20 devices. You would then need multiple projects.
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FreakErn
1 Apr 2016 13:29
b54 schrieb:
There is the Light version, where I believe you can manage 20 devices. You would then need multiple projects.

Thanks, that’s exactly what I meant!
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SirSydom
1 Apr 2016 18:02
The Lite version costs €200.
You get a €140 voucher if you complete the course.
Including VAT, shipping, and dongle, you end up paying effectively €90 for the Lite.
Uwe821 Apr 2016 23:04
@FreakErn: The cabinet looks really messy, does your electrician still have a clear overview there? I'm glad we have three distribution panels and are using more KNX.
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FreakErn
1 Apr 2016 23:16
He still had a complete overview. All the wires were clearly labeled, and even after I told him to move a switch to a different location, he immediately knew where to find everything.

I was really disappointed when they told me, "No, unfortunately we can’t leave any more space for a cable tray. It’s already tight enough."

So for my future planning, I definitely need another cabinet next to it.