project ideas for homeowners


		LINK SEVERAL COMPUTERS TO YOUR DSL/CABLE MODEM Want to be able to link up several computers to the web? Your kids' computers, your personal PC, your home office -- the list goes on and on. Your local ConnectHome dealer has access to innovative Channel Vision technology, which can connect up to 7 PCs to your DSL or Cable modem and also act as a firewall for protection. This is just one of the solutions available for your data needs.


		OPERATE HOME ELECTRONICS STORED IN CLOSETS OR CABINETS Use a Remote to Operate Your Hidden Electronics Infrared remote controlled equipment can now be operated while stored in an enclosed cabinet or closet. In this way, wood cabinet doors may be used instead of glass. Equipment can even be hidden in a closet or cabinet and your home's beauty is not affected by the visible presence of electronic gear. How does it work? Remote controls use invisible light (IR) to communicate remote control commands, but light does not pass through wood, such as cabinets or closets. An IR repeater receives the light from the remote by one sensor, converts the signal into an electrical signal that can be passed in to the cabinet via wire. There, it is then amplified and sent out to tiny IR light emitting devices called "emitters". Emitters then re-broadcast the IR commands -- just like the remote broadcasts the pulses of light that make up commands. The emitters are placed on to the front panel of the equipment, right over the sensor where the commands are normally received from your remote.


		PAGER SYSTEM FOR THE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING Pager vibrates when doorbell is pressed, gate is opened... The system will notify you through a vibrating pager if a front door is opened, a doorbell is pushed, a gate is opened, or a number of other options! The belt clip receiver has an alphanumeric display that indicates which event is taking place. With a potential range up to 1 mile, you could be gardening in the backyard and know whether the front door/gate is opened, or if someone had pressed the doorbell...


		SPEAK TO A PERSON AT YOUR DOOR THROUGH YOUR TELEPHONE Front Door Intercom to Ring Your Telephones You can easily speak to a person at your door through the existing telephones in your home. An elegantly styled door intercom station is installed near your front door and wired back the telephone entry controller. When the doorbell button is pressed on the door intercom station, the phones in your home will ring. When you answer the phone you will be automatically connected to the front door intercom.


		VOICE ACTIVATED OPERATING SYSTEM FOR YOUR HOME Control Of Your Lights, Devices and Appliances Now bring all your home systems together with a voice activated operating system. A simple voice command such as “It’s time for a movie,” will initiate a series of changes in your home to create your personalized movie environment. The lights now fade and dim, the movie begins to play, and the popper is making a fresh batch of popcorn. You and your family will now enjoy a customized home movie experience! How does it work? HAL will send out the appropriate IR commands through a Global Cache network adapter to turn on your required A/V equipment. At the same time, HAL sends out UPB commands through the computer interface module, and the lighting control signals travel throughout the home’s wiring to the various wall switches and modules.


		MONITOR THE POSITION OF YOUR GARAGE DOOR FROM INSIDE Garage Door Position Indicator The open or closed position of your garage door will be monitored, to let you know your garage door’s position from inside your home. You can be alerted by a lamp (or lamps) turning on or off. The lamps can be located throughout your home to provide an indirect visual indication of the door’s position. Or, a chime can indicate the garage door’s position at a specified time. Imagine, it is 9pm and a family member forgot to close the garage door. A chime will alert you so that you may close it before you head to bed. How does it work? A magnetic security sensor (contact reed switch) monitors the door’s position. Control of the lamp is accomplished by using Universal Powerline Bus (UPB) devices. One UPB device senses the position of the garage door and transmits a control signal, and another UPB device, to which the lamp is connected, receives the control signal and turns the lamp on or off. Multiple lamps will require multiple UPB


		PROTECT YOUR CHILD WITH A DOOR/POOL ALERT SYSTEM Door Alert/Pool Alarm Notification System The Door Alert/Pool Alarm Notification System is designed as an aid to detect unsupervised access to a restricted area, such as the doorway leading to a pool/spa area, by a small child. How does it work? The system uses a magnetic contact switch which sounds an alarm should anyone too small to manage the cancel-alarm feature attempt access to the restricted area. The Door Alert/Pool Alarm will sound an on-board siren when the monitored loop circuit is broken. A seven-second delay allows an adult to pass through the protected door and press the shunt/cancel button without the alarm sounding. A normally-closed magnetic contact (contact provides continuity when magnet and reed switch is in alignment) installed on the doorway leading to the restricted area provides the monitoring circuit.


		BLINK LAMPS WHEN THE PHONE OR DOORBELL RINGS Blink Light Module for Deaf and Hard of Hearing You can be notified by blinking lights when the phone or doorbell is ringing, when the pool gate is opened, etc. How does it work? The SAI I/O module is the most important part of the project. Its multiple inputs allow specified lights to blink for several different triggers. The blink trigger capability of the I/O module based on telephone ring or doorbell inputs allow lamp modules to be used as visual aids for the hearing impaired. To distinguish between a doorbell and phone ring, it is recommended to use separate lamp modules for each signal.


		BLINK LIGHTS TO MONITOR TEMPERATURE IN CRITICAL AREAS Visual Alarm Notification of Low or High Temperature This project will blink lights when temperatures need to be monitored in areas such as wine cellars, basements, attics, etc. It can also be used with walk-in freezers and other similar storage facilities for notification when high or low temperature limits are reached in those critical areas. The Winland Temp-Alert sensor measures temperatures from -30deg to +130deg F. Simply select an acceptable temperature range by setting the adjustable high and low limit arms. If the temperature in the monitored area rises above or falls below the preset limits, the temperature indicator will contact one of the preset limit arms. This completes the circuit and provides you with a dry contact alarm signal. This alarm signal is then used to trigger a Simply Automated (SAI) I/O Input/Output module which sends a UPB (Universal Powerline Bus) signal to blink light switches associated with the monitored spaces. The SAI Transceiver Switches will replace existing switches for lights to be used as Visual Alarm notifiers.


		SECURITY CAMERA WITH MOTION TRIGGERED RECORDING CAPABILITIES Motion Triggered Recording of Cameras in a Time Lapse VCR Protect your home with a camera system including recording capability triggered by motion to maximize recording time and minimize unnecessary recording. Through the use of wireless cameras and wireless sensors, the system can be deployed within 1 hour with minimal wiring. Since this project will make it so that your security recording tape is only enabled when there is movement in the camera field of view, this installation will allow you to conserve on video tape usage and also make it much easier to find the recorded activity you are looking for.


		TRIGGER YOUR DOOR CAMERA SYSTEM WITH YOUR DOORBELL Doorbell-Triggered Timer for Powering up a Door Camera System When your doorbell chimes you can view your visitor on your TV! How does it work? Power is applied to a door camera and modulator for a specified duration. The duration is variable for up to an hour, and would be set so that after the doorbell has chimed, you have sufficient time to turn on a TV, select the modulated channel, and view the camera’s image. Once the duration has expired, power is removed. Providing power to the camera and modulator only when required will reduce heat and thus prolong its useful life.

REMOTE CONTROL OF YOUR LIGHTS & APPLIANCES
Wireless control allows control of On, Off, Dimming…

Do you wish you could control multiple lights at once? Perhaps you would like to turn off all lights and unnecessary appliances from bed (or from your back door) with a push of one button. Imagine the possibilities!

How does it work?

The idea is to gain wireless RF control of your UPB switches. The keyfob remote will have the ability to turn ON/OFF/Dim/Bright a switch or a group of switches.

The SSWA6R Wireless Automator is a pre-programmed kit with an RF receiver containing 6 relay outputs, 4 button keyfob and plug-in power supply. All relay outputs are defaulted to “validity” mode, i.e. the relay is activated until the transmitter button is released.

The SAUMI32W Input Output module is a plug-in module designed to transmit the status of low voltage inputs or contact closures, and to control the operation of low voltage actuators based on digital commands received over the powerline. It is useful for detecting events such as ringing phones or doorbell or siren, for monitoring alarm switches on doors and windows or sensing audio signals from a sound system.


		REMOTELY CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE OF YOUR HOME Use Your Telephone to Determine and Alter Your Home’s Temperature There are many ways it is useful to control your home’s temperature remotely. In the example of the winter cabin, you may wish the temperature to be 52 degrees when it is unoccupied. If you call your cabin, it will recite the status and temperature of the cabin through the use of the built-in temperature sensor. If you wish to arrive to a warm cabin for the weekend, you simply adjust the cabin temperature to 70 degrees before you arrive. How does it work? The Sensaphone Cottage Sitter and HAI OMNIStat thermostat, when used together, allows for the monitoring and control of the temperature at a remote location. The Cottage Sitter can be called and it will recite the status and temperature at the remote location. If the temperature needs to be changed, telephone keypad activation of the on-board relay will change the setting of the connected thermostat. Calling the Cottage Sitter periodically after relay activation will confirm that the temperature has now increased in the cabin.


		BLINK OUTDOOR LIGHTS WHEN YOUR SECURITY ALARM SOUNDS Notify Neighbors That Your Alarm Has Been Triggered With Blinking Lights Your outdoor lights will blink when your security panel goes into alarm mode. This allows notifies neighbors and makes your house easy for emergency vehicles to identify. How does it work? The Input Output module is a plug-in module designed to transmit the status of low voltage inputs or contact closures, and to control the operation of low voltage actuators based on digital commands received over the power line. It is useful for detecting events such as ringing phones or doorbell or siren, for monitoring alarm switches on doors and windows or sensing audio signals from a sound system.