Where to start?

I'm helping a friend plan the security and automation system for his
house.

My background is in software program/project management and IT
management, so I'm fairly technical, but not a developer and I have
basically no experience with home security or automation.

The installation is a compound of 3 houses. The main house is large,
4000+ square feet, I'd guess. There are also two smaller houses of
about 1000-1500 square feet. All are interconnected with multiple
bundles of structured cable. All are stuffed with wire (the main house
has cat5 to every lightswitch location, and just about any where you
might want to put a sensor. Lighting and switches are actually
backhauled to a few wiring closets to ease later installation of
automation systems.

The immediate need is to get security & safety into all the houses,
ideally with access control (1 door per house + a driveway gate) and
video surveilance (outdoor approaches and entry areas) soon. At this
point, the installed infrastructure is limited to all the wiring, some
stress sensors (sure action?) installed in some floor and roof
locations, and some driveway sensors.

I'm hoping to go with a system that delivers a good user experience and
is relatively open to integration with home control and automation
systems down the line (able to make sensor data available to automation
system). Paying a bit of a premium for something cutting edge would be
acceptable, but only if it gets us onboard emerging standards now. The
owner is a PC guy, has made his money in the PC universe, likes open
ecosystems and has dismissed Crestron as too mainframe like.

So, where is the market going, who are the interesting vendors in this
space? Is the next big thing here already for those willing to pay a
bit of a premium, or am I better off going with something more in line
with the status quo that might have an upgrade path? If so who seems
best about supporting thing like ethernet and IP connectivity and
interoperability?

I've spent a fair amount of time over the past month on this, and I'm
starting to get my head around some of it, but at this point, its more
obvious to me what's happening with automation and video surveilance
than with alarms.

Thanks for any opinions!

 

get a real integrator to do the job...

if your friend has the cash for such houses he can pay a pro for his
security..

and by the way the integrator will not try to manage the computer or network
for the house...

 

Sounds like a nice project, however, it sounds like it could be a
handful even for an experienced intergrator. If your client is a PC
person, he's going to want to be dealing with someone who can educate
and advise him. Since you seem to just be learning about this now, I
don't think you'll be able to convey the confidence, much less the
knowledge that is going to be needed to take on such a project. In my
opinion .....Ya should learn to, at least walk, with a number of
smaller jobs, before you run, with such a potentially complicated
undertaking.

Uhhh ....... why would there be cat5 wires going to each switch
location? Low voltage/high voltage to the same box? Are these standard
electrical boxes? If so, that's a no-no.

I've been doing alarms for over 35 years and home automation for about
10 years, starting with very simple X10 systems years ago. I've
integrated some systems, but by your description of what the potential
of your job might turn into, I think I would have to consider whether
I'd call someone in or not, depending on how much the client wanted to
do.

Lighting control, CCTV, Security with some interoperability I could
handle. With the average homeowner, I could hold my own. Start getting
involved with computer control and programing systems, along with
educating someone who's already computer smart, wouldn't seem like the
prudent thing for "me" to do. Likewise, you may have the computer
knowledge, but don't have the experience on the other end. I'd call
someone in to either do it ( for a finders fee) or ...... you can
attempt to be the co-ordinator, if you can find someone who has the
knowlege and experience that compliments yours.

 

Uhhh ....... why would there be cat5 wires going

It's a handy medium for sending control signals to dimmers, switches and
appliance circuits.

CAT5 goes outside the gang-box. High voltage goes inside.

After 10 years you don't know about things like ALC??? Something sounds
wrong here.

Plenty of DIYers have done jobs like this and more. It takes patience
learning a few new things.

No problem.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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Bass Home Electronics
2291 Pine View Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34231
877-722-8900 Sales & Tech Support
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
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