Started on the installation of the electronic lock for the front door today.
Eventually the plan is to have RFID control as well as integrate it with the Insteon system for control from the smart phones, computers, etc.
Is pretty rough around the edges atm but it will have to come out for cables to be run to the back soon so I’ll file the edges and put some paint on make it a little prettier but for now it’s in and functional ready for the next lot of parts to arrive 😀
First read about the Chumby a few years ago but at the time it was quite expensive to get one here in Australia and so mostly forgot about it until I read an article the other week mentioning that the Chumby was back!
The Chumby is a bedside clock replacement with over 1000 apps you can cycle through from clocks, weather, Facebook, picture slide show, etc.
Shipped from the USA on Tuesday and arrived Friday morning, time to unpack it 🙂
Now time to load some “apps” up and have a play.
Eventually hope to write an app to integrate into my Insteon system allowing bedside table control of the whole house.
The Insteon Hub allows HTTP requests to be used to control devices and the Chumby uses Flash Lite so shouldn’t be too hard.
Ordered 2:20pm yesterday and on my desk 9am today, can’t complain with that 🙂
First one I thought I’d change is the power point on the Kitchen bench, nice central location to access and have phones out of the reach of little ones.
Installation took less than 10 minutes only hampered by having to cut a bit more plaster away to fit the SockIT back into the wall.
Will be sure to report back after a few months of use but so far loving them 🙂
You can find out more about SockITz here.
Ordered parts for front door automation/security including RFID reader and electronic latch which will get tied in with the other systems to allow opening from smart phone, etc as well.
 
Also ordered a pair of Sockitz which are a double power point with 2x USB charging.
Few new Insteon parts ordered.
I have another two deliveries expected this week or next as well 🙂
After having the TV sitting on a coffee table for months I thought it about time to get it up on the wall.
Network and aerial were already running down the wall so they were just pulled back up from the wall plate and re-terminated.
Power is being run down with an extension cord in the wall currently until I organize something better.
When the house was getting built I made sure to get power and a phone jack run into the top of the linen cupboard in anticipation of networking, storage and home automation requirements .
It quickly became quite a mess with cables hanging everywhere so it was decided it was time to clean it up and get it into a rack.
From top to bottom:
24 port patch panel
Linksys 24 port smart switch
3RU case containing Netgear ADSl modem, Router Station Pro and PSU’s
1RU blanking plate with 3x 20w per channel class D amps.
(To Drive Bathroom, kitchen and deck speakers)
Still a bit more to do on cable tidying and I’m going to get some blanking plates to cover the bottom up and then possibly build a second rack next to it to house the NAS and drives.
After the speakers were installed it was quickly decided that we best have a screen as well.
I had a spare 17″ lcd lying around which I paired with a Raspberry Pi running XBMC.
12v and VGA run from the back of the screen back to the main rack keeping all the mains voltage well away from the bathroom.
All Finished including chocolate stains from the kids…
And Youtube video of it up and running:
Wasn’t long after I moved into the new house that I knew I wanted some sound in the bathroom while enjoying the spa bath so I got to cutting some holes….
Cables run through the roof back to the main rack where they are powered by a cheap class D chip amp.
