Home Automation with Envisalink 3 & Vista20P

[joeybuttta]

I have a Vista20P panel and just installed the envisalink 3. Everything works great with that. Love the setup, now onto my next project.

I want to get into home automation so for starters, I'm looking to control my garage door from my system. I know I can put a relay in to control the door but how do I access that from the envisalink system (i.e. my smartphone or web browser).

Also, I would like to control my outdoor lights from the envisalink setup as well.

Has anyone accomplished this or can anyone direct me to find the appropriate information.

Thanks in advance,
Joe

[Flyct]

I manage my 2 Garage doors and multiple lights with a device called MyQ Garage from either Chaimberlain or Liftmaster. amazon sell them. It's not connected to alarm or envisalink.

It works with most any brand Garage door opener. I use their iphone/iPad app. I have it configured to send me alert after garage doors is open more that 30 minutes and send alert immediatly when door is closed. That way after driving away from home and I don't remember if I closed the door all I have to do us look at my iPhone.

It uses a tilt sensor to sense the door position.

I can turn on or off outdoor light from either my wife's or my iPhone's or iPads. It's nice to do at night before I let the dog out in the fenced area.

[joeybuttta]

Thank you. I was hoping to stay with one system for when I want to add additional options down the road, but I will definitely check into this. I appreciate the suggestion.

Thanks,
Joe C.

[dcuste]

I use the 20p to send X10 signals. It can be programmed to send 16 open signals and 16 close signals. I also use my android devices with an app called automateIt along with a plugin called "watch my home" to send commands to the ELV3 to get the 20p to send out the X10 commands. e.g. I have a rule when my phone connects to my wifi, it disarms the 20p and if it is night time, it will turn on lights. I have another rule that when I plug my phone into or ou of the charger it will toggle the 20p chime mode. I don't control my garage door but I think it would be easy to do. I did have it control my irrigation system at one time and saved me from watering right before a rain on a few occasions.

[Flyct]

I have X10 devices at our 2 homes but I don't trust them. Multiple times I have had lights come on after short power outages at both homes. In fact when I leave for more than a day I manually turn off the table lamps that are connected to the X10 modules. Before doing this I would come home at times and find the lamps had turned on without being commanded.

I have purchased the special X10 power wall wart but have not connected it to the Alarm panel.

I do like them as I have a stick on 3-switch control mounted on the side of both my wife's and my nightstands at both homes. That way I can control the table lamps on both nightstands and the dressing room without getting out of bed.

[dcuste]

I hear you about the X10 not being reliable. I've been using them for 30 years and that is the main reason I haven't switched to something else. My work around is a CM15A. I have regular off signals sent when there's no reason for the lights to be on.

I may just be lucky, but I have a large house with 3 sub panels and other power line carrier devices, and two dozen X10 modules, yet the 20p puts out very strong signals and seems to work reasonably well. I'm also a fan of the MS16A motion detectors. I have three of those in hallways, to soft start lights for just a few minutes.

[tomedjo]

Have two houses -- one old and one new -- both with EVL3 and x-10. Started out a little rough, but now extremely reliable. Your results may vary, depending on your electrical system.

Once I figured out that the x10 signal didn't cross the electrical phases very well, I added a simple phase coupler and now both houses are 100% reliable. Guess I should cross my fingers, but I have had no x10 errors in the past year. Your electric box has two phases and whichever phase you put your x10 signaler on is the phase that will work reliably. A phase coupler allows the signal to cross over so all household circuits will work. Not my experience, but I read somewhere that this coupler approach could combine the system static of both phases and so be self defeating. Works great in my houses.

As to operating via EVL3. All you have to do is go to the Command/Custom link and input your code exactly like you would at your keypad. I will trigger your x-10 in a couple of seconds.

Just use a relay to momentarily close and program it in your 20p and you got it.

Good Luck!

[joeybuttta]

Thanks for the suggestions regardign x10. I'm going to look into that now. I've never done any programming with x10 devices. Any suggestions where to start to educate myself?

[GrandWizard]

You might also look at the Vera line of home automation systems based on Z-Wave devices. Their engineers worked closely with the Envisacor engineers on integration with the Envisalink.

[joeybuttta]

I thought Veralite and Vista only worked via the AD2USB? I found numerous posts stating that they could not get EVL3 to work with Vista & Vera.

Can you direct me to a page that describes that setup?

Thanks.