Comments on: Project Idea: Household Pager http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203 Sun, 08 Dec 2024 17:19:24 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Phillip http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-23052 Phillip Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:37:40 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-23052 I've been working on home automation stuff as well - you can see a few things on my Ubuntu blog. I've got the speaker system hooked up and Bonjour instant messaging for the "need to know NOW stuff" I don't have a pager, but I know what you mean about message delays ;-P I use SMS on my cellphone to control things and get status information I want to add additional sensors - It's just running all those wires to interface everything.... I’ve been working on home automation stuff as well – you can see a few things on my Ubuntu blog.
I’ve got the speaker system hooked up and Bonjour instant messaging for the “need to know NOW stuff”
I don’t have a pager, but I know what you mean about message delays ;-P I use SMS on my cellphone to control things and get status information

I want to add additional sensors – It’s just running all those wires to interface everything….

]]> By: John M. http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-21187 John M. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:36:43 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-21187 One way Hams tackle this is to put a new crystal into a regular pager so that it receives amateur radio frequencies and then broadcast on that frequency using a pocsag program. There are some basic rules and guidelines which I will not detail in this post, but you can set up your own pager server and broadcast your own pager messages. One way Hams tackle this is to put a new crystal into a regular pager so that it receives amateur radio frequencies and then broadcast on that frequency using a pocsag program. There are some basic rules and guidelines which I will not detail in this post, but you can set up your own pager server and broadcast your own pager messages.

]]> By: Tom http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-21167 Tom Sat, 29 Dec 2007 07:57:16 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-21167 This sounds like a fun project, but wouldn't a cell phone with SMS already get you most of the way there? X10 technology is a bit hacky but well-established; you'd just need to integrate it with the appliances and write some routines on a central controller to send email-to-SMS messages when various events occurred. This sounds like a fun project, but wouldn’t a cell phone with SMS already get you most of the way there? X10 technology is a bit hacky but well-established; you’d just need to integrate it with the appliances and write some routines on a central controller to send email-to-SMS messages when various events occurred.

]]> By: shavenwarthog http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-21165 shavenwarthog Thu, 27 Dec 2007 20:00:35 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-21165 would this be appropriate for FRS radios? They're VERY cheap, small, durable, long-range, and have two-way audio. http://www.hackaday.com/2007/11/18/hackit-frs-gmrs-portable-radios/ would this be appropriate for FRS radios? They’re VERY cheap, small, durable, long-range, and have two-way audio.

http://www.hackaday.com/2007/11/18/hackit-frs-gmrs-portable-radios/

]]> By: Keith Neufeld http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-21150 Keith Neufeld Mon, 24 Dec 2007 21:25:21 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-21150 Matthew, David -- I don't know ZigBee, although what I read sounds very promising. Either of you want to take a stab at building this for me? :-) Joe, I'm fascinated by your description of your home automation. Do you have a web page about it? How did you integrate with all your appliances? Igor, I'm not interested in using an existing pager or cell approach because of delay and reliability. When the cookies are done, I need to know <em>now</em>, not in one minute. Likewise when someone is at the door ringing the doorbell. Around here, text messages <em>usually</em> take minutes to be delivered, sometimes hours, occasionally (and bizarrely) days, and sometimes they're lost entirely. Matthew, David — I don’t know ZigBee, although what I read sounds very promising. Either of you want to take a stab at building this for me? :-)

Joe, I’m fascinated by your description of your home automation. Do you have a web page about it? How did you integrate with all your appliances?

Igor, I’m not interested in using an existing pager or cell approach because of delay and reliability. When the cookies are done, I need to know now, not in one minute. Likewise when someone is at the door ringing the doorbell. Around here, text messages usually take minutes to be delivered, sometimes hours, occasionally (and bizarrely) days, and sometimes they’re lost entirely.

]]> By: David http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-21149 David Mon, 24 Dec 2007 19:40:29 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-21149 I would agree with Matthew that this sounds like a great application for ZigBee. Atmel has a free stack available which you could build upon. The ZigBee alliance also has a home automation specification which might be of interest as part of this project. I would agree with Matthew that this sounds like a great application for ZigBee. Atmel has a free stack available which you could build upon. The ZigBee alliance also has a home automation specification which might be of interest as part of this project.

]]> By: IgorM http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-21148 IgorM Mon, 24 Dec 2007 19:16:35 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-21148 I'm working on a similar project. The best way to solve it, I find, is to use some PIC16F628 (or alike) USB and/or TcpStack capabilities. This allows to convert a serial/parallel interface into a computer understandable communications (my dream to give ALL the devices their own IP address). All this allows to have a single gateway for the house to the outer world. You can easily send an e-mail or an SMS (or even to call) to your cell phone. In this case you don't need an extra device like beeper to carry around (you carry the cell phone anyway) and you'll get vibration for free ;-) I’m working on a similar project. The best way to solve it, I find, is to use some PIC16F628 (or alike) USB and/or TcpStack capabilities. This allows to convert a serial/parallel interface into a computer understandable communications (my dream to give ALL the devices their own IP address). All this allows to have a single gateway for the house to the outer world. You can easily send an e-mail or an SMS (or even to call) to your cell phone. In this case you don’t need an extra device like beeper to carry around (you carry the cell phone anyway) and you’ll get vibration for free ;-)

]]> By: Joe Zimmerman http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-21147 Joe Zimmerman Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:48:57 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-21147 I've tried this a couple times now, tied in with my home automation. First attempt was to use a motorola IMFree http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/imfree/ I picked one up for sure cheap, and it was a little goofy bring that around the house with me just so I could get notifications. Then I switched over to sending a text message to my actual cell phone. It seemed to work pretty well, but for a lot of things I decided just a voice announcement over my house speakers was better in most cases. "The washing machine has finished it's cycle", or "The thermostat has been set to 68 degrees" One of my favorites that has saved me in a few occasions, is "The refrigerator door has been left open for (X) minutes." I’ve tried this a couple times now, tied in with my home automation. First attempt was to use a motorola IMFree http://broadband.motorola.com/consumers/products/imfree/

I picked one up for sure cheap, and it was a little goofy bring that around the house with me just so I could get notifications.

Then I switched over to sending a text message to my actual cell phone. It seemed to work pretty well, but for a lot of things I decided just a voice announcement over my house speakers was better in most cases. “The washing machine has finished it’s cycle”, or “The thermostat has been set to 68 degrees” One of my favorites that has saved me in a few occasions, is “The refrigerator door has been left open for (X) minutes.”

]]> By: Matthew http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203&cpage=1#comment-21146 Matthew Mon, 24 Dec 2007 03:15:59 +0000 http://www.neufeld.newton.ks.us/electronics/?p=203#comment-21146 Sounds like a good application for zigbee. That would certainly simplify integrating with lights, outlets and whatnot. Sounds like a good application for zigbee. That would certainly simplify integrating with lights, outlets and whatnot.

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