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The Lodgepole Project
The Lodgepole Project is the name of the home automation and security system at my residence. It's a project because I built the system myself and it's an ever-growing entity. The information herein describes how my home came to be automated. Detailed information about the security aspects of the system has been omitted for, well, security purposes.
Like the Lodgepole Project itself, this page is a work in progress. It will ultimately include photos, future automation plans, and useful links to home automation sites on the Internet.
What is home automation?
Virtually every home has some form of automation. A garage door opener, a remote control for the TV, a timer or light sensor to turn lights on, even a simple light switch on the wall could be considered automation devices...things that make life around the home easier. Modern home automation can include computer and voice control as well as remote control from anywhere in the world via computer, palm computer, or cell phone. The things that can be controlled include virtually anything in the home including lights, appliances, heating systems, air conditioning, windows, and drapes.
The early days
I first became interested in remote light control when I visited my cousin, Phil, in Milwaukee in the late 70's. Phil had a kit that used a new technology standard called X-10. The kit had a module that would plug into a regular wall socket. A lamp was plugged into the module. The other part of the kit was a small switch with a cord. The cord would plug into any wall socket in the home and allow the switch to control the lamp in the other room! Keep in mind that this was the low-tech 70's. I had seen a computer but never touched one yet. CB radios and haldheld calculators were the high tech device of the decade. Phil told me that the X-10 switch sent signals to the X-10 module over the power line and I said "WOW!"
A couple of decades passed, I learned about all sorts of technology, and even became an electronics engineer, but I never lost my fascination for that remote control lamp. It was not because of the remote operating capabilities of the lamp itself, but rather because of the possibilties to which it enlightened me. I mean, I had always enjoyed the Jetsons cartoon as a kid, but I always viewed the home automation technology George and Jane used as merely abstract. That is, until I saw X-10 in practical use.
I purchased my first home in the 80's...a small condominium. For me, this was the ideal environment to begin experimenting a little on my own with X-10 and other automation technologies that were emerging. Since X-10 was first developed in the 70's, scientists and engineers figured out how to package a lot of electronics in really small packages. This helped to bring about home computers, programable remote controls, and a whole new array of X-10 equipment. The late 80's and early 90's was a great time to start developing the Lodgepole Project.
The Possiblilities
My early experimentation with automation at my condo mostly taught me only what not to do and what not to buy. Primarily, I learned that you get what you pay for in automation products. I found a catalog supplier of home automation products that made every product look great. The cheap stuff either didn't work reliably or just had a very cheap feel to it.
Newcomers to home automation usually find Home Automation and Electronic House magazines. There are a few companies selling automation products that advertise in these publications. Unfortunately, the ones that advertise are generally not the best places to buy equipment. They generally have the highest prices, worst customer service, and misrepresent the products in their promotions. I learned this in the school of hard knocks. Once the Internet came about, a number of really informative bulletin boards emerged that provide answers to real-world questions as well as the best sources to buy products. The first really useful board I found was Remote Central. Here you can learn about any type of remote control available. They also have a section that deals exclusively with X-10, the standard that originally piqued my interest in home automation.
TO BE CONTINUED...
© Copyright 2004 Andrew W. Blumenfeld
DrewBlueSM is a Service Mark of DrewBlue Company. Used by permission.
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