[Linux] Home Automation

[Jonathan Gathman]

Greetings fellow techies,

  I have several topics I'd like to discuss... Please bear with me.

A) Weather Station
  Jim, I know you have a nice weather station, and use Linux to drive it.  Can you please let me know what you have bought (or wish you had bought)?   I'm most of all interested in accurate Temperatures, but also rain, and of course, barometer.   Wind isn't that important, since we live in a nestled valley.   I'd also like multiple temperature inputs, as I'd like (if possible) to monitor various indoor temperatures, i.e. bedrooms, living room, basement, to name a few.

This brings me to my next techie issue...

B) Temperature control

  You all know I have the woodstove, and that is an effective positive heat source.  However, what I've noted in the past few years is that effective "window blind management" has a huge impact on the internal house temperatures.

  The vagaries of non-tropical/non-southern california weather is that in the winter, the coldest days are also the sunniest.  Therefore, if the blinds are up for Sunny windows, even on the coldest days, the house actually needs only a modest additional heat.  

  The additional factor is that we are all away from the house during the day, now that Jacqui and kids are at PCCA.

  My typical winter week-day involves the following.

1) check the weather for Temps and Sunniness.
2) If cloudy, I leave the blinds down for reducing heat loss.  If sunny, I leave them open to maximize solar energy from 12-4.
3) Since I can't feed the woodstove during the day, during cold days, I'll stoke it before leaving, otherwise, I just let it die.
4) I also have a heat pump, which is actually pretty efficient for temps over 40F.
	a) Usually, in St. Louis, temps achieve 40+F degrees in the afternoon, therefore, since no-one is in the house, I have the house thermostats set at "emergency temps" only (i.e. 55 degrees, which it doesn't hit), but it kicks on at 3:30, in time to warm up the house for Jacqui and the kids coming home at 4:00.  

These are pretty reasonable measures that require only digital thermostat on Heater.


I'm wondering, and would like your opinions, whether it is worthwhile looking at power-controlled blinds.

There's lots of "remote blinds", largely for those who can afford the "cool toy factor", or have windows that are too high to reach.


Right now, every blind in the house really needs replacing.  They're pretty old, and many barely function, or don't, so it's time to consider.  I'm not sure that it will ever be very cost effective for neat-o solar panels that adorn our California family homes in St. Louis, but I'd like to harness the Solar heating/blocking as I can with windows.


I don't see a lot of blinds that are setup for remote control access, and so far, I don't see any using much more than RF or RS-232 technologies.   What I think I really want is either IP technology (where I can control with the computer) or perhaps USB, which would also power the electronics... I think there are distance issues with USB, though.

The other options include:
1) Self-actuation - i.e. embedded Sunlight Sensor which would a) open blinds in winter/b) close blinds in summer.
2) Keep doing the manual blinds, just buy the more efficient ones.
3) Purchase off-the-shelf robotic actuators and build myself (possibly rewire already motorized blinds)

Ideas? 

:) thanks!




Jonathan Gathman
jonathan at stl.gathman.org