Archive
Label batteries in your wireless Insteon devices
August 18, 2014
Batteries in wireless Insteon devices like the Hidden Door Sensor or Motion Detector can last anywhere from 3 months to a year, depending on usage and configuration, but it’s tough to estimate just how long that time window is without…
Advanced ISY994i programming for Insteon-enabled garage doors
August 22, 2014
We’ve covered the basics of automating your garage doors via Insteon, but as you can probably imagine, there’s always room for enhancement. Today we’ll cover some additional functionality you can tease out of the hardware you’ve already got installed. As…
An Insteon Smart Home becomes (almost) Self-Diagnosing
August 26, 2014
For a couple of weeks now, it seemed like my A/C was getting slower and slower to cool down to the set temperature, even after accounting for dynamically changing thresholds based on time of day or whether I’m home. Fortunately…
Install a garden hose spigot anywhere with a custom-length hose
August 29, 2014
In working on an automated sprinkler system, I started with the very basics: getting water where I wanted it. We’ll talk about the sprinkler system in an upcoming post, but the first thing I wanted to do is to get…
Automatically lock your doors when you leave home with MorningLinc and Insteon
September 2, 2014
We’ve covered a myriad of things based on how you can make your Smart Home smarter based on your location information, but one we haven’t touched on yet is locking your door. We’ve already got a Morning Industry deadbolt, a…
Leverage existing in-wall wires for low-voltage power
September 10, 2014
When I moved into my house, it had an old 1980s-style tape deck intercom system that I replaced with a custom Home Command Center. That meant the intercom units on the walls were basically just non-functional eye-sores: Recently I received…
Make your garage more comfortable with a motion-sensing fan
September 14, 2014
I do a lot of work in the garage, and Virginia summers can be hot, so I found a quick and easy solution: install a wall-mount fan in the back of the garage: I was a little worried that this…
The miracles of spray paint
September 17, 2014
OK, so this one’s not strictly speaking “home automation”, but it does fall under “home improvement“. I’ve always thought of spray paint as the tools of the trade for (graffiti) artists, but when faced with either spiffing up or throwing…
Glow In The Dark 3D Printing
October 20, 2014
Halloween is just around the corner, and with a 3D printer you can make some neat decorations that can be downloaded from Thingiverse. This year, I tried something new: Glow in the Dark Plastic! The filament isn’t cheap, but it…
Mount a Deck Umbrella to Save Space
October 24, 2014
We have a small deck that needed a bit of sun coverage over the summer, and went shopping for an umbrella. We decided on this 10′ Patio Hanging Offset Umbrella with Solar LED Lights; it looked like it would get…
3D print an umbrella mount for secure installations
October 28, 2014
As you saw in the last post on mounting a deck umbrella, the hole through the railing had to be a little larger than the actual umbrella pole due to some pins used to secure the umbrella to the base:…
Paper tabs on the back side of screws: genius!
November 1, 2014
I’ve done a ton of electrical and media work in the past couple months (at the cost of not spending as much time on Intellihome – sorry guys for the delay in those new features). I’ll be writing about these…
Insteon OutletLinc Dimmers are only for 2-prong lamps
November 13, 2014
We’ve talked about the Insteon OutletLinc before, including installing a new Insteon OutletLinc, using one to control stairway lighting, and using one for other indirect lighting. OutletLincs come in a variety of models with different features like SwitchLincs (dimming, dual-band,…
Turn off outdoor water spigots to prevent freezing
November 18, 2014
With the cold weather upon us now is the time to prepare your outdoor pipes to prevent freezing and bursting. If you have any hose-based systems (like the one I wrote about this summer), you’ll want to drain and/or disconnect…
Upgrade your ISY994i firmware to 4.2.18 for more secure connections
November 26, 2014
The Universal Devices ISY994i has long had the ability to use secure connections for access, and wasn’t even vulnerable to a major, recently discovered security hole. Nonetheless, the good folks at Universal Devices have continued to enhance the security posture…
Use a free Amazon Prime trial to get free shipping this holiday season
November 27, 2014
Judging by the sound track at my local mall, the holiday season is upon us. This Thanksgiving I wanted to thank everyone for making this blog a success, and for all the interesting people I’ve met and ideas I’ve collaborated…
Wall-Mounted Home Control Center
December 5, 2014
I kicked off my latest series of posts with a rather benign one about the genius of paper tabs on outlet covers, but am excited to start sharing the details of my latest round of home improvements. (Some who have…
Last minute Christmas gift idea : drones!
December 22, 2014
Last year I dropped a last-minute gift idea after posting a more comprehensive list for the Home Automation Guru in your life. It’s no secret that I love me some drones, so this year, I’ve got a couple suggestions for…
Leverage the space between floors for wiring
January 12, 2015
I’ve written about wiring ethernet between floors before, but during my latest round of home improvements I came across something I hadn’t really thought much about before: there’s usually a ton of space between floors in a house. This space…
Mounting brackets for low-voltage systems
January 16, 2015
When you install an electric outlet, you’ll need to use a single-gang wiring box, nailed into an adjacent stud, and all wiring connections need to be made inside the box for electrical code and obvious safety reasons. On the other…
Label batteries in your wireless Insteon devices
August 18, 2014
Batteries in wireless Insteon devices like the Hidden Door Sensor or Motion Detector can last anywhere from 3 months to a year, depending on usage and configuration, but it’s tough to estimate just how long that time window is without… Advanced ISY994i programming for Insteon-enabled garage doors
August 22, 2014
We’ve covered the basics of automating your garage doors via Insteon, but as you can probably imagine, there’s always room for enhancement. Today we’ll cover some additional functionality you can tease out of the hardware you’ve already got installed. As… An Insteon Smart Home becomes (almost) Self-Diagnosing
August 26, 2014
For a couple of weeks now, it seemed like my A/C was getting slower and slower to cool down to the set temperature, even after accounting for dynamically changing thresholds based on time of day or whether I’m home. Fortunately… Install a garden hose spigot anywhere with a custom-length hose
August 29, 2014
In working on an automated sprinkler system, I started with the very basics: getting water where I wanted it. We’ll talk about the sprinkler system in an upcoming post, but the first thing I wanted to do is to get… Automatically lock your doors when you leave home with MorningLinc and Insteon
September 2, 2014
We’ve covered a myriad of things based on how you can make your Smart Home smarter based on your location information, but one we haven’t touched on yet is locking your door. We’ve already got a Morning Industry deadbolt, a… Leverage existing in-wall wires for low-voltage power
September 10, 2014
When I moved into my house, it had an old 1980s-style tape deck intercom system that I replaced with a custom Home Command Center. That meant the intercom units on the walls were basically just non-functional eye-sores: Recently I received… Make your garage more comfortable with a motion-sensing fan
September 14, 2014
I do a lot of work in the garage, and Virginia summers can be hot, so I found a quick and easy solution: install a wall-mount fan in the back of the garage: I was a little worried that this… The miracles of spray paint
September 17, 2014
OK, so this one’s not strictly speaking “home automation”, but it does fall under “home improvement“. I’ve always thought of spray paint as the tools of the trade for (graffiti) artists, but when faced with either spiffing up or throwing… Glow In The Dark 3D Printing
October 20, 2014
Halloween is just around the corner, and with a 3D printer you can make some neat decorations that can be downloaded from Thingiverse. This year, I tried something new: Glow in the Dark Plastic! The filament isn’t cheap, but it… Mount a Deck Umbrella to Save Space
October 24, 2014
We have a small deck that needed a bit of sun coverage over the summer, and went shopping for an umbrella. We decided on this 10′ Patio Hanging Offset Umbrella with Solar LED Lights; it looked like it would get… 3D print an umbrella mount for secure installations
October 28, 2014
As you saw in the last post on mounting a deck umbrella, the hole through the railing had to be a little larger than the actual umbrella pole due to some pins used to secure the umbrella to the base:… Paper tabs on the back side of screws: genius!
November 1, 2014
I’ve done a ton of electrical and media work in the past couple months (at the cost of not spending as much time on Intellihome – sorry guys for the delay in those new features). I’ll be writing about these… Insteon OutletLinc Dimmers are only for 2-prong lamps
November 13, 2014
We’ve talked about the Insteon OutletLinc before, including installing a new Insteon OutletLinc, using one to control stairway lighting, and using one for other indirect lighting. OutletLincs come in a variety of models with different features like SwitchLincs (dimming, dual-band,… Turn off outdoor water spigots to prevent freezing
November 18, 2014
With the cold weather upon us now is the time to prepare your outdoor pipes to prevent freezing and bursting. If you have any hose-based systems (like the one I wrote about this summer), you’ll want to drain and/or disconnect… Upgrade your ISY994i firmware to 4.2.18 for more secure connections
November 26, 2014
The Universal Devices ISY994i has long had the ability to use secure connections for access, and wasn’t even vulnerable to a major, recently discovered security hole. Nonetheless, the good folks at Universal Devices have continued to enhance the security posture… Use a free Amazon Prime trial to get free shipping this holiday season
November 27, 2014
Judging by the sound track at my local mall, the holiday season is upon us. This Thanksgiving I wanted to thank everyone for making this blog a success, and for all the interesting people I’ve met and ideas I’ve collaborated… Wall-Mounted Home Control Center
December 5, 2014
I kicked off my latest series of posts with a rather benign one about the genius of paper tabs on outlet covers, but am excited to start sharing the details of my latest round of home improvements. (Some who have… Last minute Christmas gift idea : drones!
December 22, 2014
Last year I dropped a last-minute gift idea after posting a more comprehensive list for the Home Automation Guru in your life. It’s no secret that I love me some drones, so this year, I’ve got a couple suggestions for… Leverage the space between floors for wiring
January 12, 2015
I’ve written about wiring ethernet between floors before, but during my latest round of home improvements I came across something I hadn’t really thought much about before: there’s usually a ton of space between floors in a house. This space… Mounting brackets for low-voltage systems
January 16, 2015
When you install an electric outlet, you’ll need to use a single-gang wiring box, nailed into an adjacent stud, and all wiring connections need to be made inside the box for electrical code and obvious safety reasons. On the other… 
