DIY Alarm/Surveillance/Automation systems

[ez bake]

Anyone try their hand at this?

I basically don't want to pay for monitoring, but I'd like a little extra sense of security and I've read about simple camera systems that actually seem to be a decent value, DIY home automation systems, and even alarms based on motion or window/door sensors that can email/text you.

I'd like to do it all, but I don't know where to begin. Each of these seems to have a mountain of options with opinions flying around like a 1911/Glock debate over which is better and which systems have issues.

Here's my vision:

- A Linux box or Windows PC (or even an Android based device) in the house that does everything I need for control/alerting (via High-speed connection)
- Some basic security sensors and a brain/interface that talks to the PC and some basic sensors (glass-breakage, motion, and windows/doors)
- A decent camera system that records to that same Linux box (or network storage device attached to said Linux box)
- A little bit of home automation control over heat/air, maybe a few lights (I don't really want to be able to lock/unlock doors remotely)
- A web interface that I can access all of this through

Now, I've setup an Apache web server on a linux box before and done simple stuff like Perl scripts that parse text and a simple database and what not, but I never put something as important as my home's security/automation into something like that and I've had friends who missed a patch and paid for it by having someone remotely own their mail server (that was before the days of more convenient updates though).


Is anyone doing anything like this? If so, what combo of applications/sensors/controllers are you using? Is it worth just using 3 separate systems instead of trying to get it all in one?

 

[Sanford]

If you haven't seen it SimpliSafe sells a DIY home security system that can be set up without monitoring. It's pretty decent, roll-you-own in terms of type and number of sensors, and if you add the monitoring later (month to month, no contract) it can be set up with SMS alerts, etc.

They don't have a video option yet, but you can do that separately with any of a variety of IP-based security camera/DVR systems fairly cheaply. Then you've just got to worry about automation as far as PC based if you want to go that way.

 

[Thomas]

I have a buddy that set something like this up. Set up DDNS on his router and forwarded a couple of ports.. Voila, done. Granted that is just the video side.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16881618241

 

[Traxxis]

I've often thought about this too and I eagerly await the information in your thread.

I'd like to set up a web camera in my living room though... my dogs and cats have managed to do some weird things while we are at work (for instance, ISYN, the cat at one time had to have been feeding our fish because we kept finding catfood in the fish tank...). It would be nice to be able to figure out how they do some of the things they do.

 

[Coded-Dude]

http://www.zoneminder.com/

 

[aviator41]

X10 might be the way you're wanting to go, though it's starting to look pretty dated these days.

There are other, simpler systems in development for the Raspberry Pi, but I don't think anything it out of the Alpha testing phase yet.

The interface between the sensors and the PC is where most people get hung up as you need a hub of sorts to 'watch' the sensors, then report back to the computer what it's seeing via paralell, serial connection (either 9 pin dsub or usb - same difference). If a certain sensor is tripped, the video pointing to that area is turned on, and an SMS/Email is sent or phone call made.

One step further would be to make web front end that could easily be used on a cheap android tablet. you'd then have a touchscreen home automation that easily managed from inside or outside. possibilities are endless, you just have to have the time and patience to develop it.

Making your sensors wireless adds another layer of complexity and requires another layer of security.

 

[n8thegr8]

I started out building one off a Renesas RX62N dev board, running FreeRTOS. The goal was to make an alarm system with a web interface, and then write an android app to arm/disarm/open garage door/check status remotely, and either do push notifications, or use a modem to dial my cell when the alarm was tripped.

I bought a bunch of recessed sensors and a siren off ebay. The best I got was controlling the star trek red alert siren via the web interface. I struggled getting SSL to work with the FreeRTOS web server (and I wasn't about to have an alarm system with just basic HTTP authentication), and with my wife staying home, I just had a honeywell system installed for the peace of mind. I might revisit the project when I move into a new house here in the next year or so.



You can buy a whole Honeywell setup on ebay for like $200, you'd probably be better off starting there and augmenting it.

 

[mr ed]

So I have a question. If you get one of these systems with the video and monthly monitoring.
Can the perve at the monitoring company or uncle sugar watch what your doing in your home? As in Big Brother is watching you.

 

[SPCAS]

Check out HAI automation panels. They are friendly for the competent DIY and you can program it to call yourself for self monitoring. They pretty Much do everything you mentioned plus a million other things if you want
Best Camera setup I have found is securitySpy which runs on any Mac computer. Just add cameras
I've put in several dozen HAI panels and its what I run at my house.
They have several models available. Can give you more info if you want

 

[ez bake]

I'm checking out Lowes' Iris system and Nexia Home Intelligence system.

Here's some reviews:

http://www.techhive.com/article/261...fordable_introduction_to_home_automation.html

http://www.techhive.com/article/203...system-is-less-than-the-sum-of-its-parts.html

Right now I think first on the list is a new thermostat - but I want something that is flexible enough that I can use it on more than one home automation system should I decide to change later.