Have you ever wanted to be able to either set your alarm or turn your house lights on and off from your smart phone or computer? I know, your thinking that this technology is 
offered by all the major security companies and even some cable companies but I am going to talk to you on how to do it with the monthly fees.
Typically, the big alarm companies are going to charge you anywhere from 29.99 a month or more to monitor your home for theft and in some cases fire as well. Most installations will cover several openings and a motion detector. In my set up at home, I have every single opening covered and I have full control of every light in the house. I can either use my smart phone or computer to perform all my automation tasks.
There are several companies that offer no monthly fee security systems including X 10 and Insteon. Both of these brands are in most cases interchangeable and they both work under the same principle. X 10 is the flagship company that started it all in 1979. The system works completely free of wires and uses your existing electrical system to transfer the signals to modules throughout the house.
The system consists of a base unit that acts as both the alarm console and also the main unit for sending the automation commands. Your system will also consist of several hand held controllers for your lights, a controller for your alarm system, a power horn for the alarm, and sensors to place on your doors or windows and one or more motion sensors.
The system is completely wireless and is easy to set up. The alarm sensors simply attach to the wall near the opening it is going to protect. And then you attach the two contacts to the opening and you are in business. Follow the directions that came with your system to connect the sensor to your main unit.
Your new security system will allow you to record an outgoing message and add phone numbers to call in case your alarm is tripped by a break in. The Secure Linc from X 10 allows you to listen in on your house if the alarm trips and it calls your cell phone. You can also arm and disarm the system even if you are not at home.
Once you alarm system is all set up, use the modules that came with your system to plug in all your lamps that you want to control with your handheld remotes. You can also use appliance modules to control larger items such as fans or even small appliances.
Now comes the fun part. Installing the software on your computer to control your devices. There are several brands of software you can use and Insteon offers one for free if you buy their automation package. I am using Active Home Pro from X 10. With some recent changes with the company, this software is not currently available but I hear that it will again be offered in the near future.
Once installed, there are plenty of options to choose from. You can have your lights turn on at dusk and off at dawn or you might want to have your living room light come on at 7 just in time to relax with some TV. You can even do macros with most of the software options.
Macros are essentially complex programs that allow you to do several things with one command. For example, with one press on your palm pad you can turn on your living room light, dim it to 50%, turn on your dining room light and dim it to 75% and then turn on all your holiday decorations. This all happens with one press of a button.
Personally, I have found Active Home as one of the most user friendly of all the software I have seen but until it is available again, you will have to use an alternate such as House Linc for programming your automation on your computer.
Once you have everything installed and customized, you will have a secure and functional alarm/automation system you can be proud of. The best part of all is that you will not be paying any monthly fees. Those monthly fees can really add up over a number of years. I have been using my system for about 9 years now and it has saved me a small fortune. Every light from my low voltage outdoor lights to the night-light in my bedroom is controlled automatically from my computer. I have select lights that come on and off all night in certain rooms to give the house a sense that somebody is awake. If somebody does try to break in, the piercing alarm from the 5 power horns is enough to draw a lot of attention from the neighbors.
By, Joe Z
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