The Official Smarthome Blog - All Things Home Automation » SH Tipster

Regulate the Current and Voltage Going into your Battery

jaolvera — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:00:33 +0000

Use with any 12 Volt or 24 Volt solar panel system
Designed for permanent installations
Easy plug and play connections
Adjustable voltage settings
LCD screen clearly displays charging current, load current, and battery voltage in 5 second intervals

If you are using a solar panel to charge your batteries, this charge controller will be sure to protect it. The charge controller will protect your battery from overcharging, high voltage surges, short circuit, low voltage, discharging, and reverse current. Use the charge controller with both 12 Volt and 24 Volt solar panel systems. Designed for permanent installation, this charge controller is simple to install and use. A digital LED screen shows the charging current, load current, and battery voltage in 5-second intervals. The charge controller also features adjustable voltage settings and Pulse Width Modulation technology to provide higher charging efficiency and maintain a higher battery reserve.

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Get Your kids the paperless alternative to notepads, sticky notes and memo pads

jaolvera — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:00:33 +0000

Join the Green movement by lowering dependence on paper with the Boogie Board 8.5 LCD Writing Tablet from Improv Electronics. Using just one of these tablets can save as much as 50,000 pieces of paper because it cuts out the need for sticky notes, memo pads, scrap paper, etc. Think about all the grocery lists thrown in the trash after being used and the to-do lists with a few chores on them that are crumpled up and thrown out afterwards. With this LCD Writing Tablet write out a grocery list and afterwards simply erase it from the board with the push of a button so it can be used for another paper-saving task. Weighing in at an ultra-light 4 ounces and a thickness of only a 1/8 inch make the Tablet ideal for use on the go too. Bring it with you to school or the office for note taking as an alternative to using scratch paper throughout the day. An included pen-like stylus makes writing or drawing as easy as it would be on a piece of paper. Can’t find the stylus or don’t feel like using one? No problem. The Boogie Board Writing Tablet can be even be drawn or written on with a finger. Read more

Set the Perfect Mood for Valentines Day

jaolvera — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:38 +0000

With Valentine’s Day less then a week away, make sure you’re home is ready for this special occasion. Nothing makes Valentine’s more special then the small touches of mood lighting. So set the mood for Valentine’s Day or any other special event with INSTEON-compatible lighting control. Using your home’s existing wiring, these products connect in seconds for whole-house mood lighting at the press of a button. The good thing about these ideas is that the products can be used after Valentine’s is over. With multiple uses for the products you can save money and have the latest in lighting for your home.

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Are You a Romantic? Create the Perfect Dinner Lighting This Valentine’s Day

ccanta — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:00:40 +0000

Want to do something special for your loved one this Valentine’s Day? How about creating a sophisticated, romantic and ambient dinner for two using INSTEON technology! Guys, it’s time to get creative. This simple D-I-Y will have your home into an elegant environment for the perfect Valentine’s Day. Learn more here

Home Solution Project: Stop Water Leaks from Becoming a Disaster!

ccanta — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:13:03 +0000

Flexible, Powerful, and Affordable Solution to Controlling Your Home or Business

jaolvera — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Mi Casa Verde is offering home control that is affordable for everyone, with their new VeraLite, Z-Wave controller. Featuring a faster processor and more memory for downloading apps, Vera is more powerful than ever. The VeraLite is designed for those that already have a Wi-Fi router and want to add home control. Advanced users with multiple device types and plug-ins will find Vera is up to almost any challenge. Compatible with INSTEON, Z-Wave, and X10 devices, the Vera allows user’s to easily integrate new lighting or appliance controls into their home, while also providing them a choice between different protocols to be used. Vera is compatible with all other types of Z-Wave devices. This gives the user a larger selection of devices to choose from. Take advantage of everything the Z-Wave world has to offer and choose the devices that best match your home decor.

Vera is a great solution for new construction and those who already have home automation devices installed in their home or business. Vera’s unparalleled interoperability lets you include your existing devices and add on new device types, such as Z-Wave, INSTEON, and IP cameras. Receive an alert and view live video footage on your web enabled mobile device anytime a motion sensor is tripped in your home or business. Imagine knowing exactly when your children get home from school, when an elderly grandparent gets out of bed, or if motion has been detected while you are away on vacation. Vera can automatically turn on lighting so you never have to approach your home in the dark. change a thermostats temperature in your home while on your way there from work. Monitor energy usage to find bad habits you can change to save money and track your spending. Automatically receive notifications when motion is detected, a certain device has been activated, a flood or leak has been detected, and much more.

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Protect Against Volatile Organic Compounds and Airborne Contaminants for Cleaner Air to Breathe

jaolvera — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:50 +0000

The AllerAir 6000 AH Vocarb BLK Air Handler offers you a whole home unit ideal for general air purification with an emphasis on removing volatile organic compounds and other airborne toxins. It features a special VOC blend of activated carbon to adsorb chemicals and odors, and a medical grade HEPA filter to remove 99.97% of all airborne particles down to 0.3 microns. Compatible with all HVAC units.

AllerAir is dedicated to offering you the safest most effective air cleaning technology available today. What makes AllerAir filtration technology so unique and effective is the combination of their true HEPA filter with a MAC-B (mass activated carbon bed) filter, which features many pounds of activated carbon. Together these filters trap 99.97% of all airborne particles and adsorb chemicals, gases and odors. Most mass-market air cleaners can only trap particles and have no more than a few token ounces or grams of carbon. AllerAir’s MAC-B filters contain pounds of carbon to safely and effectively remove these dangerous substances from the air. AllerAir equipment is efficient, flexible, practical and cost effective; the safest and best air cleaning technology available. Read more

Connect 3D HDMI Components and Share Internet Connections With a Single Cable

jaolvera — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:00:23 +0000

Atlona HDMI 1.4 certified cables are designed to provide the highest quality in High Definition Video and Digital Audio transfer. Simply the best cables you can get. The Atlona HDMI 1.4 certified cables are unlike any cable you will find on the market. Our unique design allows us to spread the oxygen free copper conductors farther apart, which helps us reduce cross-talk even at bit transfer rates up to 387Mhz. In the world of HD cables, no one can compete with Atlona quality.

Features:

HDMI 1.4 Certified High Speed Cable with Ethernet
Atlona HDMI Cables are able to support extremely high resolutions much beyond standard 1080p or 1440p. Future proof for resolutions up to 4K or 4096×2160
Supports Video Bandwidth above latest HDMI Standards 387MHz (far beyond 10.2 Gbps)
Ethernet Data Channel allows devices with HDMI 1.4 to share a high speed network connection and internet connectivity without a separate ethernet cable
Designed to support TV’s with high refresh rates (up to 800MHz)
Due to high bandwidth video support, this cable is fully able to transfer 3D content. Experience true 3D movies from newer 3D enabled BluRay players
Audio Return Channel will allow the user to eliminate excess cables which are connecting the TV and audio receiver to single a HDMI cable
Supports all digital audio formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
24k Gold plated connectors ensures no signal loss
High-Purity Oxygen Free Copper conductors
High-Density triple shielding for maximum rejection of EMI and RFI
Ultra Flexible
RoHS Rated
HDCP Pass-throughApplications:
Primarily used to connect BluRay & DVD players, HD satellite & cable boxes, LCDs, projectors, Plasma displays, HDTV’s and much more. Perfect for connecting devices in a high interference environment. Atlona HDMI cables are paintable and therefore can match the color of the wall and be almost invisible.

The Atlona High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet is also available in 20 Foot and 40 Foot lengths, (each sold separately)

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Durable Shrink Tubing to Protect Wiring, Hoses, and More

jaolvera — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:00:12 +0000

Techflex’s Fabric Heatshrink Tubing is an excellent way to keep rubber hoses, plastic pipes, and harness wiring bundles safe from abrasion. In addition to its protective properties, this fabric heatshrink tubing can also help with noise and rattle suppression. It shrinks from 20mm to 10mm (.79 inches to .40 inches) when exposed to 176° temperatures – half of its original diameter!

This fabric heatshrink tubing, a unique mixture of Polyolefin and Polyester yarns, forms a unique and effective tubing that is extremely flexible and resistant to trapping water, heat and humidity. It provides outstanding abrasion, chafing and cutting protection, even at high temperatures.

Cuts cleanly with scissors
Shrink temperature 176° F
Highly flexible
Resists common automotive chemicals
Easily installs over connectors and splices
Halogen free

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Get More Benefits from Your Watts Up Meter

jaolvera — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:00:18 +0000

The Watts Up meters are great analytical tools using the free software that comes with them, but you can get much more information and enhanced features with this Real Time Logging Software package. This logging software creates log files and strip charts, sends email notifications, updates in real time, and automatically calculates statistics.

What Does It Do?

The Real Time Software gives you continuous logging of data in real time and can generate strip charts of various parameters, showing x number of minutes or samples. Email notifications are sent to you automatically based on criteria you select – peak usage, voltage sag, total usage, etc. Log files are created automatically for your desired intervals – daily, every 10k records, etc. and can be exported to Excel or Word. The refresh rate can be as fast as 1 second. Read more