oh...and Home Assistant does have integration for Dahua cameras. Just saying 
Another addiction
- Thread starter sebastiantombs
- Start date
DanDenver
Getting comfortable
I might still recommend letting BI handle the security camera duties and then creating communication between HA (or HS if you ultimately go in that direction)
Each piece of software is purpose built and do their respective jobs well.
Each piece of software is purpose built and do their respective jobs well.
Yes...BI handles the major stuff. However, HA does the day/night profile change based on the LUX meter from my weather station. And I still have to input the temp/wind from the same weather station -> HA -> BI overlay macros
300 devices? You guys are killing me. I'd be happy to just figure out how to turn off lights and ceiling fans the family leaves on.
Vettester
Getting comfortable
- Feb 5, 2017
- 870
- 847
The HomeTroller is working fine. Finally got programming under control and it's doing everything I want it to do. But, there's always a "but", I've got one nagging problem.
I want it on the top shelf over my desk. I also want it to be connected to a monitor, keyboard and mouse. I already had some 25 foot HDMI cables hanging around, bought a wireless keyboard/mouse combination and bought a cheap two port HDMI switch to switch between my desktop and the HomeTroller. I checked it all out with a short HDMI cable to the HomeTroller with the HomeTroller right on my desk and everything worked fine. Yesterday I moved it up onto the shelf. Everything works, but I'm no longer getting video from it. I can RDP into it, of course, but I prefer the "old fashioned" way.
Is it possible that the HDM output of the HomeTroller is too weak to handle a 25 foot, decent quality, HDMI cable? I've also got a long VGA cable and may try that instead, the monitor has a VGA and a DVI input.
Has anyone else encountered this?
I want it on the top shelf over my desk. I also want it to be connected to a monitor, keyboard and mouse. I already had some 25 foot HDMI cables hanging around, bought a wireless keyboard/mouse combination and bought a cheap two port HDMI switch to switch between my desktop and the HomeTroller. I checked it all out with a short HDMI cable to the HomeTroller with the HomeTroller right on my desk and everything worked fine. Yesterday I moved it up onto the shelf. Everything works, but I'm no longer getting video from it. I can RDP into it, of course, but I prefer the "old fashioned" way.
Is it possible that the HDM output of the HomeTroller is too weak to handle a 25 foot, decent quality, HDMI cable? I've also got a long VGA cable and may try that instead, the monitor has a VGA and a DVI input.
Has anyone else encountered this?
If I can help with HS3, just ask. I have been using various flavors of HS since 1999.
Currently, I have HS3 running on a tiny form factor Asus with Win 7 and tightVNC to remote into the computer if needed. The computer is about 6 years old with a 128 Gb SSD.
Here is an event using EasyTrigger to control a ceiling fan:
Every room has a virtual on/off switch which has “Voice command” checked in HS3. In the Alexa environment we turn these switches on or off by, for example, “Alexa, turn the living room lights on”.
We integrate BI with HS3 and they play well. For example, if the garage becomes occupied then the garage camera begins recording and continues until the garage becomes not occupied. This saves some space on BI’s 12TB drive. Another example is if we are home, then inside cameras stop recording, unless we are “asleep” which turns the cameras to manually record.
We have 1,050 devices, many of which are child devices of the root, physical device and quite a few virtual devices which can help build very powerful events of which we have about 450.
Back in the HS2 days, its event engine allowed for Ifs, but not HS3 or HS4. I had to rethink my approach to building events and so went with, as an example, one event that would run due to a trigger and then that event would run other events if these ”sub-events” as I call them, are true.
Oh, and the difference between Pro and Standard is the add-ons you get with Pro such as HSTouch, all HS written plugins, Z-Seer and Z-Flash, off the top of my head. We use the Pro version of HS3 but don’t use HSTouch. The core functionality is the same in both versions.
The HS cloud access is primarily to integrate cloud stuff, such as Alexa and devices like Radbeacons when they are out in the world, such as when one of our vehicles is outside the range of our home LAN wifi. Rather than use their cloud, I setup a VPN at home and our iPhones have an always on VPN client so the apps that are on our phones such as GeoFency and Followmee talk directly to our HS3 computer. We also use the VPN for Blue Iris. To get around the problem of the ISP changing our WAN IP, I registered a domain name with Dynu.net and their updating client resides on our HS3 computer.
HS is certainly NOT a big box store solution for the masses and yes, it does take some time to get very comfortable with its inner workings. I would say it took me about 6 months with HS3 to get everything where I wanted it and I continue to add to it as I have added devices and conjured up other reasons to add to our events. But, this includes:
Switches & Dimmers, iBlinds, fireplace (alexa controlled also), door locks, window sensors, thermostats, weather station, door sensors, garage door opener, water valve, hot water heater recirculating pump, flood sensors, smoke detectors, motion detectors and cameras. The cameras were initially controlled through the BI plugin but the author stopped working on it. I believe there is an HS4 version, but as previously said, both BI and HS play nicely. If I only I knew how to initiate a JSON request and receive the response, I could do more, more easily. Both HS and BI use JSON. So if you are still reading this, point me in the right direction, please!
I know this is but a helicopter view of what we are automating/controlling but hope it helps. And, we do have automation and control because I have written events to mimic our lifestyle.
Again, if I can help, please just ask because most of you have really helped me and continue to help me with cameras and Blue Iris.
I‘m now going down the LPR rabbit hole trying to get @MikeLud1 ’s ALPR to work and I just ordered an IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E from Andy.
Currently, I have HS3 running on a tiny form factor Asus with Win 7 and tightVNC to remote into the computer if needed. The computer is about 6 years old with a 128 Gb SSD.
Here is an event using EasyTrigger to control a ceiling fan:
Every room has a virtual on/off switch which has “Voice command” checked in HS3. In the Alexa environment we turn these switches on or off by, for example, “Alexa, turn the living room lights on”.
We integrate BI with HS3 and they play well. For example, if the garage becomes occupied then the garage camera begins recording and continues until the garage becomes not occupied. This saves some space on BI’s 12TB drive. Another example is if we are home, then inside cameras stop recording, unless we are “asleep” which turns the cameras to manually record.
We have 1,050 devices, many of which are child devices of the root, physical device and quite a few virtual devices which can help build very powerful events of which we have about 450.
Back in the HS2 days, its event engine allowed for Ifs, but not HS3 or HS4. I had to rethink my approach to building events and so went with, as an example, one event that would run due to a trigger and then that event would run other events if these ”sub-events” as I call them, are true.
Oh, and the difference between Pro and Standard is the add-ons you get with Pro such as HSTouch, all HS written plugins, Z-Seer and Z-Flash, off the top of my head. We use the Pro version of HS3 but don’t use HSTouch. The core functionality is the same in both versions.
The HS cloud access is primarily to integrate cloud stuff, such as Alexa and devices like Radbeacons when they are out in the world, such as when one of our vehicles is outside the range of our home LAN wifi. Rather than use their cloud, I setup a VPN at home and our iPhones have an always on VPN client so the apps that are on our phones such as GeoFency and Followmee talk directly to our HS3 computer. We also use the VPN for Blue Iris. To get around the problem of the ISP changing our WAN IP, I registered a domain name with Dynu.net and their updating client resides on our HS3 computer.
HS is certainly NOT a big box store solution for the masses and yes, it does take some time to get very comfortable with its inner workings. I would say it took me about 6 months with HS3 to get everything where I wanted it and I continue to add to it as I have added devices and conjured up other reasons to add to our events. But, this includes:
Switches & Dimmers, iBlinds, fireplace (alexa controlled also), door locks, window sensors, thermostats, weather station, door sensors, garage door opener, water valve, hot water heater recirculating pump, flood sensors, smoke detectors, motion detectors and cameras. The cameras were initially controlled through the BI plugin but the author stopped working on it. I believe there is an HS4 version, but as previously said, both BI and HS play nicely. If I only I knew how to initiate a JSON request and receive the response, I could do more, more easily. Both HS and BI use JSON. So if you are still reading this, point me in the right direction, please!
I know this is but a helicopter view of what we are automating/controlling but hope it helps. And, we do have automation and control because I have written events to mimic our lifestyle.
Again, if I can help, please just ask because most of you have really helped me and continue to help me with cameras and Blue Iris.
I‘m now going down the LPR rabbit hole trying to get @MikeLud1 ’s ALPR to work and I just ordered an IPC-HFW5241E-Z12E from Andy.
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I've traced the video problem with the HomeTroller to, apparently, the HDMI cable. I connected a VGA cable, 25 footer, and that works fine. I've got a new HDMI cable coming today, 15 footer, and hope that will work. If not, it'll have to be VGA because I'm too cheap to spend another $30-$40 bucks on an HDMI repeater/amplifier for this purpose only.
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
Yeah, I've ran into some HDMI cables not playing nice with certain equipment. Better reputable company cable always fixed it.
SDI is the best method to send video over longer distances (like over 25 ft), SDI uses coaxial cable. You can get HDMI to SDI baluns that work reliably - much more reliably than the HDMI over network cable converters. Those are always hit and miss.
The cable that I ordered is "certified" to 8K The one I have in place, that doesn't work is supposedly 4K and I don't think it's certified but it appears to be a pretty good quality cable. I'll find out once Bezos Bozos get here. I'm not going to pull the one that doesn't work until I know if I'm using VGA or HDMI, it's all in Panduit and a PITA to pull the covers with everything else in the way now.
Well, the cable came and it didn't work either. So I'll pull the original HDMI and put the VGA cable in as a permanent solution. That's got to be one, weak, wimpy, HDMI driver in the HomeTroller.
Smilingreen
Known around here
Damn...he who dies with the most toys, wins! Here I thought I had an addiction to gadgetry....
DanDenver
Getting comfortable
@JNDATHP
"If I only I knew how to initiate a JSON request and receive the response, I could do more, more easily "
I started a new thread discussing this very item just now:
ipcamtalk.com
"If I only I knew how to initiate a JSON request and receive the response, I could do more, more easily "
I started a new thread discussing this very item just now:
Getting BI and HomeSeer Talking To Each Other
Wanted to share how I get BI and HomeSeer (HS) to update each other so that the two applications remain in sync. This can apply for just about anything needed to share between the two, but in my example it is for the BI profile. I must keep the two applications in sync so that they each behave...
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
@sebastiantombs
So how are you and Homeseer getting along with each other these days?
It's November again, and most things Homeseer are on sale this month, got me itching again.
So how are you and Homeseer getting along with each other these days?
It's November again, and most things Homeseer are on sale this month, got me itching again.
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It's running very stably. It did have a hiccup on the last interim version update, but a reboot took care of that with no problem. My only "gripe" is the battery powered sensors, and that isn't the fault of HomeSeer. They need to be forced to communicate regularly so you can watch the battery status. That, in turn cuts battery life. I only have one sensor that's battery powered and will probably replace that with one that's powered from a power supply. We have a half dozen wireless remotes, but the get used almost daily so it's not real problem. It also integrates well with the alarm system, Honeywell/Ademco using Envisalink. I don't bother with any cameras in it for a few reasons. It's on the house LAN while the cameras are on a private LAN firewalled by a second NIC. Then HomeSeer want to charge, per camera, after three or four, so it's not going to happen here.
@sebastiantombs - go into the zwave tab of the battery powered device and set polling to some time between 11 and 11:50 hours. This should help.
I have a fair amount of battery powered sensors.
Current Date/Time: 11/4/2022 4:44:45 PM
HomeSeer Version: HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.548
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate - Work Station
System Uptime: 48 Days 4 Hours 53 Minutes 22 Seconds
IP Address: 192.168.0.2
Number of Devices: 1055
Number of Events: 430
Available Threads: 400
HSTouch Enabled: True
Event Threads: 0
Event Trigger Eval Queue: 0
Event Trigger Priority Eval Queue: 0
Device Exec Queue: 0
HSTouch Event Queue: 0
Email Send Queue: 0
Anti Virus Installed:
In Virtual Machine: No MFG: asustek computer inc.
Enabled Plug-Ins
3.0.0.14: AirplaySpeak
3.0.1.9: AmbientWeather
2.0.61.0: BLBackup
3.0.39.0: BLLock
1.0.4.0: BLShutdown
3.1.3.33206: Blue-Iris
3.0.0.73: EasyTrigger
3.0.0.63: PHLocation2
0.0.0.52: Pushover 3P
3.1.0.9: SDJ-Health
3.1.0.57: Sonos
3.0.10.0: Z-Wave
I have a fair amount of battery powered sensors.
Current Date/Time: 11/4/2022 4:44:45 PM
HomeSeer Version: HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.548
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate - Work Station
System Uptime: 48 Days 4 Hours 53 Minutes 22 Seconds
IP Address: 192.168.0.2
Number of Devices: 1055
Number of Events: 430
Available Threads: 400
HSTouch Enabled: True
Event Threads: 0
Event Trigger Eval Queue: 0
Event Trigger Priority Eval Queue: 0
Device Exec Queue: 0
HSTouch Event Queue: 0
Email Send Queue: 0
Anti Virus Installed:
In Virtual Machine: No MFG: asustek computer inc.
Enabled Plug-Ins
3.0.0.14: AirplaySpeak
3.0.1.9: AmbientWeather
2.0.61.0: BLBackup
3.0.39.0: BLLock
1.0.4.0: BLShutdown
3.1.3.33206: Blue-Iris
3.0.0.73: EasyTrigger
3.0.0.63: PHLocation2
0.0.0.52: Pushover 3P
3.1.0.9: SDJ-Health
3.1.0.57: Sonos
3.0.10.0: Z-Wave
I recently added an event that when BI “sees” the USPS logo, it is announced on our Sonos speakers. Very nice.
192.168.0.2/JSON?user=user&pass=pswd&request=runevent&id=4801
192.168.0.2/JSON?user=user&pass=pswd&request=runevent&id=4801
The last action in the above event writes the event ID to the log.