TOP 5 FOR
December/January 1998
December/January Theme: Best application for ActiveHome with
Hawkeye II
#1 Entry 408:Hawkeye II is going to keep the neighbors pesky dog out of our yard! I'll set the
Hawkeye to work with the Active Home macros to set off a speaker with a recording that
says "GET OUT OF HERE BUDDY GO HOME!" every time that dog
comes over to leave "a present" on my yard! Wonderful - no more poop in my
yard!--Robyn Hoelker-Wright
398 Votes
#2 Entry 224:I used the motion sensor to help in the care of my grandmother. I had it placed
above her bed so that if she got out of bed not moving in
bed it would trip and turn on an alarm and a light in my room so I could
make sure she was alright. She had a spell where she had fallen down trying to go to the
bathroom one night and I didn't find her until the next morning. I needed a way to alert
me that she was up and about so I could keep an eye on her. She is now 95 and has had
Alzheimer's disease for over 10 years.--Kerwin Flowers
339 Validated votes
#3 Entry 39 :My Automated House (Codename LinuxHOME) uses Activehome and Hawkeye motion
sensors to be able to control the house from anywhere in the world. The software runs on
linux and has a web interface that allows you to control the X10 devices in the
home view various webcam around the home check/change
the temperature view the status of devices see
when the Hawkeyes were last "tripped" close the garage etc.
Whenever the Hawkeye motion sensors get "tripped" they send a command back to
the linux computer the computer then captures a picture from the
corresponding camera and updates it to the web server and sends me a e-mail. The web
interface also allows processing of scripts here is an explanation: Say
if one of the webcam's is pointed at the grass and it look's like it needs watering. You
can fill in a form that will turn on the X10 modules you use for irrigation every wed and
Fri. for 2 hours after dawn. Some uses for LinuxHOME include closing the garage from
Work--Nitin Bhatia
329 Validated Votes
#4 Entry 53 : This Christmas animation can be seen in front of my home and is dedicated to my
Mother-in-law who passed away December 14 at 10pmin Las Vegas Nevada. She was 65.
Also a special "Thanks"to my own mother here in
Wisconsin whom I love very much for correcting my entry and taking care of me during these
hard times.The first part is the story of my ActiveHome:Did you know that Santa drove a
1958 Dodge truck?And he delivered presents with it one year? I didn't either.About a year
ago I purchased a '58 Dodge truck from a place in southern California called "JJ Kit
Cars". He has so many special Mopars (all old with "mystic"
histories).While I was driving home (after clearing the spider webs from the cab and put
air in the tires) I hit a few bumps in the road. Little white boxes fell down onto and
around my feet. I pulled-off to the side of road to see what they were. They appeared to
be some sort of AC electrical modules. I tucked them up behind the dash and continued to
drive home. Over the next year I found other things in the truck too
one had antenna and one had "Hawkeye" written on the side.Much to my
despair I just kept tucking them up behind the dash or under the
seat. After spending some time in Vegas with our family (and very bumpy roads) I completed
my move from California to Wisconsin late this summer.About a month ago the old truck
"pooped"-out. My friends family and I pushed my truck onto the
front yard. A couple of Weekends ago I was working on the old "girl" and those
white boxes were falling out again. So I decided to plug them in to a multi-plug adapter.
I then decided to plug some Christmas lights in and decorate my faithful truck that took
us so many miles. The lights did not come on so I figured the boxes didn't work. I said
"oh well" and went back to setting-up my garage for a new home-based business I
started. That night as I was working in my garage I saw this glow coming from the side of
my front yard. I walked out front and my old Dodge was flashing beautiful Christmas colors
from lights that didn't work earlier.My front yard:Now after that night I have added
speakers Frosty and a battery charger. The speakers are attached to my
son's room which a CD player plays numerous Christmas songs.Behind the steering wheel sits
"Frosty" the snowman driving like he did way back when. I put in a battery
charger(because the battery was dead and I needed to convert AC to DC voltage) operated by
a transmitter I received in my basic ActiveHome system and connected it so the
headlights taillights turn signals and
windshield wipers would work remotely. After last months entry (which I submitted very
late):I purchased another "old" truck a 1956 GMC 400.After a
little research I discovered that Santa didn't drive the 58 Dodge... Frosty drove the
Dodge...Santa just rode in back with some of the joy he spread through the world.... And
what about the 56 GMC you say?? Your right the '56 was driven by Rudolf
the Red nose Reindeer with cargo of holiday cheer. I guess I am just a lucky man to have
been afforded the opportunity to care for such trucks that provided Santa a
service in the history of Christmas and to have a devoted family that
has stood by me through my 22 year in the United States Navy and retire here in
Wisconsin.To my wife I hope your flight with your Mother back to
Wisconsin will be a "swift" but safe one. I am really not going
crazy really!The "works" of the ActiveHome and the fine people
at X10are all in "action" here. My family has been patient (but a little scared
for my health). Everyone has enjoyed adding lights
presents elbow grease and a little paint "sprucing-up"these
fine trucks. The '58's animation starts with lights around the body... then the large
candy canes light-up...then "Frosty" lights-up (and dims) through-out the
macro.I also have a lamp in the master bedroom with "Frosty"s Code so it turns
on and off so I know when "Frosty" is doing his thing! Then
the Headlights and taillights come on. Then Santa appears in the back of the truck... with
flood lights and a couple small motors. A Hawkeye sensor is on my mailbox and turns on and
off floodlights located on my garage making a "glow" around the trucks. Then
last but not least the"chaser" lights around the wheels light
and "Santa's sleigh" is off to the next house with music in the air (of
course the Christmas trees are also controlled by X10 modules). After
smoothing out the macros it should be a very nice Christmas!Thank-you very much X10 and to
the people that work at X10.Merry Christmas to all my friends and family around the
world!!!- PS Hurry home Aurora UPS just
"dropped-off"another box from X10… snicker… snicker… Got to get
to work on that 56 GMC! I figure I can control it by the phone… ya.. that's
right the X10 touch-tone controller…. Shhh…. next
contest!!!Happy Holidays from the Moffatt family!!!--Bill Moffatt
#5 Entry 171: First off I have read about the Active Home and Hawkeye II
product on the internet and was able to see some products demonstrated at a local computer
show. There is much personal interest in having the use of these product for the following
reason. My wife was injured in a near fatal traffic accident. The car she was driving was
rear ended by a tractor trailer truck. The car was short ended by two feet! And it took 45
min to get her out of the vehicle! It took three years of rehabilitative physical therapy
to get her to move with some degree of ability and comfort. She has suffered damage to her
spine in her lower back.To get around the house she was using the assistance of a four
legged walker. The challenge for me was to be able to make the house "User
Friendly" for the handicapped. I tried installing light switches that were sensitive
to touch in order to make it easier for her to have light when she needed it. Aside from
being expensive some devices are difficult to install and may require an
electrician! The trouble now is that she has developed degenerative arthritis and now she
has difficulty in moving about the house from room to room. I have searched for products
that would be easily made available and at a reasonable cost for use at
home. To operate some of the switches demanded my wife to reach out and touch a switch or
to slide a lever.There are times that these often taken for granted manipulations are made
difficult by the compounded pain in trying to move her limbs and keeping steady using a
walker or cain. The problem increases as she attempts to go from room to room naturally
needing to get around at night meant that many of the lights were being left on.But
if I was not there to help her I would come
home to a well lit house but an expensive solution to a problem.In
reading about to Hawkeye II what a neat idea in that the lights could go
on as she would move from room to room.And turn off as the function timed out. With an
Active Home set up the exterior lights and walkway lights could be
activated automatically by timed settings.The fact is that as I read
more about your products and seen demo's the more solutions I have seen to my problems.It
would be great to have the ability for my wife to be able to feel more at ease as she
moves about the house and especially when I am not at home-- Richard
DeGracia |
