This home automation forum's purpose, news on its structure

[Admin]

There are tons of home automation forums out there. This forum exists to concentrate on a couple of specific topics. One is home automation using Arduino, OpenHAB, and RFM69 wireless transceivers. Another is the hacking work around the Wink hub. These reflect stuff that I'm doing personally, so other might get added.

I'm not sure how long term these topics will be. Technology changes so fast, especially in the area of home automation. Feel free to suggest other categories and technologies that don't already have a place. I'm not trying to replicate forums that already exist. I'm just trying to fill a hole, provide a place for the community to discuss topics when there isn't a public forum for it.

the homeautomation.proboards.com forum is categorized into separate boards. Go up a level to see these boards, and the topics inside them. Use this board (http://homeautomation.proboards.com/board/1/general-board) for suggestions for adding other boards, or if you feel another board fits within what we're doing, suggest a link.

[viudito]

Hi, i really like your instructable. I new in the alectronics, but i want to learn alot, the home automation is my way, so i going to start doing your projects,

Many thanks for your sharing!

[stellasomi]

Hello,I'm new to this forum.

[papa]

Updated 9/17/2017:  The bulk of what the DIY Home Automation forum has to offer is at this board, OpenHAB & RFM69-based Arduino

    and this board, OpenHAB & ESP8266 WiFi Devices.

Come visit.

[papa]

A little history & appreciation to some key sources for the riches of this DIY Home Automation Forum: Felix Rusu of lowpowerlab.com has developed wireless devices & coding for Home Automation. Felix's efforts related to Arduino compatibles & the RFM69 radio have influenced this forum's approach. Eric Tsai wrote the Uber Home Automation Instructable that has inspired so many of us AND he founded this forum to further develop this approach to Home Automation. Computourist's schematics & coding overcame issues in the original design, first for Arduino-RFM69 devices, & then ESP8266 WiFi devices.

As Eric wrote Dec 5, 2014, "Technology changes so fast, especially in the area of home automation." Many more members & guests have contributed through their questions & documentation to help keep this forum relevant.  I thank you all for your contributions & for the respectful, helpful ways that you post on this forum.

Beyond using Arduino-RFM69 radio devices, a major addition to this forum is integrating ESP8266 WiFi devices.  More on addressing that below.

[papa]

In February, 2017 Eric made me a moderator of this DIY Home Automation forum. My goals for moderating have been: 1) Organize the forum's contents to be as accurate & accessible as possible. 2) Respond to requests as soon as possible. 3) Encourage Home Automation beginners.  4) Encourage more project documentation to be posted on the forum.  5) Delete & prevent spam.

Recently, I discovered that my moderator rights did not include the full possibilities. Eric has now upgraded my abilities, including the ability to change the forum's structure.

With this new ability, I've begun to make some changes in forum structure to help the forum's contents be as accessible as possible.

What has been the largest board, OpenHAB & RFM69-based Arduino, will continue as long as it is relevant.  Though getting started with this approach is challenging, from my experience, this RFM69 approach to Home Automation still offers a lot, but is probably NOT the best place for beginners to start.

A new board, OpenHAB & ESP8266 WiFi Devices, will hold existing & new threads about using ESP8266 & ESP8285 devices for Home Automation.  From my own experience & from my experience helping beginners, I believe this is the best way to get started in Home Automation.  (Its nodes connect directly to a local network & do not require a gateway.)

I've started another new board, -OpenHAB Overview - Using RFM69 AND ESP8266.  Its sticky thread separately maps using ESP8266 WiFi devices then RFM69 devices, starting with the minimum requirements. Then it maps an OpenHAB home automation system using both kinds of devices & the various ways to access & control such a system.  That sticky thread also gives information & links on my recommendations for getting started with this forum's approach to home automation.

For now, the board, OpenHAB & RFM69-based Arduino, still contains more generalized hints about OpenHAB & hardware.  I'll probably move those later.

Though some threads have moved to a different board, the forum's search box still finds them.

Stay tuned.  I may be making other organizational & structural changes.