

OpenMotics: Open-source home automation platform - erwt
https://www.openmotics.com

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msandford
From their website: "easily 75% cheaper"

[https://www.openmotics.com/shop/](https://www.openmotics.com/shop/)

The "gateway module" is 400 euro which is over $500usd.

That might be cheaper than hiring someone to do it for you, but it's expensive
compared with a lot of the x10 and x10 derivatives out there.

It seems like everything offered on Amazon for Home Automation is cheaper than
that:
[http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_6478740011_ex_n_1?rh=n%3A2280...](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_6478740011_ex_n_1?rh=n%3A228013%2Cn%3A%21468240%2Cn%3A495266%2Cn%3A6478739011&bbn=6478739011&ie=UTF8&qid=1407880262)

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erwt
When compared to other wired home automation manufacturers (like Niko) and for
the same functionality (# switches, lights, valves etc.) it is way cheaper.
The main module is costly though. Btw, it's not a wireless system so only
usable for a new house/completen renovation.

~~~
msandford
Yeah, but that's like saying a Tesla Model S is a cheap car. It is compared to
ferraris and lambos and porsches and the like, which are what it's competing
against. But there are plenty of other cars out there which are cheaper than
any of those like hondas and toyotas and fords and whatnot.

~~~
erwt
That depends on your views/intentions on home automation. If you're looking to
have some switched outlets here and there get, sure, get this instead:
[http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-WeMo-F7C027fcAPL-
Discontinued-m...](http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-WeMo-F7C027fcAPL-Discontinued-
manufacturer/dp/B0089WFPRO/ref=sr_1_23?s=lamps-
light&ie=UTF8&qid=1407882006&sr=1-23)

If you'd rather have HA as a core component in your house a wired solution
offers the best value for money imo. No batteries, no (possible) interference,
greatly reduced security issues etc. the wires in the wall will always work.

Once you have a larger number of inputs & outputs connected to the system the
price of that gateway starts making sense as the other hardware is a lot
cheaper in comparison.

~~~
msandford
The point I'm trying to make is that the website is misleading. It says "home
automation" rather than "professional home automation". There isn't ANYTHING
to indicate that it's real home automation for adults rather than the cheap
crap you can buy at big box stores these days.

Tesla can say that it makes fairly inexpensive top-of-the-line luxury cars.
But it can't claim to make cheap cars in general.

OpenMotics might be very reasonable compared to Niko but that's not the entire
home automation market. To claim that it is or ignore the notion that there
are other, worse-is-better competitors out there severely harms the
credibility of the marketing effort.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation#Comparison_of_p...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation#Comparison_of_popular_protocols)

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moepstar
Can anyone estimate the cost of building the modules oneself?

On their wiki, they've got the BOM for the modules and the corresponding PCB
layouts etc.

Not an EE, but that'd help estimating the feasibility of producing the
modules...

------
click170
Discussion from just the other day regarding another piece of home automation
software called Domoticz if you're interested:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8152714](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8152714)

