Hi all,

I’m in the very early stages of potentially setting up a business in home automation.

I have experience working with my hands in a similar field however I have a lot to learn about ZigBee, zwave and RF technology as a whole. This is my first port of call but I’ve taken my first steps.

If anyone could direct me toward resources that might be of benifit on my learning journey, I’d really appreciate it.

  • n00bcak3@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    I thought about doing a home automation business in the past but found out that industrial automation pays a lot more right off the bat. Factories will pay handsomely to make sure their machines function perfectly and repeatedly. Home owners are a lot more budget conscious since there isn’t a business case behind their spend. And if they have that kind of disposable income, they typically don’t have the time and patience for you to figure it out as you go and want an established company with lots of personnel and dedicated support.

    Not trying to discourage you, but just sharing my own perspective.

    • ambiguouslick@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      11 months ago

      I agree with your perspective however when I look at younger generations I think there will be a demand for home automation and smart homes in the near future.

      They live on their phones and have grown up being glued to them. I believe they will also want to have as much control over their homes as is possible via their phones/tablets.

      I think lots of stuff whether it’s alarms, blinds, lights, heating etc will all be routinely centralised in one app. This is obviously already happening but it’s only going to become more and more standard.

      What actually becomes automated is up for debate but it won’t hurt to be ahead of the curve.

  • StillCopper@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    Very little call for true home automation now. Too much can be done by the diy folks. We do RTI which is still a closed market. But have had many clients who go the Alexa or Google route due to cost and think that’s automation. Network training is a must in almost anything though. Stay away from things like HAOS though as not a sellable, program and walk away from product. It definitely a diy thing.

    • ambiguouslick@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      11 months ago

      Will that always be the case though?

      As you’ve said, lots of smart devices are currently making their way into the home.

      Will elements of home automation not follow as technology keeps with its consistent advance?

  • Midnight_Rising@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    With all of the networking required in home automation you should look into learning more about doing things like setting up mesh networks and get ready to offer support plans as a part of it. Set up a small home server and get into HAOS.

    • ambiguouslick@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      11 months ago

      I’m currently taking the comptia network +.

      I also plan on doing some RF courses in the new year as this sort of knowledge will definitely come in very handy.

      Thanks for your comment I’ll be sure to check out HAOS👍