HAI security panel?
- Thread starter htsource
- Start date
Steve
Senior Member
What do you think about Texas? Seems like a pretty good place to live.
Sorry, just trying to point out that question is waaaay too broad to answer with any meaning. There are a ton of HAI and Elk threads around here that will give you alot of advice and opinion. Bottom line for me is HAI is a very good panel. But at this time the company is geared more toward supporting a pro integrator. Elk is a better fit imho for easy of use (mentioned) and diy support.
Please search around and ask more specific questions so we can help better.
upstatemike
Senior Member
Definitely need a context for this question.... HAI does have some strong points, some cool new features about to be released, and a lot of third party support. It also has some limitations and weak points that may or may not be important to you. What are your priorities, plans, budget?
Sorry guys I wasn't too specific about my questions. Basically I'm looking for a new system for automation and security. I was thinking of ELK but I still can't find an installer willing to do it for me, even if I provide the equipment.
I've been searching a lot and HAI comes to mind. In the old house, I had Homeseer 1.7 running along with zillion other plugins. The front end interface was MainLobby. They were working pretty good, but I don't know if I have the time to integrate everything myself and to get everything working with Homeseer.
Top things I really like to have would be:
lighting to integrate with security system - when no one home and system is armed, all lights should go out, or randomly turn on/off for "in house" look.
thermostat control - heating system should be lowering the temperature if system is armed, or back to normal when system disarms
Ability to check system status and to control from touch-tone phone, as well as remotely through a web browser.
Anything I should know about HAI that it can't do? How many conditions can I apply for each rule for HAI?
For example,
kitchen light should come on automatically when motion detected at night between 11:00pm to 6:00am, but only when system is in sleep mode and the light has been off for 30 minutes.
Can it do above with HAI?
Thanks.
I've been searching a lot and HAI comes to mind. In the old house, I had Homeseer 1.7 running along with zillion other plugins. The front end interface was MainLobby. They were working pretty good, but I don't know if I have the time to integrate everything myself and to get everything working with Homeseer.
Top things I really like to have would be:
lighting to integrate with security system - when no one home and system is armed, all lights should go out, or randomly turn on/off for "in house" look.
thermostat control - heating system should be lowering the temperature if system is armed, or back to normal when system disarms
Ability to check system status and to control from touch-tone phone, as well as remotely through a web browser.
Anything I should know about HAI that it can't do? How many conditions can I apply for each rule for HAI?
For example,
kitchen light should come on automatically when motion detected at night between 11:00pm to 6:00am, but only when system is in sleep mode and the light has been off for 30 minutes.
Can it do above with HAI?
Thanks.
upstatemike
Senior Member
I'm pretty sure the HAI (I assume you are thinking OmNI-PRO?) can do what you want. There are some cool things about the HAI stuff that other systems do not offer such as:
HAI touch screens can be surface mounted, flush mounted, or put in a tabletop cradle... This is a lot more flexibility than you have with other systems.
HAI touch screens can be programmed to switch camera views automatically based on motion sensor or doorbell input. Again, somebody took the time to really think about how their stuff would be used.
The new HAI "e" series screens will have support for IP cameras and intercom functionality.
HAI has a nice consistant look and feel from security keypads to UPB switches to thermostats to audio keypads.
HAI is well supported by Homeseer, and other HA software.
Weak points:
Not as big a community of DIY folks to go to for help as some other panels.
Like all security panel based automation systems there are shortcomings around command set, programming space, and use of voice output, that will require you to interface with something else for additional bells and whistles but in general HAI offers the most complete single brand solution available and I have never heard a complaint about reliability with these panels. HAI also seems to crank out new products at a pretty steady clip so an investment in this system is probably as future proof as you can get in this industry.
HAI touch screens can be surface mounted, flush mounted, or put in a tabletop cradle... This is a lot more flexibility than you have with other systems.
HAI touch screens can be programmed to switch camera views automatically based on motion sensor or doorbell input. Again, somebody took the time to really think about how their stuff would be used.
The new HAI "e" series screens will have support for IP cameras and intercom functionality.
HAI has a nice consistant look and feel from security keypads to UPB switches to thermostats to audio keypads.
HAI is well supported by Homeseer, and other HA software.
Weak points:
Not as big a community of DIY folks to go to for help as some other panels.
Like all security panel based automation systems there are shortcomings around command set, programming space, and use of voice output, that will require you to interface with something else for additional bells and whistles but in general HAI offers the most complete single brand solution available and I have never heard a complaint about reliability with these panels. HAI also seems to crank out new products at a pretty steady clip so an investment in this system is probably as future proof as you can get in this industry.
Thank you, I think I'm sold with the HAI panel. Found a dealer that will install the system in reasonable price. Hopefully I can get all the details finalized and move forward. My budget will not allow for any touchscreens at the moment, but I do like the camera integration part with the touchpanel.
I also like the interface works across all platform whether it's HAI touchpanel or web tablet, or windows based touchscreen PC.
I do plan on hook it up to Homeseer for audio announcement so if someone opens the front door, it will announce through whole house speakers "front door open". There's a audio module for HAI, not sure exactly what it does. I'll ask the installer next week to see what it is.
Thanks.
I also like the interface works across all platform whether it's HAI touchpanel or web tablet, or windows based touchscreen PC.
I do plan on hook it up to Homeseer for audio announcement so if someone opens the front door, it will announce through whole house speakers "front door open". There's a audio module for HAI, not sure exactly what it does. I'll ask the installer next week to see what it is.
Thanks.
upstatemike
Senior Member
Be sure to post back with some details about your installation... especially what it is like to program it.
Ranger Digital
Active Member
ht, if you have and know mainlobby, you can cheaply add touchscreens throughout the house. WIRE FOR IT NOW!!!!
AutomatedOutlet
Senior Member
Yep, you can never have too much wire!
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
HAI has some great touchscreens that integrate nicely with their panel. There is also a nice video distribution system that uses "regular" cameras. I believe I did a CES review a couple of years back here on CT...
I'm a little confused about some of the posts here. Are you wanting to use touchscreens for the HomeSeer interface, or the HAI panel interface directly? Did HomeSeer get the HAI plugin working OK? I know there was some issue of the protocol/polling in the past that Rick was working on.
Also, if you were going with the HomeSeer interface you could always just use that PC's sound card for your voice announcements in case the HAI interface didn't work out for you...
Ranger Digital
Active Member
brave, i THINK the issue was mainlobby and hai, not homeseer and mainlobby, but could be wrong. But there is an update coming out that addresses the polling issues with mainlobby/hai. For the most part is works now and is good enough for personal use knowing updates are coming out. It is indeed pretty slick what can be done with HAI and mainlobby. Once the fix is out, I am not sure there is a use for homeseer also. Keep in mind I am not that familiar with homeseer so no harm intended.
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
hmmm, this is the statement that thinking he was interfacing HAI with HomeSeer and using MainLobby as the visual interface.
I realize Cinemar does have a plugin for HAI (it's $100
) so the interface can be directly accomplished via MLServer.
I realize Cinemar does have a plugin for HAI (it's $100
) so the interface can be directly accomplished via MLServer.What I'm looking for is integration between HAI and Homeseer, then using MainLobby for front end control. However, depending on the price of the project, I may just get 1 or 2 HAI touchpanels and I can control everything without Homeseer and MainLobby until I find a need to.
One thing I really like about HAI is that I can use my existing XP touchpanels, but flush-mounted ones are nicer for the main entrance
One thing I really like about HAI is that I can use my existing XP touchpanels, but flush-mounted ones are nicer for the main entrance
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
I wouldn't rule out HAI touchscreens. I think they would be the main reason I would turn to HAI in the first place!
To clarify, Homeseer went through a few years of updates to get a plugin for HAI going well, and Rick was pretty vocal about that on HS's forum. It's not an easy piece of hardware for a PC to talk well with.
Cinemar also went through quite a bit of issues to get a PC app to talk reliably to the HAI panel. We are now doing a fairly significant update to improve responsiveness and ethernet connectivity. We hope this will be done in a couple of months.
HTSource, You can choose to implement HAI standalone, or through Homeseer (and then to MainLobby) or HAI direct to MLServer3 to MainLobby client PCs (or webpages). Just provision for either ethernet or serial cable from HAI to your automation control PC and you should be future proofed.
Cinemar also went through quite a bit of issues to get a PC app to talk reliably to the HAI panel. We are now doing a fairly significant update to improve responsiveness and ethernet connectivity. We hope this will be done in a couple of months.
HTSource, You can choose to implement HAI standalone, or through Homeseer (and then to MainLobby) or HAI direct to MLServer3 to MainLobby client PCs (or webpages). Just provision for either ethernet or serial cable from HAI to your automation control PC and you should be future proofed.
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