This morning I pulled out the basic thermostat on the second floor and started installing the Aprilaire 8870 communicating thermostat. I found the Cat-5 wires behind the existing thermostat wires, figured out where they're connected in the patch panel, and hooked them all up to the 8870 base. It was about then, that I remembered I still need to purchase an Aprilaire 8027 transformer for the Aprilaire 8818 Distribution Panel to supply power to the thermostats. Ugh.

So I patched the old thermostat back on top of the 8870 base as a temporary solution until I get an 8027. Then I went online and ordered an 8027 (along with a few more Simply Automated switches) from StartHomeUSA.com.

Tonight I finished creating the templates for the home security screens. These CQC overlays will be used as part of the home automation system to monitor all the doors, windows, and motion detectors via the Elk controller.

I emailed Dean Roddey, the owner of Charmed Quark, and received my license file for CQC. I installed it on my server and now I can start creating the templates for the home automation controller.

This afternoon, I started configuring the server that I will use for the CQC controller. I installed the ELK-RP software and successfully hooked it up to the ELK-M1G. I was able to communicate with the Elk controller and configure it.

This morning I installed a siren/speaker in the second floor hallway. It involved drilling a big hole in the wall and fishing out the wire. Now when the alarm is set, the Elk controller provides vocal feedback as well as an interior siren.Publish Post

Today I hooked up the motion detectors to the Elk controller. Earlier, I had purchased a component from Fry's to act as a bus bar so that I could wire up the motion detectors to the 12V output on the Elk controller.

I also had to add a 2.2K Ohm resistors in each of the motion detectors between the Normally Closed signal and the Common.

The Elk controller expects to see 2.2K Ohms on each of it's inputs in order to prevent someone from just shorting out the wires and circumventing the security system.

I checked continuity on the wire to the external horn this morning and installed the horn. Then I checked the wire to the keypad by the garage entrance and I installed the keypad with the flush mount kit. It was all very straightforward.

I programmed the names of some of the zones and set them all to DISABLED for now.

In the next couple of days I'll enable the motion detectors and then we should be able to set the alarm (and it will actually do something).