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Home automation for Dummies? 
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Black Forest Posts: 30
4/9/2017
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I need a manual for absolute beginner, no clue what is going on!
I think I have read every post on the forum.
Maybe a not so brief description of how everything ties together regarding all the components of a system. How things actually work.
If there is such a document would someone please point me to it!!!!!
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Tim Bateson Posts: 53
4/11/2017
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Not that I could find and not many people will reach out to help.
Chris is a great resource but as you can imagine stretched really thin. I started in the 90s with x10 and did nothing sine. When I tried to get back into it I knew nothing. I have a honeywell wireless security system that I decided to leave all by itself. z wave door locks that talk to castleos via a gen 5 Aeotec stick that pugs into a USB port. Then trial and error. Then INSTEON lights witches that use RF and eletrical wire communication at the same time (as long as its he same phase) They talk to the Insteon hub that plugs into the castle hub via USB. Then I have Lightify LED lights that talk via RF to the ightify hub that talks to the castle hub via wifi.
A lot of headaches and sleepless nights trying to figure it out.
I hope this gives you an overview of just a little of the technologies. I am a novice believe me!
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Cooper Proulx Posts: 6
4/11/2017
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I would also like a not-so-brief description of how everything ties together. Like how does the Mini and Stick PC's tie into the Kinnects and then how do you also get a speaker to tie along in there along with the Hub.
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Tim Bateson Posts: 53
4/13/2017
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I dont think anyone ( I dont know much as I said I am a novice) can download what they know to you on a thread. The best way tI have found o learn is to get a piece of equipment and try to get it going. Ask a specific question and go from there. You will find answers to specific questions under the appropriate threads. Sonos is automatically picked up by the hub via wifi. Just plug it in and CastleOS will find it and use it! Browse through the settings and that will answer some of these questions as it did for me.
Im still trying and I am sure you will see my questions pop p once in a while and I will see yours. I go through every question asked to build my knowledge.
Good luck with your system!
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Black Forest Posts: 30
4/14/2017
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Tim Bateson wrote: I dont think anyone ( I dont know much as I said I am a novice) can download what they know to you on a thread. The best way tI have found o learn is to get a piece of equipment and try to get it going. Ask a specific question and go from there. You will find answers to specific questions under the appropriate threads. Sonos is automatically picked up by the hub via wifi. Just plug it in and CastleOS will find it and use it! Browse through the settings and that will answer some of these questions as it did for me.
Im still trying and I am sure you will see my questions pop p once in a while and I will see yours. I go through every question asked to build my knowledge.
Good luck with your system! I respectfully disagree with your statement about the best way to learn how to use this system and equipment. For someone with no knowledge of how any of this works and how things relate to each other a basic manual is needed. If not you are reinventing the wheel. Maybe for some it is the journey and others it is the destination that is important. I personally am interested in the destination more than the journey. I do find it interesting to figure things out but I would like to start with a manual to get basic info and then start to experiment. I have asked several questions on this forum and they go unanswered. Support is very lacking with CastleOS. The forum is very disorganized in my opinion. Just look at how many questions I have asked on here and how timely they get an answer. It is very disappointing to me. When I do get an email back from support they always say "If you have any more questions just ask." I do ask and don't get responses. I get an email that states I will get back to you but then don't hear anything. If this forum is supposed to be for support then it needs to be supported better by the owner of the software. I have offered to pay for the software even though I am only using it two control two devices. I don't expect anything for free. They put a lot of work into the software and I can definitely relate to that so therefor my offer to pay even though based on CastleOS's business model I don't need to. Support is very spotty with this company. In any company selling a product support is a major factor in the success of the company.
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