Latest News

WebBricks talk to Loxone

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:17:00 GMT

Following some in-house development work, The Solent Electronic Home can now integrate Loxone to existing WebBrick installations and provide some really useful software functions at a reasonable cost.

WebBrick Systems produced home automation systems which have a reputation for solidity and little or no maintenance. Their system architecture was developed to provide a modular approach to house control so that any fault or breakdown would not jeopardise the whole installation. This enhanced the already reliable WebBrick units and made for a system which carries on for years. There are WebBrick installations which are 10 years old and still going strong.

Loxone provides an advanced software capability for heating control and monitoring your home. With Loxone you can easily record any number of house parameters such as hot water temperature, alarm status, number of times a door is opened, presence of creatures in the garden etc etc, and present them in graphical form for easy study and analysis.

The Solent Electronic Home can now integrate both systems and get the best of both worlds.

To find out more call us on 0800 781 3909 or use the callback form.

Control4 does it again

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:25:00 GMT

Control4 have lowered their prices for entry level controllers yet again!

So for all Home Cinema owners we can offer a package which will do away with all of your existing remote controls and give you on-screen menus and control of the complete system using a single remote control.

This controller will also give you another input to your existing audio system to provide you with access to all of your stored audio files and we can add internet radio as well.

What's more....this system is expandable to include control of lighting in your cinema and the rest of the house, curtains, blinds, garage doors, heating, TV distribution, etc etc.

All this can be made available for the starting price of £499 exVAT

Call us at 0800 781 3909 for more details.

Loxone training

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:28:00 GMT

Loxone, the new and exciting Smart-Home system, is setting up in the UK and they have started the first round of training for designers and installers, extending this throughout the country.

The training comprised of the basics and covered such exotic subjects as remote control of heating, survaillance of the security system usijng the internet and how to monitor energy consumption in the home so as to minimize the carbon footprint of the house.

There will be other training courses and other, more advanced courses as well. The fact that an installer has completed the training indicates that they care enough about the end product to gain the necessary knowledge about it. This is reassuring to the end user.

See here for more information about how we use the Loxone technology.

Loxon Creates Wireless Home Automation System

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:08:00 GMT

Loxone, the Austria based home automation manufacturer has announced the launch of its new Wireless home Automation system using EnOcean Technology.

Wireless systems have advantages over traditional wired systems in that they are much easier to install when drilling holes and adding cabling is not desirable - such as when the property has already been refurbished. It also makes it easier to add new devices at any location in the house, without having to pre-plan the wiring.

The new Loxone wireless home automation means that it is now possible to install a high quality and intelligent automation system with wireless components, with almost all the same functionality of a more traditional wired system. The wireless home automation system is designed to connect to most common requirements, such as heating systems, curtains or blinds, lighting and sound systems.

Loxone’s Wireless Home Automation Solution built on EnOcean Technology

Loxone's new wireless devices connect to their custom Miniservers, which allows wireless components to be added to an existing wired system. EnOcean is a simple yet powerful wireless technology that is used to transmit information from switches, sensors and other devices. Many of the switches use some very clever technology so that the action of pushing the switch itself generates enough power to send the signal - so no external power supply or batteries are needed! Some of their other sensor devices, such temperature sensors, use solar cells to remove the need for bulky batteries that need regular replacement.

Interested in finding out more about the Loxone Wireless home automation system? Contact us today!

Control4 iPhone and iPod Remote Control Software, Plus Android App Coming Soon

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:32:00 GMT

Control4^® have released MyHome for iPhone, iPad, tablets, PCs and have announced that it will be coming soon to Android!

The new software allows you to control all Control4 systems from your favourite devices. By connecting to your Control4 home automation hub, you can control your lights, temperature, music, films, energy, security, and more from your iPhone, iPad, tablet, laptop and Android devices.

The new software offers a great alternative or addition to the traditional wall panels and hand held remote control systems already available, and offers much more flexibility. There is even the option to control your home automation systems from anywhere in the world you can get a data connection - ideal for checking the house while you are away, or turning on the heating before you get home.

If you already have a Control4 system, just download the free app for the devices you'd like to enable (see links below), and then talk to The Solent Electronic home to get the license to activate your app and start controlling your home!

Product Info

Webbrick Systems in Liquidation

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:48:00 GMT

Unfortunately, WebBrick Systems, the Berkshire based developer of home automation systems has gone in to liquidation. The Solent Electronic Home is going to continue to support existing (and new) customers that use WebBrick Systems while we develop new alternatives.

One popular replacement system is Loxone which we will be using for home automation, including automated lighting, energy management and other smart home applications. We are currently planning new projects using this new system which promises to provide additional benefits in terms of flexibility and economy.

If there are any existing WebBrick customers who are looking to modify, repair or extend their existing smart home systems, they can contact The Solent Electronic Home for assistance.

WebBrick Systems were renowned for the stability and reliability of the platform. Spares will be available for many years yet and so it is well worthwhile considering a system modification program for those owners who wish to include new features or who are thinking.. I wish I could do such and such....because it probably can.

The Solent Electronic Home Sponsors P1 Superstock Races

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:18:00 GMT

The Solent Electronic Home is sponsoring a P1 Superstock racing powerboat! This is one of the most exciting of water sports. You can follow it at the race location or on the internet or on the TV. We are sponsoring Team Eclipse who are Rose Lores and Tom Hunter.

Their season has started with a 2nd place overall at the first race meeting of the year in Jersey. The next meeting will be in Plymouth on 16/17 July and promises to be highly competitive.

You can get the whole story here.