Home Automation Info

Reviewed by HAI Staff

Overall Rating: 8.7 out of 10

Security System Features

If a full-function security system is central to your home automation needs, the HAI Omni IIe system should be considered as it delivers a near whole-house automation solution with the exception of entertainment center controls. The Omni IIe can control up to 4 temperature zones via HAI RC80 Communicating Thermostats. Lighting control can be accomplished with UPB and/or X10 powerline interface modules, or a RadioRA interface for controlling up to 64 Lutron wireless switches and dimmers. A built-in telephone interface allows you to control the system from any touch-tone phone, and dial-out up to 8 phone numbers in an alarm state. Three serial inputs can be used to connect to your home PC, a whole-house automation system such as Control4, or any other 3rd party system supporting the HAI serial ascii protocol. When connected to your PC running the HAI Web-Link II software you'll be able to control this system from the Internet and view security cameras connected to your PC video input.

The Omni IIe supports 16 security zones and is expandable to 48. For existing homes the HAI supervised wireless receiver can connect up to 16 wireless window/door contact sensors to the system. Both 4-wire and 2-wire smoke detectors can be monitored. The system can be armed/disarmed for 4 different modes, and any zone can be bypassed or restored for flexible control. Entry, exit, delays are user programmable for indoor/outdoor sirens. The system is programmable with the "buttons" construct which allows scenes to be defined for lighting and climate control. These buttons can then be scheduled by time, sunrise, sunset, and date or day of week.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Ease of Installation

HAI Omni systems can only be installed by a certified Dealer who has received the required training to correctly install the Omni IIe and is licensed by the state (where required). The Dealer can use the PC Access software to configure and identify all the devices being controlled by the Omni IIe. This configuration must be done on-site unless a dial-up modem is connected to the serial port on the Omni IIe. Note PC Access is also used to "program" the buttons desired by the homeowner. If many scenes are required this programming can be tedious and extend the install time significantly. If the Dealer does not use PC Access the install time will likely increase as configuration and programming must be done manually through the system console. The Dealer is backed-up by a capable technical support staff at HAI who only deal with certified installers.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Security System Reliability

The HAI Omni family of systems has proven to be a highly reliable security solution. Most homeowners experience trouble free operation for years after the initial installation. The HAI Omni IIe system comes with a 2 year warranty.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10