BlueWatch Fan Site

  BlueWatch is a new BlueTooth  based Home Automation software that can detect and track your BlueTooth enabled devices. 

The best (and most oblivious) use of BlueWatch may be to simply track the presence of  cell phones. What you do with that information (or is it data) is limited only by your own imagination.

I have set my BlueWatch to deactivate my security alarm when I return home. And activate my perimeter detection system when I leave. The former... I wasn't comfortable with. But the latter is a neat addition to my security.

Let me start from the beginning and explain how all this works.

As part of my Home Automation setup I run a Home Automation  Computer (HA PC) 24/7. The PC runs various HA software including X10's Active Home Pro (AHP). Many HA users (like myself) use what is commonly called "third party software". This "third party software" (like BlueWatch) can interact with X10 AHP Software.

BlueTooth (BT) is a 2.4 GHz secure radio frequency (RF) standard used on many, many devices. One popular use of BT is the wireless connections like headsets made for cell phones. You may have a wireless ear piece for your cell phone or you might use a wireless connection in your car. This "hands free" technology is almost required in many states.

Most although not all cell phones have BT built-in.

This BT technology uses a unique ID for a handshake protocol of its own. So no one can "listen in" on your BT transmissions. This means your phone and listing device must register with each other... and be excepted (by you) to be used. This same ID technology causes every cell phone to identify itself uniquely.  

So what I have done is plug in an inexpensive and readily available USB BT dongle (similar or identical to the dongles used with a computers wireless mouse) into my HA PC.

After a quick and easy setup using BlueWatch and my $10 dongle. My HA PC can now "see" my cell phones BT signal. As I approach the limits of my Phones/dongles BT range (about 33 feet) BlueWatch detects my cell phones (2.4 GHz BT signal) unique ID and turns ON the pre-selected X10 House/Unit code. Or, when I leave the same code is turned OFF.

As cool as this new technology use is... it is NEW. Therefore it is not completely without problems which it's creator is working on (as you read this). Some phones or phone setting can have trouble continuing to ping or be pinged by the dongle. Also, currently the software "leaks" memory. This can be a problem on some computers although there are workarounds even as Tuicemen edits the software for improvements. 

  BlueWatch is a software created by a well known and long time Home Automation expert.. commonly known by his screen name Tuicemen. 

Tuicemen also created PC Companion and other software products. Read more, download a trial, or purchase Tuicemen's software Here.      

This On/Off activity allows for limitless macros and events to be triggered in the AHP Software... as well as within other third party software.

The potential here as to what can be accomplished is truly limitless. Now simply going about my normal activities like coming and going, can be interpreted to be Home Automation Commands. 

WARNING: Although there is a lot of bandwidth in the 2.4 GHz frequency....  2.4 GHz use is popular. Its use isn't limited to BlueTooth. Many wireless home phones and even wireless cameras and video sender/receivers use 2.4GHz.  I have experienced serious signal interference problems with my wireless cameras (and video sender/receivers) and the BlueTooth Dongles I tested.

BlueWatch can by itself add Occupancy Sensing to your Home Automation setup. See what this is allowing me to do with my S.A.R.A. project.

Now with Occupancy Sensing and SARA my home automatically turns on outside monitoring when we aren't at home. And then turns it back off (until later) when we return home. I feel the voice warning alone is worth the small cost and effort of my S.A.R.A. setup. And, the cameras email me images of any activity that could be useful to me or the police.