batsona
Maryland
join:2004-04-17
Ellicott City, MD
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Vonage
| X10 Home-Automation...
All;
I'm trying to convince myself whether or not I should go thru the expense & trouble of installing X10 home-automation equipment in my house. With the rising cost of energy, i'd probably benefit from some automation.
Question: Some people with alot of X10 stuff in their houses have their automation control software available to the internet as a webpage, or otherwise web-enabled. Some do this in a read-only fashion for people to see (and partly to show-off) --Which is OK! Would any one here post a URL to just such a website so we can see how fancy an X10 setup can be? |
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arwoodman
join:2007-08-30
Benton, AR | look at »www.smarthome.com |
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b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA
 ·Comcast Formerly ..
edit:
March 20th, @09:45AM
|  reply to batsona
I had a bunch of these in the past along with a universal remote that could control them all and a PC program that connected to a controller for scheduling...
Everything worked great for a while.
Eventually every X10 device I had would just go nuts and turn on and off at random times. I tried changing "house code", new system controllers, new software...
Turns out replacing the module would fix it then after a year of so of use that module would just go nuts. I am down to the last light switch and it has been going nuts for the last month or two. This weekend it's gone.
My first set was an IBM branded one, I tried modules from X10, RCA, Radio Shack, and a couple others, they are all the same and eventually fail. |
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fuziwuzi
Not born yesterday
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA
·Comcast
| reply to batsona
Must be something in your house wiring... I have some of my original x10 modules I bought back in 1985 that are still working with no problems. They came with my GE television that had an X10 interface built in (that's how I got started with X10 stuff). I have a mix of brands, from X10, RadioShack, GE, etc. |
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pandora
Premium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
·Comcast
|  reply to batsona
I have made extensive use of X10 in my home. It is expensive, but works very well. You'll want to look at a PowerLinc X10 controller. Which converts a PC based program through a USB link into a box that drives X10 devices.
The device you want, and some sample screens are here - »www.smarthome.com/1132cup.html
Note, X10 doesn't work well with ANY fluorescents in a home. It also needs PC's, UPS power supplies, and many TV's, large printers, and other large devices filtered. You may spend almost as much in filters as for an X10 wired home.
I will say, that X10 makes life better, works well, and is very nice to have. The upgrade to X10 is INSTEON, which is what I'd install today if I hadn't already installed X10 some years ago.
X10 has worked fine for many years. Smarthome is a bit expensive, but reliable as a supplier. You can find lower prices for some stuff on Amazon.com, but Smarthome.com probably has the largest selection of any X10 or INSTEON provider on Internet.
--
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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ctgreybeard
Cars It's How We Get Around
Premium
join:2001-11-13
Bethel, CT
clubs: 
 ·AT&T Yahoo
| reply to batsona
I'm converting from X10 to Insteon. Insteon is more reliable from my own experience and is two-way which only some X-10 was. The Indigo program for the Mac is a really great program. It will control both X-10 and Insteon.
--
Old dogs can learn new tricks! |
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fuziwuzi
Not born yesterday
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA
·Comcast
| reply to pandora
said by pandora  :Note, X10 doesn't work well with ANY fluorescents in a home. It also needs PC's, UPS power supplies, and many TV's, large printers, and other large devices filtered. You may spend almost as much in filters as for an X10 wired home. I've never installed any "filter" nor have had any of the issues with the devices you've mentioned, and yet all my x10 stuff works as it should. I have 3 computers, 4 UPSes, some laser printers, and a host of fluorescent lights scattered about... no problems... |
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pandora
Premium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
·Comcast
|  said by fuziwuzi :I've never installed any "filter" nor have had any of the issues with the devices you've mentioned, and yet all my x10 stuff works as it should. I have 3 computers, 4 UPSes, some laser printers, and a host of fluorescent lights scattered about... no problems... I have an extensive x10 network, with a lot of stuff and found X10 filters very helpful.
--
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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inGearX
3.1415 9265
join:2000-06-11
New York
clubs:
| reply to batsona
said by batsona :All; I'm trying to convince myself whether or not I should go thru the expense & trouble of installing X10 home-automation equipment in my house. With the rising cost of energy, i'd probably benefit from some automation. Question: Some people with alot of X10 stuff in their houses have their automation control software available to the internet as a webpage, or otherwise web-enabled. Some do this in a read-only fashion for people to see (and partly to show-off) --Which is OK! Would any one here post a URL to just such a website so we can see how fancy an X10 setup can be? I have X10 and it's from 1979 or so standard / technology - there are a few newer much more efficient technologies / standards - but are also backwards compatible with X10 protocol
INSTEON being one...
They ensure better signal relay / deliver and etc... very important benefits...
right look at »www.smarthome.com/ |
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joeybee
Joey
Premium
join:2003-08-12
Hamilton, ON
clubs:
| reply to batsona
So you wanna do this?  »www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqFSRwgqgYk |
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seederjed
join:2005-02-28
Vancouver, WA | reply to batsona
That clip, my friends, asks and answers the universal question of , why...?
And the answer is, "Because we can" and that should be good enough for anybody.
The guy w/ glasses is David, from Rosanne |
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