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Lighting & Home Control Forum - View Post
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1/22/10 - 8-device universal remote offers full IR code learning, a dozen macros plus a new button layout.
1/22/10 - Two new basic hard buttoned remotes offer an updated design and loads of buttons for DVR users.
1/07/10 - Pair of new universal remotes includes the XTR100 with a 3.5" color touchscreen display.
1/07/10 - New touchscreen remote for television service providers offers 4.3" screen, 2-way WiFi.
1/07/10 - New products include a pair of hybrid remotes; 2-way ZigBee RF processor with IR, RS232 and Ethernet. Updated!
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Building House and want to install X-10
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| Topic: | Building House and want to install X-10 This thread has 1 response. Displaying all posts. |
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| Post 1 made on Thursday February 21, 2002 at 13:22 |
Richardh Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | February 2002
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Hello everyone. I have been involved with remotes for while now and used this web site as a great source of information over the past year. We are now building a house (they are framing it right now) and want to put in some type of automation system.
For the audio system I choose to go with Russound and the LCD touch pads in the wall. I took a look at the vantage systems (the company is located in my town, Orem, UT) and it looks like an awesome system but the price is very expensive (around $13,000 to set up my new home). I decided to wire the home myself along with a friend of mine that installs cabling professionally into buildings (mostly townhomes). My budget is around $2,000 not including the audio systems which I already purchased. I have read a lot of information on the internet and now know of the technology works but with so many options of controllers, I want to make sure I choose the right system for me.
Let the questions began :)
1. X-10 Speed
I have read in a few places that X-10 is not very fast and may take a few seconds to trigger a light or another device. I was planning on putting keypads in the walls and making several lights go on or off with a simple key press of one button (I guess these are called scenes). Does it get annoying when you press a button and the lights take a few seconds to kick in and start changing?
2. Controller
My main plan is using a dedicated PC running some type of software like homeseer or using the ocelot and having it control the entire house. I want to use keypads but I am wondering if there is someway to press a button on the keypad that just tells the dedicated computer it has been pressed and then the computer triggers the lights? There seems to be many keypads that have built in controllers that will talk directly to the X-10 device but I thought it may be cheaper to get keypads that just know the button has been pressed and let the dedicated computer to all the work. Is this possible? Is this a bad idea? What keypads and hardware would allow this? I don't mind have to run a cat-5 cable or something to each key pad.
3. X-10 Signal reliability
It seems that some people have problems with X-10 in their homes and I need it to be reliable and I will install whatever I need to, to make sure it is. My home with be 4,000sq feet and I plan on adding a repeater/coupler at the box along with a the PZZ01 200 amp block filter to keep any noise out. To help with keeping the noise down I will not be using any fluorescent lighting. I will also have filters on all the computers to help with the noise.
Is there anything else I can install to make the system more reliable as far as x-10 signals reaching everywhere? Is it possible to make a system that is 99.9% reliable or do you always get glitches everyone few days?
4. Security System
The security system will be hardwired everywhere. I want the security system to run on it's own incase the computer crashes or power is cut to the home (using a battery in the security system).
This looks like a good system (DSC)
[Link: smarthome.com]
and this one
[Link: smarthome.com]
since it can runs on it's own and also has a X10 add on. I want to make sure to get the one that has more control. Would I be able to turn these security system on and off via homeseer with the web browser interface over the internet? Would these be good security systems to run.
5. Where to buy
I always like to support the little guys and it seems that http://www.homeautomationnet.com may be the place since Bill helps people out on the message board.
I have a few other questions with regards to details but I will ask those later.
:)
Thanks
-Richard
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| Post 2 made on Thursday February 21, 2002 at 19:39 |
Mike Janke Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | December 2001
114 |
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As to your X10 speed question... X10 in itself is not slow at all. I'd have to say it's pretty much instantaneous. It's all the gadgets in-between that can add delays.
For instance, if you have a transmitter that triggers a receiver, which in turn sends an X10 code down the powerline, which is then picked up by a CM11A, sent up the serial line to the computer, then your HA software executes a macro which does a couple of things, sends it back out the CM11A... yeah, this can take a couple seconds.
For example, I just pressed the "Movie time" button on my Pronto. This sent C1 ON down the powerline via my IR543AH, Homeseer picked this up and executed my "movie time" macro which turned down two lights in the family room and turned off the kitchen light. I started counting when I pressed the button and it took just under 3 seconds before all lights were dimmed and/or off. This might have been quicker if Homeseer were on a fast computer, rather than the CF-01 (133mhz) it's on.
On the other hand, if I just press DIM/ON/OFF for a light using my pronto, the light switch/module picks up the command from the powerline via the IR543AH and it happens close to instantly.
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