Anybody into home automation?

[work2muchplay2little]

Just a hobby, and a source of torment for my spouse . I use a JDS Stargate system to run the HVAC, lights, phone, internet, pool, security, and entertainment systems in the house. Anyone else out there into this crazy past time?

 

[Amianthus]

I use it a little. Mostly for Hvac and lighting. Some audio too. I mostly use the x-10 stuff cause I'm lazy.

If my wife would get outta bed, turn on the lights, and open the garage door for me when I get a call (like other wives do), I wouldn't have to automate my house.

 

[work2muchplay2little]

Yeah, mine won't do that stuff either . Are you using a controller of some sort? How do you have your HVAC controlled?

 

[BK]

X-10 stuff... .



I use it for automatic lighting, remote control.

I have a macro wall module so I can nest commands for things like getting up in the middle of the night and turning on and dimming certain lights.



I've had my problems with the X-10 stuff and have stumped their tech folks with my problems. The wall switches dont seem to last long either.

 

[work2muchplay2little]

What kind of X-10 problems are you having and with which modules and light switch brands? Most of my X-10 stuff is either Leviton or SwitchLinc, has been pretty reliable and have had only one light switch (out of 60) fail so far.

Originally posted by BK

X-10 stuff... .



I use it for automatic lighting, remote control.

I have a macro wall module so I can nest commands for things like getting up in the middle of the night and turning on and dimming certain lights.



I've had my problems with the X-10 stuff and have stumped their tech folks with my problems. The wall switches dont seem to last long either.

 

[BK]

w2mp2l;



The newest X-10 stuff I have is from X-10 on the web. .

My older stuff is either from ADI, X-10 brand.

Or Radio Shack.



Its all the wall switches driving me nutz. I only use external wall plug modules for the Ram heater, xmas tree and choo-choo-trains around the xmas tree. They always work.



Most of my switch failures are mechanical. They continue to work via lcm, but the actual switch part fails.



I have a few that at times refuse to respond. I added a cap across the phases, helped some, didn't help others.

It seems the cap made the ones that are on the other phase better and others on the same phase as the radio link and macro module worse.



Some seem to turn on when ever they want. I removed the macro module, and those problems still happened. I think it's line noise.



I guess running 4 computers at all times in the house may not be helping.



I have one switch location that wont turn on, but will turn off. They say thats from not having enough resistive load on the output of the switch. But it's 80watts of bulbs... more than enough. It will turn on from the mechanical switch, but not from line carrier modulation (lcm) commands. In all honesty, I need to double check the wiring in that wall box. But at 1st it worked well. Than the switch started not responding at times. It would turn on but never off, through lcm. I replaced the switch, and now it wont turn on, but will turn off via lcm.



I had 4 switches forget their codes. . they stopped working on the address I originally set them at. I changed their addresses and they would work via lcm on the new addresses, set them back to their original address and still wouldnt work. It's not dirty contacts... emailed the X-10 folks, they had no idea, if they did , they wouldnt admit it. I'm guess the stuff may be crap.



My wife is starting to hate the x-10 stuff...



Bob

 

[work2muchplay2little]

X-10 trouble shooting can be a real pain. Some of the common culprits include battery chargers, surge protectors, halogen lights, and TV's and stereos with a standby function for "instant on". These and other things will add noise to the line. Best thing to do is unplug everything on that circuit and see if your switches' performance improves, then add the plug in things one by one and see which one/ones are problematic. Leviton makes a variety of filters to rid the noise. Depending on your square footage, you may need a repeater (if over 3000 sq ft). You mentioned a cap across the phases - that may help, there are a couple of devices made that will enable X-10 communication across the split phase - again, I think the best ones are Leviton. The SwitchLinc wall switches I have are decent, but I think the best ones out there are PCS and Lightolier brands - kind of pricey though. Although it can be kind of quirky, it's a lot of fun, and does keep everybody guessing as to what's going to happen (or not happen ) next.

 

[BK]

ya, fun till the living room lights keep coming on every soo often in the middle of the night. Or worse, the bedroom light!!!... since I put the cap across the phases, that stopped.



At one point I was wondering if I had a neighbor looking to cause trouble and was @#$@# with me.



I haven't tried to unplug all those "standby" operating things. All of my battery chargers are dumb and simple 60hz transformers. No active or SMPS battery chargers..... except come to think of it, my UPS's. I think most of them are simple SMPS.



I saw that Radio Shack was now showing the appliance filters in their catalog. not cheap... like 40 bucks each..... ya right... . I think I'll stop buying x-10 replacement switches and just go back to basics.



The repeaters were kinda of expensive. I had multiple rf receiver. Since the rf signal didnt make it from one end of the house to the other, I figured I couldnt drive two of the rf links (recievers) bannanas... but again strange things were happening... so I pulled all but one rf receiver and some problems went away.



I should pick a day when the stuff just isnt working right and do like you say, plus turn off all of my pc's.



Even though I could have gotten the best Ademco wireless stuff for nothing, I've stuck with hard wired security stuff. No batteries to keep me guessing. Been doing alarms since I was knee high to my father... Since I was knee high, I picked up all the tools he dropped and my name was usually Gofer. It was never my full time job, but used to take on over flow jobs from local shops and central stations and take on jobs via word of mouth for years. The $19. 99 a month systems have really taken hold and good big install jobs are few and far between around here, except for small business.



Glad I never decided to install the lcm stuff for a job... I could see a bunch of very unhappy customers hunting me down.



I know there are many different chip sets out there to design systems around. But I have never found literature from the different manufacturers about what type of lcm they use. It would seem that the x-10 stuff has to be as basic lcm as it comes and as cheap as it comes.



Do you know if the other manufacturers use more safisticated(sp?) lcm? If their compatible with X-10 probably not... .

I guess has a big home project it would be nice to install a much more fault/noise tolerant system than the X-10 poop.



Bob

 

[Amianthus]

I only have one x-10 switch that gives me trouble. Actuallu it's only one address on that switch. But I've learned to live with it. Some day this winter I'll get around to fixing it.

For a controller, I have been using the IBM Homedirector for some timers and short routines. Nothing too elaborate. I want to get into a security system for my house, but I haven't found anything that will interface with my x-10 stuff. At least not at a reasonable cost anyway. I do have some old PC's. Maybe I could convert one of them to do what I want. Oh well, that's another winter project. For HVAC stuff, I got a zone controller from Honeywell for nothing. And that's about all it's good for. My house is too small to see any real benefit. But the timer is mainly what I use. Still experimenting and learning.