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X10 startup system just ordered
shmokes:
My father in law gave me an X10. I lived in a small apartment so I only used it to have the entryway light come on based on a couple different motion controllers because the light switch was not by the door (i.e. you had to walk through the dark to get to it). Since the wireless receiver sounds like it has a Frogger knocker in it every time it is activated the unit inadvertently served to announce visitors and to let us know when the neighbors were going in and out. At first it was annoying, but we grew to actually like it. In most situations the loud clicking noise would serve no useful purpose and would remain annoying.
I had no use for the other stuff. It was a small, single-level apartment. I didn't need to have the ability to turn off lights remotely. But it was useful for what I used it for. I wouldn't have bought it, but I was glad to have it.
CheffoJeffo:
At my last house, I had a neighbour who did alarm and automation installs. He had lots of stuff in his own house automated with X10.
I automate a lot of stuff in my Halloween haunt with X10. It took a while for us to figure out that when I set off my electric chair, his garage door would open or close. He lived 5 houses away and I had lots of fun activating things in his house before I moved.
hypernova:
We had a neighbor at our previous house who installed an X10. They were very happy with it.
drventure:
Be sure to get a whole house surge suppressor. X10 devices are pretty notorious for being susceptible to lightning strikes and surges.
One surge and you can easily loose +every single+ x10 device in your house.
Whole house suppressors are pretty cheap, and any electrician can install one (you can do it yourself pretty easily too, but it does require poking around INSIDE your breaker panel, so if you aren't comfortable with that, I'd recommend let an electrician do it).
You also might need a "phase cross over module" if you have a house wired with 2 phases (most houses are, don't know about apts). Otherwise, the signal will only propagate one whatever phase the transceiver is on. Alternately, you can get 2 transceivers and make sure they're on different phase circuits.
And yeah, I hate the X10 website :)
RayB:
THEY STILL EXIST?!?!!?!?!!?! :o
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