Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Everything Else => Topic started by: nitz on August 13, 2011, 07:48:27 pm
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Basically I want to be able to cut/turn on power to an outlet using hotkeys on my computer. What I'm looking for is something like this:
http://www.pwrusb.com/index.html (http://www.pwrusb.com/index.html)
but I can't seem to find this product anywhere, doesn't even look like they sell it on their own site. :dunno
Seems like every solution I find is a DIY thing which is more complicated (and potentially dangerous) than I want to tackle right now, or it's something that's way too elaborate/expensive for my needs.
Does anyone know where I can get a power bar that plugs into a PC that I can then control via software/hotkeys?
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X10 stuff is cheap and easy -- but not directly connected. Think the newer stuff is even more reliable.
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Thanks, had a look at some x10 stuff, looks like it would work, but the cheapest option I could find is a kit with a bunch of software and such costing $62 and it's overkill for what I want to do. I really only want to control 1 or 2 devices via autohotkey scripts and wouldn't want to have other programs running in the background.
Maybe I'm missing something and there is a less expensive x10 way, someone let me know if there is!
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Controlling house current with a pc takes some specilized software and hardware. If you are wanting to purchase a kit, 62 bucks isn't bad at all.
Typically speaking you need an avr hooked to you pc, similar to a ledwiz to pump out the signal. Then you need a transmitter, a number of recievers, and a relay at each reciever.
There are x10 kits periodically on ebay (NEW) that come with just one reciever, and you can get an additional one for 10-20 bucks. But those kits usually run around 35, so 60 bucks for one with multiple recievers that's a good deal.
It's also about as cheap as you can get unless you build the entire thing from scratch.
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The kit doesn't come with any receivers though. So add another $24 for a couple receivers, then add shipping and I'm in for over $100 and all I'm really looking for is a relatively cheap, easy straight forward solution like the vaporware I linked to above. This is just something I want to mess around with, not something I want to spend a lot of money on. I was hoping there was a power bar that does this that I could maybe get for < $50. Doesn't look like it though. :-[
EDIT: I should mention that I don't consider fleabay an option since I swore off it last year. Just got fed up with idiots ripping me off.
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I have pretty good luck with ebay so long as a buy from someone with an ebay store and not "some guy."
About the only thing I've ever been burned on was a maddog cd that was supposed to be a windows xp version but ended up being the dos version. When I asked about a refund the lady who I bought it off of said to send it back (I pay shipping) and she would exchange it. Well I only paid 5 bucks for it and it would be 8 bucks shipping so I just kept it.
Anyway I would check ebay. You can't really get a discount on home automation stuff unless you buy it off the ebay.
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Well, I may consider it if I could get it through an ebay store. But I dunno. I always bought from people with at least 98% feedback and lots of votes, and still, some of the crap they pulled was ridiculous. After the third time I got burned I said, "That's it. Never again!" I did have some great experiences with some folks, but like everything else in life, all it takes is a few jerks to ruin it. ::)
I'd have to think about it. Thanks for your help guys.
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Just a suggestion:
Would it be possibly to buy one of those remote control outlet supplies (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId=BH9936-3&utm_source=GoogleProducts&utm_medium=ShoppingSites&utm_campaign=BH9936-3), then get an arduino board (http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Duemilanove/dp/B001VK18HC/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1313513095&sr=1-5), and soldier wires from the button leads on the remote control to the arduino outputs. Then, I think it is a matter of creating a simple button press program with the arduino software.
I have never used an arduino before, but from everyone I hear they are easy peasy to program commands into. It is a solution that is under $50, and I think I would even be able to do it if I wanted to. It is safe too, because you would not be tampering with the actual AC power.
It's pretty much a quick hack of what Howard mentioned in his first post.
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Thanks for the suggestion Vigo, but I found an ebay store with an awesome rating (99.6% and 25,000+ votes) that has all the X10 stuff I would need for about $40 shipped - very reasonable. Looks like the easiest way to do it, so in spite of my leeriness of ebay, I think I'm gonna go for it.