On Dec 30, 8:14*am, wrote:
On Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:45:10 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:19:35 -0600, wrote:

I keep seeing posts about X-10.

What is this?

It is a protocol for controlling home automation through the house
wiring. *There are appliance modules and lamp modules that you plug
into the wall socket, then plug in the thing you want to control.
Elsewhere, you plug in the controller and you can turn lights on and
off with a timer or manually, dim lights, etc.

I have some of my lights on timers, but I also have a couple of
outdoor lights controlled by the system. *Hear noises outside? *Push
on button and every controlled light comes on, including the one
mounted on my detached garage.

X-10 devices are sold by different makers, Smart Home, X-10.com, etc.

Ok, I know what you mean. *I have something like that, which I bought
at Radio Shack around the early 1990s. *I bought it to turn on / off
my old tv (no remote) from my bed. *There was a block to put in the
outlet and tv plugged into that. *By my bed I had a control that
plugged in to outlet and had 4 switches. *It was made to control up to
4 devices. *It's probably still around here in some box. *After
getting a tv with a remote I didn;t need it anymore.

These Radio Shack ones were not called X-10. *I cant remember what
they were called, probably Realistic (something).- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

X-10 is much more sophisticated than anything Radio Shack sold in the
early '90's.

It's more than just ON-OFF.

e.g. You can dim standard CFL Spots with X-10 switches.

If you want to really high tech you can use your computer and Smart
Macros to control devices in some interesting ways, like having motion
dectectors turn the bathroom lights on at 50% brightness between 11 PM
and 6AM, full brightness during other hours and not at all during the
day.

I have manual dimmers in all my bathrooms to accomplish the same goal.
Automating it with X-10 would be cool, but would probably PO SWMBO.