"Christopher Key" wrote in message
...
Alan wrote:
I quite fancy doing something like this, along with perhaps some
method to control garden sprinklers, but am concerened about
reliability. If controlled from say, a ring main, the signals would
have to go back to the CU, through an RCD, meter tails, a
switchfuse, 30m armoured cable, and then another RCD before reaching
the module. How does this compare to your setup? Have you had any
reliability issues? Many thanks,

Chris Key

Why would the signal need to go over meter tails? Is there a seperate
meter to each building? If so you may be fed from different phases...

We have the house CU, and two switchfuses (garage / summerhouse) all fed
from a henley block, hence the need for the signals to go via a short
length of meter tail. All comes from the same supply though.

My arrangement from X10 computer controller goes: (computer in loft,
mains supplied as spur from upstairs ring main)
Ring CU MCB busbar MCB 30m (ish) SWA cable garage CU main
switch
busbar MCB radial circuit in garage X10 module.
Signals travel fine in both directions, if I use an X10 transmitter
in the garage, the computer recieves them fine also.

OK sounds fairly similar, with the exception of the two RCDs. Has anyone
had any luck sending X10 through an RCD? Any thoughts on typical
inductance for these, as they'll need to pass 120kHz.

Chris Key

Yes, I've gone over 2 RCD's also between the split load CU RCD side, and
into the kitchen fed from it's on MRCD(?) on the non-CD side of the CU.
Works fine also.

Alan.