Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

gore wrote:
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_(industry_standard)

--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

"gore" wrote in message
...
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Silly tricks don't come without a price. At the very least it requires
removing a perfectly good durable toggle switch and replacing it wit a POS
line carrier, then more cheezy technology to interface that with your PC.
Now instead of getting up and flipping a switch, you can fire up the Dell,
wait three minutes for it to load, conjure up the program to wirelessly tell
the switch to turn on the light... maybe

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

"gore" wrote in message
...
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Try: comp.home.automation for an automation news group

Stores:

smarthome.com
worthingdistribution.com
automatedoutlet.com

and of course:

X10.com (Most annoying website ever)

There is computer software to control your lights, but you're better off
with a programmable controller so you can leave your computer off after the
controller is programmed. I use HomeSeer software and an Ocelot controller,
but for a newbie I'd try something like this until you're certain you like
it. There's also Insteon, which is supposed to be more relaiable, but many
more $s for a beginner.

http://www.activehomepro.com/activeh...o-starter.html

It doesn't come with a light switch though, but maybe you'll be happy with
the screw-in socket in the package. You can also buy the individual parts on
eBay if you know what you want.

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

On Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:21:42 -0500, "RBM" wrote:


"gore" wrote in message
.. .
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Silly tricks don't come without a price. At the very least it requires
removing a perfectly good durable toggle switch and replacing it wit a POS
line carrier, then more cheezy technology to interface that with your PC.
Now instead of getting up and flipping a switch, you can fire up the Dell,
wait three minutes for it to load, conjure up the program to wirelessly tell
the switch to turn on the light... maybe

That's an exaggeration. X10 switches have local control, or at least
can be operated by a plug-in switch. No need to start a computer for
such a simple thing.

X10 can work well or have a lot of problems, requiring a lot of
attention to keep it working.

BTW, you probably want to avoid X10 motion sensors. They tend to cause
a lot of collisions, leading to weird behavior (X10 has very little
error checking).




--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

On Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:33:35 -0500, "Bill Stock"
wrote:


"gore" wrote in message
.. .
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Try: comp.home.automation for an automation news group

Stores:

smarthome.com
worthingdistribution.com
automatedoutlet.com

and of course:

X10.com (Most annoying website ever)

There is computer software to control your lights, but you're better off
with a programmable controller so you can leave your computer off after the
controller is programmed. I use HomeSeer software and an Ocelot controller,

The Ocelot works well, although programming is strange. I found
Homeseer to be a big source of aggravation.

but for a newbie I'd try something like this until you're certain you like
it. There's also Insteon, which is supposed to be more relaiable, but many
more $s for a beginner.

http://www.activehomepro.com/activeh...o-starter.html

It doesn't come with a light switch though, but maybe you'll be happy with
the screw-in socket in the package. You can also buy the individual parts on
eBay if you know what you want.





--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

"Mark Lloyd" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:21:42 -0500, "RBM" wrote:


"gore" wrote in message
. ..
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there
x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I
plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Silly tricks don't come without a price. At the very least it requires
removing a perfectly good durable toggle switch and replacing it wit a POS
line carrier, then more cheezy technology to interface that with your PC.
Now instead of getting up and flipping a switch, you can fire up the Dell,
wait three minutes for it to load, conjure up the program to wirelessly
tell
the switch to turn on the light... maybe

That's an exaggeration. X10 switches have local control, or at least
can be operated by a plug-in switch. No need to start a computer for
such a simple thing.


He wants to run this via computer program







X10 can work well or have a lot of problems, requiring a lot of
attention to keep it working.

BTW, you probably want to avoid X10 motion sensors. They tend to cause
a lot of collisions, leading to weird behavior (X10 has very little
error checking).




--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

"gore" wrote in message
...
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Rule is, if it has tits or moving parts, sooner or later, you'll have
problems. Lots of stuff you can get. Then it is all subject to weather,
power spikes, power outages, computer glitches, whatever. You can buy it.
You can make it work. I doubt you can make it work flawlessly. If you do,
patent it, and you'll be wealthy.

Steve

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

RemoteCentral.com

"gore" wrote in message
...
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

On Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:08:31 -0500, "RBM" wrote:


[snip]


That's an exaggeration. X10 switches have local control, or at least
can be operated by a plug-in switch. No need to start a computer for
such a simple thing.


He wants to run this via computer program


If this light is important, it would be a mistake to have no other
controller.

[snip]
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

Home Automation, Where do I start?
 

On Feb 24, 6:40*pm, "gore" wrote:
How would I control my front porch light using my computer? Are there x10
devices with certain software or is there something I can plug into my
computer to do this? I don't want just a timer or a "Clapper" that I plug
into the wall. I want to be able to start a program from my computer and
click a button and see my porch light come on or go off.

Thanks
Shane

Hi,

You may like to look at the Z-wave product line from Leviton. This is
kind of neat in that it uses short range wireless technology to
transmit messages. Each switch, plug, controller forms a node on this
network. A command is bounced around the network untill it's
destination is found.

The advantages are that it can be retrofited and is reliable, no X-10
issues with noise on the power lines, or getting from one Phase to the
other via bridges etc. You can start small and build up to more and
more. So you do not need huge buckets of cash to get going.

The downside is that it is expensive when compared to "Vanilla"
switches, and requires a hot and neutral at each switch instalation
point.

You can hook up to a computer via a RS-232 line.

http://www.leviton.com/OA_HTML/ibeCC...&section=15188

using a RZC0P-1LW.

best, Mike.