Homeowner Forum / Home Automation / January 2004

Below is a post that I made over in AVSForum. Someone revived it the other
day and got to thinking that places like this would be a good place to make
these concerns more visible as well, so I post it here in case anyone cares
or would like to get into a screaming argument about it. ...

I got in a Denon 3803 today, to do a CQC (www.charmedquark.com) driver for
it. But looking on the back, the serial 'port' is some kind of proprietary
connector in the form of a 1/8th" phono plug connection. Neither the serial
protocol docs or the manual seem to say squat about this, ...

Anyone here used the Lutron Spacer switches?
http://www.lutron.com/spacer/SpSystemDefault.htm
Thoughts?  Success/agony stories?
-Bill Kearney

I am coding a vb program to monitor & control x10 via rf and have a question
regarding DIM & BRIGHT.
I am using this document:
http://www.edcheung.com/automa/rf.txt

i am about to wire my new house and am looking into what kind of of
x10 controller i want. I have looked at standalone boxes and things
that run on the windows platform (i think i like homeseer the best)
and am curious as to what there is on the Linux platform.

Anybody know of a CO detector that can be hooked up to a home automation
system via X10 or RS485?
Thanks for any ideas.

Anyone know of an inexpensive way to control 2 relays via phone.  I am a big
time Homeseer and ADI user, but this is for a friend that is not into home
automation.  All the ways I would do it are more that he wants to spend.
Thought of a Black Box reboot arrangement and using 2 120 ...

There is an annoying pop up ad floating about for a miniature wireless color
camera and all the hardware you need to connect it to a PC.  The price is
$80.00.  The web site is www.x10.com.
Anyone know if this stuff is any good?  Anyone done business with this

I've owned many cordless phones over the years, including some of the
newest 5.8 ghz and 2.4 ghz phones.  Obviously, some work better then
others.  However, I've noticed a failing among ALL of them, maybe
others have noticed the same.

I wired up a remodel with Cat 5E to all computer, telephone locations.  In
the kitchen, I have a run from the homerun closet to the phone jack on the
wall.  Unfortunately, my wife misplanned and it is in coflict with a pantry
door!  I want to splice onto it, so that I can take it to ...

I've been using a universal controller to control my garage door opener for the past 5 years
or so with no problem.  Recently, everytime the door closed, it would immediately reopen, as
if the opener detected an obstruction.  I spent the better part of an hour tightening,

various embedded controlers (slaves) regulate the room temperature and
switch lights (via relais) in the room where they are located. The slaves
are polled by a PC (master) thereby transmitting their status (room
temperature, light, reed and PIR sensors and smoke det.) via an RS 485 ...

I'm trying to bring back to live my Ocelot controler.
After two years "down", I discovered first the need to replace the CR2032
batery before trying to reach it through C-MAX software (RS232).
My configuration consist of one motion detector in each room and one VT572

After a couple of years away from this X-10 stuff, I've decided to expand my
setup.  I've used an Ocelot with a stored program for years now with no
problems other than a few dead areas in my house.  I'm going to try to fix
those dead areas!

I have a problem that just started. I have 2 outside light switched
both are on the same house code and number. I have my CM11A turning on
and off the lights a given time. Currently only 1 of the 2 lights is
going on. If I manually use the CM11A (home director) to turn on and