Homeowner Forum / Home Automation / April 2004

Anyone know how to fix X10 cameras running WinXP Pro? They work for about a
hour then stop. I have to reload the drivers and they work again.

Per discussions in this group, I ran a Carlon 2 inch conduit from my attic
to my wiring closet for future needs.
My question is, how to finish off the conduit in the wiring closet.  I have
an ONQ box, the rest of the wiring will be behind sheetrock in a couple of

Does anyone know of an X-10 switch that will work on my system.  It's
for a few landscape lights that is wired in conjunction with my pool
pump.  It's protected by a gpf breaker at the panel.  (I cannot rewire
the lights separatly)

I just bought a home with a gate before the front door. I want to put an
intercom, electric lock and security camera watching the gate.
The intercom, electric lock do not bother me at all. Been there done that.
The security camera does not need anything special b&w would be fine. I ...

This is pretty easy with electric, but I don't have an electric water
heater...
I'm trying to figure out how to tell when my gas waterheater is heating.
I'll be using a weedtech DI/O device to catch the input, but mostly I'm

Anyone know what the cheapest way to get two temp sensors to report to a PC,
with a single output to power a relay.
Years ago there seems to have been loads of low cost boards, but nothing
around now.

      I am looking for some simple examples of elk 220 module programs.
Looking for a basic input on relay on program. Anyone know where to look?
Thnaks Jake

I'm trying to hook up 5 500 watt halogen lights to one motion sensor
to light  my driveway.  Initially, I put on a regular plain-jane
motion sensor but it is only rated for 300 watts so it burned out.  I
called RAB to ask them if they have any outdoor motion detectors that

I'm about to start a home a/v, data, and phone(as you all know all to
well ) wire retrofit in my new house and as I was looking the
house over one of the things i found was that i had a pipe that  ran
though a wall cavity on the outside wall of the house from my basement

I have a pcTherma serial port thermometer(etiltd.co.uk) that I'm
trying to comunicate with using visual basic / C++. The supplied
software doesn't do what I want.
I don't know what the communication protocol is, but using serial port

i was wondering, is their any soultion for using a serial port device
in one from another. I have my satalite recivers in my wireing closet,
but i want to be able to control them from my computer (they have a
bulit in telnet server, i need it for snapstream, the program that'll

I'm looking for software to start designing a piece of mechanical equipment.
Any ideas on which products would work for me with a limited CAD experience
and not wanting to spend too much money?
TIA,

Can someone point me to documentation and/or give me the basics of
using our cable modem and wireless router to distribute internet
radio/CD/MP3's throughout the house.  One speaker per room w/volume
control - nothing elaborate here, not sure where to begin; thanks -

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