Homeowner Forum / Home Automation / August 2006

Hey guys, Im gonna admit i am extremely new to all of this, but a
friend of mine recently got a new X10 setup in his house and it amazed
me. I wanted to set up a similar system in my new apartment, but i dont
know if it would work with my apple ibook. If someone would be so kind

I have a question that I hope someone can answer here in Australia we dont
get the same x10 switches that are availale in the US, I like the Clipsal
C-Bus switches and these switches appear to be momentary action switches
anyways.

I was going to install a 6287 to see if it would alleviate my signal sucking
CFLs. The problem is there is a switched socket on the same circuit as the
lights (3). But the socket only gets used for the Christmas lights, so I
figure I've got a few months to test.

Has anyone introduced a touch screen into their home automation system?
I am considering adding a small lcd screen into my living room.   Does
anyone have any experience with Xenarc, Dynamix, Lillliput screens?  I
am thinking about 7" or 8" models.  Photos of existing installations

Several of my Insteon devices have taken to linking or unlinking with
other devices on their own. Anybody else having this problem?
Additionally, one of my KPL's just turns itself off completely and has
to be restarted and reprogrammed. Lastly, my 2414X Translator has put

See posts by "xymox1" in this thread on the Insteon forum.
http://www.techmall.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=180&whichpage=11

Came home this evening and couldn't turn on the bedroom lights. The
Keypadlinc that controls them was dead as a doornail - not even the
backlight worked.  Pulled the airgap for 10 seconds and it came back
on - factory reset with no links to other devices.  Spent 20 minutes

I want to have my external black motion sensor only work when it is 8pm
to 1130 pm. i set it to go off anytime it sees motion but set the macro
to only work during the aforementioned hours thinking the macro would
over ride the sensor but it doesnt work.. what do i do

I Have the X10 ActiveHome kit (the older serial port interface one, not
the USB one).  For the lif of me I can't the software to communicate
with the CM11A (the computer interface unit)
I have all the most recent software - have tried it on com ports 1 and

With electric costs going so high, I want to start monitoring the
temperature in my home via the computer and see the best way to program
my A/C to come on and off during the day and at night.  I figure the
best way is to rig-up a temperature gauge to the computer via serial

I don't want any fancy home control system. I now have two Carrier
thermostats that ConEd supplied to me that have web control. In return for
getting these they are allowed to cycle off my compressor. The problem is
they cycle everybody off equally. I purposedly put in an undersized ...

Well, progress has been slow lately. Work has been truly horrific and
political, and will likely continue to be so for the next 3 months. Hence,
i'm in feast or famine mode - i either want to stay the heck away from
everything and chill with the wife/kids, or dive into it and ...

I've been living with wireless speakers for my home automation PC for the
last few years. These have not been too bad for the price, except the
occasional blast of noise/interference at night. But lately they've been had
more trouble staying locked to the source and the ...

I've read a few of the Insteon threads, both supporters (Bruce R) and
naysayers (Dave H). I've also read about the recent recalls for warmness.
Heh, can't be much worse than my CP290 (RIP) warmness.
My X10 setup has been going to hell in a hand-basket over the past year,

Just purchased a house built in the early 50s. Almost all the lights
are controlled by latching relays, with low voltage switches in the
walls connected to the relays in the ceiling boxes with 3 conductor
cable (there are also some relay-controlled outlets, and I haven't yet