K1VRA

X10 Home Automation

I have been using X-10 Home Automation products around the house for a couple of years now, with very good luck.  So far my applications are pretty basic, but the possibilities are there to do a lot more.  I started with an ActiveHome Kit which includes the Type CM-11A Computer Interface that does most of the work.  You program it using a computer and free X-10 software.  I have mine programmed to automatically turn the outside lights on at dusk and off at dawn.  The Interface knows when dusk and dawn is because you give it your geographic location, and it adjusts for the time of year - even for Daylight Savings Time - automatically!  I also have arranged it to turn the out-door Christmas lights on and off.  I have it set up so that some lights are at 80% brightness, while others may be brighter or dimmer, depending on their location.  It even turns my wife's fiber-optic bedroom night light on and off!

In addition, I have a Type RR501 Transceiver Module (included in the ActiveHome kit).  This lets me control lights with a pocket or palm-sized remote control from anywhere near my house.  It also allows me to use "wireless" wall switch modules such as a "Slimline".  For example, I needed to install a light in our laundry room, but I was in a hurry and didn't want to take the time to fish wires, install electrical boxes, etc.  So, I just screwed a 4' fluorescent light fixture to the ceiling and ran the plug to an Appliance Module.  These are plug-in relays with the X-10 control built-in.  I put a Slimline on the wall in the laundry room and programmed it to the same code as the light's Appliance Module and that's it!  Light and switch in about 30 minutes.  The Slimline  is nearly the same size as a standard wall plate, and looks very much like any other wall switch.  The Slimline can control and brighten/dim, up to 3 units, so I am using another switch on this one to turn the Christmas Tree on and off.  Sure beats crawling around on the floor trying to plug/unplug the tree.

My mother-in-law used to use a mechanical 24-hour clock-timer to turn the outside lights on and off.  The trouble was, you had to reset the darn thing every month or so.  If you didn't, you'd have lights on at 5PM in the summer, or not on until 8PM in the winter.  And then there were power outages - reset the darn timer again.  The CM-11A (with its battery back-up) not only solved those problems, it also solved the problem of outside lights that were burning out prematurely.  Her house is right on the harbor, and it gets the direct blast of every Nor'easter that comes along.  The porch lights on the harbor side were burning out at a pretty high rate.  Even the so-called rough service lamps didn't last very long, although they cost several times more than standard lamps.  The problem was the constant exposure to the elements, and the waterproof fixtures didn't seem to make much difference.  The shock of turning them on cold would cause them to blow out prematurely.  I programmed a CM-11A Computer Interface so that at dusk, the lamps would come on at 20% brightness for one minute, then brighten to 70%.  This combination of a pre-heat period and somewhat dimmed operation has dramatically extended the life of these lamps, using ordinary (NOT rough-service) lamps.  And believe me, you really can't tell that they are slightly dimmed unless you're watching while I brighten them up to 100%.

Obviously, none of this is brain surgery, but X-10 does provide a simple and, I've found, reliable solution to many household tasks.  Check the X-10 website - you can find motion sensors, wireless cameras, home entertainment accessories, and all kinds of other neat stuff.  If you decide you are interested, want more information, or would just like to talk to me or see my stuff in action, email me at - I'll be happy to talk to you about it.