----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2001 2:53
PM
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Din Mounted
Mains
Relays for lighting control verses AD10s
Thanks to Steve, Simon, Alan and Mike.
I
can now see the biggest issue with mains relays is 'State'. I
apreciate
that an additional relay across the lamp can feed the state back to
Comfort/HV. But then one has three further
complications:
More ports being used up
More code needs to be written to 'monitor'
everything
More wires need to be run back to Node Zero
I
don't see though, how with x-10 Comfort/HV would know the state if
one
is also using mometary switches for manual operation anyway. Have I
missed something critical about X-10???
It
almost seems irrelevant mind you. Comfort/HV can ignoe the state and
just send the apropriate X-10 command which tells the device to go ON
or OFF or DIM. So for example, if I leave the house and want all the light
off, where as with relays the HA Controller would just dumbly trigger all
the relays and risk turning some lights on instead of off, X-10
will send the 'OFF' command and be done with it.
My
philosphy for HA is that if I fall down a deep well, then my family needs
to
be able to run the system without taking a course in VB. Guests need to be
able to operate switches by the door - rather than having to learn to use a
pronto (might be important if they need to take a leak in the middle of the
night). So everything needs a manual overide, and the whole shebang needs
to
be simple. Seems that this simplicity is available if you don't mind
spending £40 for every 'appliance/lighting circuit'
Comments?
Chris
You can add an additional mains coil relay
accross the lamp using the contacts to an input to give you
state.
As i want complete automation i went the
route of avoiding manual control using my own pcb mounted relays for
cheapness. In a kitchen make over i parralleled the oringinal switch this
leaves manual control in case of failure but totally automated the under
unit lights and cooker hood lights.
I am in the process of doing another room
again this will have multiple lights but one set will have a manual
control in a cupboard, so no light switches visable at all.
All done with comfort, relays, pc & vb
code. After initally burning my main comfort pcb the relays have 100%
reliabily operated around 8 lights for three months. No sleepy x10
modules.
I now find myself walking into areas i plan
to automate and wonder why the lights havent come on!
Approx costs per light X10 40 quid, CBUS
higher, Relays 1.50
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2001
9:31 AM
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Din Mounted
Mains Relays for lighting control verses AD10s
Chris, if you wire them as two way switches
then how will Comfort know what state they are in?
Does Comfort not have input ports like
Homevision, if so the override switches could be connected to the ports
then Comfort can instruct the relays and track the status.
Not being a Comfort fan I don't know its
full capabilities.
Alancc
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2001
11:40 PM
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Din Mounted
Mains Relays for lighting control verses AD10s
Andrew,
Thanks for this. I figure the override needs to be achieved by
wiring the relays (which are controlled by comfort only) with standard
wall mounted rocksers as if they were all 2 way circuits.
Does that make sense?
chris
Chris
I'm about to embark on a large HA project and I'm
not touching X10 - just seems too unreliable and expensive (plus I'm
on 3-phase).
Like you, I aim to use DIN mounted relays. But I'm
going to switch them using 12v or 24v signals from industrial
control cards mounted in a dedicated PC - so not quite your
config. The main problem I can see with your direct switching
of the relays (I assume?) is being able to override them from your
Comfort system to simulate occupancy.
Best regards
Andrew
I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I'd apreciate
to hear a fresh round of debate on this point. I'm doing a
complete rewire on the house - so there's two choices for control
of lighting: X-10 or Mains relays. Either way we're gonna use a
star pattern as this provides maximum longterm
flexibility.
I figured LD11's are hard to beat for their versatility,
but for switching fluorescents, or applicances why spend £40 on an
AD10 when I can have DIN mounted relays for under a tenner? Of
course a mains relay like this will need to be CAT fived back to
the HA interface, but aren't relays more reliable than X-10
anyway?
So here are my three questions:
1. All things being equal in a star wiring pattern - would
you go for DIN mounted relays or AD10s?
2. Are there any obvious gotchas when hooking up manual
(rocker type) wall switches for local control if I go
for the DIN mounted relay option? Suppose for example I need two way control for the lights
on the stairs?
3. My consumer unit and DIN rails are all in the boiler
room next to all the HVAC stuff. The boiler room is also very well
sittuated for running wires almost anywhere. However, Node Zero
(Comfort, AV gear, Data Hub, Telephony etc) is in a large cupboard
in the centre of the house. Given that I first need to
make the choice between AD10's verses DIN mounted mains
relays - is there any particular advantage to having Comfort
located close to the DIN rails in the boiler room rather than in
Node Zero.
Thanks for your help
Chris
For more information:
http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:
ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:
ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:
ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
Your use of Yahoo!
Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
For more information:
http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:
ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:
ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:
ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
Your use of Yahoo!
Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
For more information:
http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:
ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:
ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:
ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
Your use of Yahoo!
Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
For more information: http://www.automatedhome.co..uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:
ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:
ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:
ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
Your use of Yahoo! Groups
is subject to the Yahoo!
Terms of Service.
For more
information: http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:
ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:
ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:
ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is
subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
For more information: http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:
ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:
ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:
ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is
subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.