Modification of Mini Timers

["Mark Marooth" <MMarooth@xxxxxxx>]

Les,

I wanted to use some mini-timers that I got from Homebase for controlling
lights
in my kitchen from 2 locations so what I did was remove the case from the
timer
and remove the membrane/metal button type keyboard.  I found that
there was
enough room on the keyboard pcb to drill holes (with dremmel) in order to
solder
cables to the individual keypads.

The cable I used was chopped up Cat-5.  Timer PCB's went into a
plastic box with
switch cables running out to a small terminal block.  I then ran Cat-5
from the
two locations each of which had a set of momentary push buttons matching
the
buttons on the timer on a double gang blanking plate.

Above my kitchen I have a switching panel which is used to switch and dim 4
sets
of LV halogens.  Up there are the transformers and a number of Lamp
Modules
modified a-la Future Flat.  I added a single gang power socket in
order to plug
in the PSU for the mini-timer.

So now when you press any of the on/off or dim buttons at either location
in the
kitchen, the appropriate halogens do their stuff.  Additionally I can
control
the lights using Mr House or any other X-10 transmitter.

I want to design a custom panel using perhaps a VFD and a custom membrane
keypad
>from
I'd also discussed this with Ian B. who thought it would be easy to
incorparate
a PIC so that all 8 switch positions could be used.  What I have now
is a Double
Pole Key Security Switch.

In position 1 it operates the lights in the kitchen etc, in position 2 the
4
X-10 signals are used to turn on the alarm system (2 zones) and
external
lighting devices (Night, 2 Zones).

This works well for me and for

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£2.99 from homebase, the mini-timers have proved
versatile.

I'm not using the clock or the timed events etc.



HTH


Mark