Re: Newbie - controlling lights and creating scenes (Ocelot?)

["hholohan2000" <helen@xxxxxxx>]

Hi all

Gosh, look what I started...

Thank you all for your responses. It's all very useful and
interesting.

My main issue with X10 is still the very basic one of the receiver
side of things for lights. (The controller/transmitter end doesn't
seem to be a problem. I'm happy that there are numerous good
controllers out there to choose from.)

1) If I have table/standard plug-in lamps, the only way I am going to
be able to dim them via X10 is to use a plug-in lamp module. (socket
rockets aren't dimmable as far as I can tell.) Is that correct? Is
there no other way? I just don't consider those plug-in modules
acceptable.

2) My ceiling lights downstairs are all on one circuit. Presumably to
use DIN rail modules, I'd have to find a way of separating each room
in order to use X10 to control them separately? That sounds pretty
difficult if not impossible and would definitely require rewiring.

In summary (again, in my very basic knowledge of this) the options
are:
* Plug-in lamp modules don't seem as reliable as other X10 receivers
and are simply not pleasing to look at.
* inline receiver modules work better but are fused, and so can't be
easily concealed (in case of fuse replacement)
* DIN rail modules can't be used to control small areas without major
rewiring
* bayonet plugs don't dim
* micromodule receivers (i.e. AW12) is an appliance module and so
won't dim (The AWM2 is a transmitter, isn't it)

Is that all true?

So I don't see any decent retrofit solution for lighting. Am I
missing something? Kwong Li, do you have any other X10 products
available now that I should be aware of?

Just as a side issue, I was looking at other technologies in a shop
yesterday and came across an RF dimmer that splices into a lamp
cable. This particular one was a smart little black unit made by Gira
and is intended for use with Loewe TVs. I thought they were a great
idea and couldn't help thinking - Why isn't there an X10 version of
this for lamps.. or perhaps combined with RF capability.

Many thanks again. You've all been great!

Helen



--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Frank Mc Alinden" <fmcalind@b...>
wrote:
> I tried reading it and got lost who was saying what ;-)) Still
interesting ...
>
> Frank
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Kevin Hawkins
>   To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>   Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 12:03 PM
>   Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Newbie - controlling lights and creating
scenes (Ocelot?)
>
>
>   Sorry - the 'quoting' has not come through well on the previous
post as I
>   relied in html (duh !) - hope it is readable
>
>
>
>   -         and btw I am not approaching this as an argument in any
way - just
>   I hope a useful take on an end users (my) perspective of X10's
position in
>   an emerging market and how it fits in with my needs. I hope it
doesn't come
>   over any other way.
>
>   Kevin
>
>
>
>
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: Kevin Hawkins [mailto:lists@xxxxxxx...]
>   Sent: 01 June 2003 02:27
>   To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>   Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Newbie - controlling lights and creating
scenes
>   (Ocelot?)
>
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: K. C. Li [mailto:li@xxxxxxx...]
>   Sent: 31 May 2003 15:16
>   On Sat, 31 May 2003, Kevin Hawkins wrote:
>
>   >             There are two big issues with X10 - one is the
actual
>   technology
>   > which is rather long in the tooth now. Whilst it is easy to
retrofit
>   because
>
>   I disagree with that statement, bearing in mind that I am
commercially
>   biased towards X-10 as you are commercially biased towards C-Bus.
>   .
>
>
>
>   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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