Re: xPL/xAP an alternative to C-Bu$ ?

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Have you looked at the Rako line? It's not X10 cheap but seems quite
reasonable
to me.

I think I might end up going with their stuff as...
Being RF there is no need to mess around wiring CAT5 back to the switches.
There is a 2 way PC interface which has a simple protocol so I'm sure it
wouldn't be too difficult to tie the system in with xPL/xAP/HomeSeer etc.

The faceplates are battery powered (3 year life supposedly) so there is no
restriction in where they have to go (the dimmers go in-line in the ceiling
void). That's useful enough, but I can see all sorts of ways of using the
switches when talking to a PC or even using other (cheaper) switches to
control
the lighting via the PC interface.

http://www.rakocontrols.com

No association, bla, etc. *But* if you go this route, give me a shout
off-list
first ;-)

Cheers,
Justin.

Quoting Gareth Cook <g@xxxxxxx>:

> I went to the UKHA2004 show - I was the CBus switches. All very very
nice.
> I then came back home and did the sums.
>
> In my house, to replace the light switches, I'm looking at £2000.
Switches
> ONLY ! No dimmers yet....And quite frankly, it ain't gonna happen - I
like
> my HA, but not at that price. I'm getting more careful in my old age
:-)
>
> So, if I already have CAT5 to the light switches - any reason why a
> xPL/xAP alternative could be developed ? Maybe even using standard MK
> momentary switches as the physical switch and wiring this new module
to
> the "mains" input on that switch as a local loop - and then
from the
> module in the backbox back to Node 0 over CAT5. Same, if not better
> control - and at a reasonable price.
>
> I'm seriously thinking of switching to X10 - I know it's naff but if
I'm
> re-wiring anyway, I can have all the LD11s back in one place -
shouldn't
> get a problem. And the switches from MK are a few pounds - a more
> palatable cost.
>
> G.