Re: Fw: Smarthome.com - Eight Button X10 Keypads question

["Mark Harrison (Groups)" <mph@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 2005-08-12 at 15:32 +0000, clax01011971 wrote:
> Now I'm a little confused. Why would I need an X10 radio receiver?
> I thought that these would just replace a normal light switch and
> then it would send X10 signals through the wiring? Do they send
> radio signals as well?

Dave,

Your understanding is the same as mine. I suspect Gareth was getting
confused with the SS "Stick a Switch" which, while looking very
similar
visually, is an X-10 radio transmitter. Of course, it's always possible
that he is right and you and I are wrong :-)

I believe that the product you're pointing at has been developed
directly by Smarthome, the US's largest X10 reseller, who have now built
up their in-house hardware development team to about a dozen people. I
don't believe that they have launched ANY of their in-house products in
the UK (though Phil or Li may know different, guys?)

The closest you could realistically come to that with UK/European X-10
products would probably to go with the TMA4 (on/off only) or TMD4
(dimming also) micromodules, which are "half" of the solution -
they are
micromodules, ie devices that fit BEHIND a switch, to which you attach
momentary switches. The TMA4/TMD4 are X-10 senders - they don't have any
built in dimming, so you use them to control other modules - LM, AM, LD,
AD, LW, AW, HDM etc.

Quite a lot of our installers fit them for use with LDs (DIN rail
dimmers), since, while they need a neutral rather than just a load (aka
switched earth), it's normally possible to junction that up in-room (in
the rose/ceiling junction box) and therefore not have to re-wire first
fix to the light switch to give a separate neutral.

Regards,

Mark
Simply Automate