RE: CBus / X10 Opinions please

["Sullivan, Glenn" <gsullivan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Except Cbus isn't available to us in the US... :-(


Not yet at least... I spoke to someone who used to be a distributor in
the US for their security products, and they hinted at US compatible
modules/switches/etc, but not for a year or so.

Glenn Sullivan, MCSE+I  MCDBA
David Clark Company Inc.=20=20

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx]=20
> On Behalf Of Gerry Duprey
> Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 10:04 AM
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] CBus / X10 Opinions please
>=20
> Howdy,
>=20
> Okay -- I'm in the US and all, but I can at least weigh in on=20
> my X10 experience.
>=20
> I have a moderately old house (1928), so refit is the key=20
> here.  As such,=20
> I've been refitting the house with X10 stuff, specifically,=20
> the Leviton AGC=20
> based switches.  These switches have a top and bottom press=20
> to them (for=20
> separate on/off/bright/dim action) and feel pretty good to the touch.
>=20
> At this point, just over 9 years into the project, I have=20
> about 50 X10=20
> switches and I think 2 non-X10 switches (plain old manual=20
> wall switch).  And=20
> until about 6 weeks ago, I never saw any problem with X10.
>=20
> However, about that time, something outside the house started=20
> generating a=20
> *lot* of electrical noise all the time.  My X10 system just totally=20
> shutdown.  I couldn't control anything.  I have the power=20
> company involved,=20
> but they are not being too helpful (since my appliances and=20
> lights come on).
> I've installed a X10 noise blocker in the main panel and that=20
> helped enough=20
> to get most of my X10 switches that are levitons working (the=20
> agc stuff is=20
> the key -- if the X10 signal is strong enough, they can=20
> ferret it out of the=20
>   noise pretty well).  Well, mostly.  Where as X10 had been=20
> rock solid=20
> reliable for years, it's now about 90% reliable.  Very, very=20
> depressing.
>=20
> The killer is that it's from a source outside the house --=20
> something I have=20
> no control over.
>=20
> So, after years of smugly noting other peoples X10 problems=20
> and thinking=20
> they must be doing something wrong, I'm now smarting.
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> If I were doing a new house, I wouldn't even think for a=20
> second -- I'd=20
> absolutely run CAT-5 to each control box and probably start=20
> with something=20
> like CBUS.  Seeing as I don't have that option, I'm going to=20
> start looking=20
> into the new UPB stuff which is supposedly a much faster and=20
> more advanced=20
> protocol than X10 and very much less sensitive to noise.
>=20
> But changing out all the switches in the house to be UPB is=20
> expensive.  I'll=20
> be scraping nearly $3600 (USD) in X10 switches and at my best=20
> estimate,=20
> spending nearly $4000 to replace them.
>=20
> This tale of woe isn't so much for sympathy, but to seriously=20
> warn off=20
> anyone contemplating a large scale X10 installation.  As they=20
> say in the=20
> 50's B schlock movies:  "It could happen to YOU".
>=20
> Gerry
> --=20
> Gerry Duprey
> Ann Arbor, MI 48103
> http://www.cdp1802.org
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