Re: Replacement for X10?

[Martin Howell <martin.howell@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Nick,

Not sure that Lightwave was around when I was looking - it was a few=20
years ago, and I can't claim to have studied every option :-)

I liked the HE stuff because it was cheap and could be manually switched=20
if the central control failed, plus I already had a couple of spare=20
arduino devices and I knew how to program them.  I also looked long and=20
hard at what I wanted to do with home automation, and that determined=20
what I needed - lots of systems can do loads of clever stuff, but my=20
requirements boiled down to some pretty simple stuff.  I switch lights=20
(time based) and the vent system (temperature based) on and off; monitor=20
internal and external temperatures; watch the status of all external=20
doors and that of a pair of water leak detectors.  My plan originally=20
was to have a Raspberry Pi-based display screen to show all of this=20
stuff, plus other things like calendar reminders, but I'm now leaning=20
more in favour of a couple of android tablets instead.

HTH
Martin

On 19/11/2013 18:17, Nicholas Humfrey wrote:
> Thanks Martin.
>
> =C2=A312 for a socket and a remote is indeed pretty good value :)
>
> Did you look at LightwaveRF?
>
> nick.
>
>
> On 2013-11-19 14:47, Martin Howell wrote:
>> I did the same as you, and after looking at the options available
I
>>   opted for Home Easy. The modules are cheap and readily available
>>   (although no longer sold by B&Q) and I control mine with an
arduino
>>   running home brew software. Works really well and costs are
minimal,
>>   they can be controlled with manual switches as well as with the
>>   computer, and the arduino lets me do other stuff as well as
simple
>>   turning things on and off.
>>
>>   There are more sophisticated systems on the market, but most are
>> quite
>>   expensive, and/or have a steep learning curve so are hard for er
>>   indoors to cope with.
>>
>>   Martin
>>
>>   On 19/11/2013 11:06, Nicholas Humfrey wrote:
>>   > Hello,
>>   >
>>   > I cant believe I have only just discovered this mailing
list! I
>> have
>>   > been a home automation fan for a very long time, and a few
years
>> ago
>>   > bought a number of Marmitek X10 modules.
>>   >
>>   > However in the past year several of my X10 modules have
stopped
>>   > working. Some of them have started having interference
problems (I
>>   > think), a couple of the DIN modules have some kind of
electronic
>> or
>>   > mechanical problem. And my cat snapped off the RF aerial of
my USB
>>   > controller!
>>   >
>>   >
>>   > It is time to move on but what is the best alternative?
>>   >
>>   > - LightwaveRF
>>   > - Home Easy
>>   > - Z-Wave
>>   > - Rako
>>   > - Bye Bye Standby
>>   > - Insteon
>>   >
>>   > Ideally it would be something affordable, easily available
in the
>> UK
>>   > and controllable from Linux.
>>   > Two-way communication is desirable - like to know that the
light
>>   > actually received the message to turn on.
>>   >
>>   >
>>   > nick.
>>   >
>>   >
>>   >
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