Re: Re: insteon/UPB

[Gerry Duprey <gerry@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howdy,

> I could not find any proof of UPB components working on 240V/50Hz for
us
> people on normal powerlines... ;-)

Sorry about that.  Talking to various distributors, UPB is really just
taking off this year (and more the later part of this year).  Up til now,
it's been a trickle of sales, but most are reporting that they are
regularly
selling out their stock this fall.

To me, that suggests UPB is finally approaching critical mass.  My hope is
that once it does, energy will be put into a 240/50hz version.  It would
probably just take some UK company who wants to license and build them to
do
it (all the companies doing UPB in the states have all licensed it from PCS
as they hold the patents, but they are pretty reasonable about licensing).

Don't get too bummed out -- it's new tech and has to get a start somewhere,
but it should be able to grow into other markets faster than X10 did.

I do know at least one major UPB supplier (HAI) is really behind the 8-ball
because their facilities were in New Orleans and got wiped out by Hurricane
Katrina,  They have moved and have started shipping new stuff just
recently,
but that suggests they have a lot of backlog to get through before they can
consider new products.

I've heard folks talk about CBUS -- how does it compare to UPB?  I don't
know much about it, but it seems a number of folks on this list are running
it.  I'd be curious how it fits (or if it fits) into a similar niche as
UPB.

Gerry

P.S. One thing I think has worked for me in the past is to contact the
various distributors and talk to their heads of sales or marketing (not the
folks in customer support -- they rarely pass along your message) and let
them know what you need.  If enough of you folks contact these folks (like
the people an HomeControls or Worthington), it *will* get back to the
manufacturers (as these companies, in particular, are well connected to the
UPB suppliers).  Sometimes that's all it takes (I once got a significant
firmware change to a device I had been asking about for 6 months in less
than 2 weeks when I finally got it to the right ears and was able to
explain
it, why I wanted it, how I thought it could be done and what the market for
it would be).

--
Gerry Duprey
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://www.cdp1802.org