Re: Getting started with home lighting automation

[Jules Verne <jules.verne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 26 Jun 2005 23:27:14 -0400, "wkearney99"
<wkearney99@xxxxxxxxxxx> spake thusly:

>> All of the lights are switched,
>
>Switched where?  On the wall or in the lamps themselves?  If they're on the
>wall then you can just replace the wall switches with ones that can be
>remote controlled.  If you're talking table lamps without wall switches then
>you'd have to leave the lamps 'on' and plug them into controllable modules.

Wall switches.

>
>> several of them use compact fluorescent bulbs.
>
>Some CF bulbs can be dimmed but many cheap ones can't.  As such you'd need
>to make sure you don't use a dimmer switch to control them.

I doubt these are dimmable.  So if it the light is used as a
normal light and I just get something simple that turns it on and
off, I don't have to worry about it?

>
>> something that runs from a computer would be nice
>
>A Basic X-10 starter kit would probably handle most of your basic needs.
>

I'll look at these again -- so far it seems like I keep running
in to kits that try to do everything from brewing coffee to
running a rectal thermometer.

Thanks for your help,

JV