Re: The problems with X10 ...

["accidental plumber" <aplayerinla@xxxxxxxxx>]

So you suggest expensive trash instead?

On Nov 2, 8:34 pm, "Jim" <alarmi...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> accidental plumber wrote:
> > ...  are firstly, the x10.com company.  If the company sells products
> > as they are, there won't be god knows how many abandoned modules around
> > the globe.  On top of that, the company is one of the most hated
> > company online.  I hope this is the first of a serious of articles of
> > my rantings about X10, the protocol and the company.
>
> > Like most users, I brought a kit for the price, tried it and felt that
> > it was cool.  When I committed to it and expanded to the whole house,
> > it became another infamous haunted house.  There's no way you can make
> > the X10 products work reliably from the product literatures from
> > x10.com.  I had many light switches and modules, three RF transceivers,
> > a full security system with two PIR detectors and many door/window
> > modules.  Also I have several cameras controlled by DC adapters from
> > X10.  I kept on adding to the system but at the same time part or most
> > of the system are abandoned.
>
> > The many troubleshooting guides on the net doesn't help much.  They are
> > rarely written by Electronics Engineers.  Anyway, I started around 1999
> > so there wasn't that much information around.  Well, who will get into
> > X10 if they know they need to install another box at the distribution
> > box or consumer box, to block out noise and potential interference from
> > neighbors using x10?  And they need one isolator or blocker for any
> > electronic equipments including DC adapters for phone chargers?  And
> > then a 3-phase coupler for most houses.  And a coupler and repeater if
> > you have a large house.  How about the new RF transceiver that listen
> > to all possible house codes and can generate a log for the ghost
> > activities?  And a pair of testers at $100?
>
> > But if I were to do it all over again, it will still be X10.  A total
> > wireless system is still too expensive; every module has to have a
> > receiver that is more complicated than the x10 crap.  Modules are
> > selling about 1/3 on eBay compared to the x10 website.  After 7 years,
> > everything still works, though not together.  Despite all the hype, I
> > think I only need one blocker/isolator for the main TV and the
> > electronics around it to solve the reliability problem.  The price is
> > some $10 on eBay?
>
> > Though my system will still be based on x10, but I would have mixed in
> > a lot of other components.  For example, for rarely opened and
> > difficult to enter windows, I would use a small independent alarm which
> > could be as cheap as a few dollars.  The x10 cameras are crap, which
> > also need short line of sight reception to be non-irritating.  More for
> > the next message.If you buy cheap, you get cheap.