Re: The problems with X10 ...

["accidental plumber" <aplayerinla@xxxxxxxxx>]

The competition:  Levitron and Smarthome are using X10 protocol.  They
are sold as higher end items with nicer switch decor etc.  The fact is,
all the x10.com items I got over 7 years never failed.

The new wireless standard Zwave? and the proprietary system xxBee? are
all in their early stages, just appeared in trade shows.  If you
Froogle them, the price are much higher even if there are something
available.  And I won't rely on a proprietary system as X10.com was
bankrupted at 2003, and from their way of doing things on their
website, they are heading at it again.  They aren't suitable as
security systems as they are designed to be low power so the batteries
last a long long time.  So jamming them should be easy.  There are
cheap wireless security systems around, but the security part of X10 is
at the RF side, which isn't the problem.

Do you need a wired system?  Rewire the whole house if you are not
already in a multi-million dollar automated house?  Hire expensive
labor?  Use monitoring service such as ADT?

There's almost little competition for automation, unless you are afraid
to lose face if you press the button and the music doesn't come on.  In
my home "theater", I have a cable DVR, sound box, DVD changer, and an
Internet TV box.  I also have a TV channel sharing among 3 X10 cams,
for monitoring and security.  Nothing controls them all and I had a
hard time to find the remote controls if I need some special functions.
 So a 99% reliability of the light switch is good enough for me.  And
if you do the math to include 2nd chances, the reliability is really
high.

As for security, is your life depends on it?  I'm not afraid of high
tech thieves who jam my wireless security alarm while I'm not at home,
steal the valuables and leave no traces.  So I just claim the
insurance.  I don't want stupid thieves who break the windows and make
a big mess.  Lots or alarms and floodlights and cameras would deter
them, or anybody.

I only care if I'm in the house, and I hope to get as much advance
warning as possible, be it false alarm.  I couldn't easily get that
trade off with a monitoring service.  If someone is already in the
house and the alarm sounded, does it matter whether the police is
coming or not?

For perimeter defense, x10 has no equal as they have the whole range of
things, lights, PIR, cameras, all controlled and programmable.  For
outdoors, it's much harder to make it fool proof and avoid false alarm.
 So basically it's an early warning and deterrent system.  x10 is
sufficient.