Re: coin operated TeeVee

[chsvideo@xxxxxxxxxxx]

J Wynia wrote:
<snip>
> If both are true (as opposed to just wanting to mildly enforce family

> rules that get forgotten as the hours in front of the TV roll by or
> implementing something similar in a commercial context), your
> implementation will be much more difficult and will probably require
> locking the wall plug and the X10 outlet together somehow.
</snip>

As much as I hate to say this (mainly because I'm likely not much older
than the group being targeted and many of my income-earning interests
come from stuff I originally learned about on
TLC/Discovery/History/CourtTV/National Geo/... And I don't know where I
would be now otherwise, but:

Tip I've learned from trial and error at my day job (Classroom
Media/Video Conferencing/General A/V Engineering & Design for a 8,000
student university): Find one of the better quality outdoor receptical
"Weatherproof in-use" covers (the "bubble" kind with slots at the
bottom for the power cords to exit) and screw it over the (in this
case) X10 outlet.

Most of these have a loop for a (small -- luggage-type) lock of some
kind, and those that don't can be modified in a fairly trivial manner
to be secure enough. We do this in classrooms where the electrical
outlet used by the Instructor's equipment (computer, DVD player, etc)
is accessable to discourage people from stealing our power and
'forgetting' to plug things back in for the next class.

See, for example: http://www.intermatic.com/?action=subcat&sid=99

If you do this (especially with one of the metal covers) it will be
virtually impossible for them to physically bypass your controls
without destroying something (power cord, outlet, outlet cover) along
the way... Unless they find an extra X10 transmitter.

:omcp;m

Lincoln