Re: Where Do YOU Go For Your (Daily?) X-10 "Fix"?

[taketheactive@xxxxxxxxx]

I was really SURPRISED, and DISAPPOINTED, at the ABYSMAL response to my
identical post on ALL SIX sites listed in my OP. The era of one
hobbyist helping another is fading; the era of the lazy,
can't-take-the-time-to-look-it-up-myself whiners going to a few
"specialized" sites is taking hold. Vendors full of incorrect advice
seem to find EVERY AVAILABLE Home Automation site and SURPRISINGLY they
aren't that often challenged/corrected. So sad...

Is this REALLY the *ONLY* site that the "pioneers" still visit?

I routinely use GROUP:comp.home.automation as a X-10 Encyclopedia. With
~10+ years of ARCHIVES, *almost* any question I come up with has
already been answered. Sometimes, coming up with the "right" SEARCH
parameters is "challenging" - too vague = too much; too specific = too
little. [I'd like to be able to PRIVATELY ask YOU a question every now
and then, but alas, you no longer list your current E-Mail address.]

In the same relationship as movie/television actors to fans, I've known
your reputation for YEARS, but you haven't a clue as to who I am.
Regardless, THANKS for all the wonderful, informative posts and the
multiple web sites packed with info that you've provided over the
years. [VERY SORRY to keep reading about your poor health. Mine too has
gone downhill MUCH TOO QUICKLY since I passed the half-century mark.]

YES, I *still* have the Ultrasonic Console, *with* the Remote, in
pristine condition, along with a handful of BSR Lamp, Appliance and
Wall (Toggle!) Switch modules. Why do you ask?

I also "had" a GE HomeMinder and a Radio Shack HomeMinder (one at a
time) "way back when". They were REALLY NICE (for their time) with the
cute graphics, etc..., but the video modulators were just TRASH. Both
overheated (according to posts I read at that time) and thus "went
blind". Repair didn't appear "cost-efficient".

They were replaced with a TW-523 and a Votrax Speech Synthesizer,
running under GW BASIC on an IBM PC XT. Except for being a DEDICATED
DOS APPLICATION, I think I enjoyed that setup the most.  At that time,
I found the "specs" online for a software product that was no longer
being sold, where the author accurately described EACH subroutine that
he wrote. Being a Programmer/Analyst, I used that as my "design specs"
and wrote each subroutine myself! [The closest "similar" application
that I've found recently appears to be the MisterHouse FREEWARE,
written in PERL.] I think I'm going to revive an old 486 and start
playing with *BOTH* of those two applications again "soon" (need some
"round tuits", you know?).

Dave Houston wrote:
> I usually check comp.home.automation daily. It is the most complete
and the
> most comprehensive, covering topics other than X-10, and having
enough
> posters with real expertise that incorrect info is usually debunked
rather
> quickly while even esoteric questions usually elicit responsive
responses.
>
> A couple of the groups you mentioned are too heavily influenced by
vendors
> and/or people who don't let their lack of expertise get in the way of
> offering advice. ;) Groups dedicated to particular products also have
tended
> to reduce the activity here. I suspect that dilution will continue as
such
> groups proliferate (e.g. X-10 has started their own support forums)
and that
> your quest for a single source will go unfulfilled.
>
> Do you still have the ultrasonic console?
>
> taketheactive@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> >I've been a X-10 User for *MANY* (20? 25??) years. My first "kit",
that
> >I bought at SEARS, included a BSR Ultrasonic Command Console. [Whoa!
:D
> >]
> >
> >[Mr Rogers {bless his heart (as now done by Robin Williams)}: 'Can
you
> >say "BSR"?' ;) ]
> >
> >>From time-to-time, I get "spurts" when I enjoy checking on "X-10
> >Activity" daily. But, to-date, I have not found any ONE PLACE where
I
> >can get my (complete) "Daily Fix".
> >
> >I've been running a CM11A with ActiveHome v1.32 successfully for a
few
> >years (I started out in my "computer-controlled phase" with a TW-523
> >along with a RS-232 Votrax Speech Synthesizer running under GW BASIC
on
> >an IBM PC! :p ).  I "WANTED" to upgrade to a USB CM15A when it first
> >came out a few months ago, but after following the messages on
various
> >sites for a few weeks, I (wisely it seems) decided against it.
> >
> >Where I do check (somewhat) regularly is as follows:
> >
> >DAILY (or almost):
> >==================
> >
> > - <http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.home.automation>
> >GROUP:comp.home.automation - this has got to be the MOST COMPLETE
place
> >for X-10 information on the Internet! If you have *ANY* X-10 type of
> >question, you can most certainly find the answer here. *BUT*, you
have
> >to SEARCH for it - it's not a Forum; there aren't any "logical
> >groupings"; it's ONE BIG LUMP of information and you have to DIG
> >THROUGH IT...
> >
> > - <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/x10> X-10 Yahoo! Group - this is
the
> >"next oldest" X-10 Information Source that I'm aware of. Created on
Sep
> >8, 1999, it currently has 2427 messages available for research.
But,
> >"activity" comes and goes, especially for 2005...
> >
> > - <http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-x10/list.cgi?0>
X-10
> >Automation Chat Forum at Remote Central - Created on Mar 29, 1999
(or
> >Dec 18, 1972 if you go to the LAST Message?!?), this is an active
X-10
> >Forum, but also lacks any "logical grouping". Thus all information
> >retrival must be done via SEARCHES...
> >
> > - <http://forums.accessx10.com> AccessX10 Forums - Created ~Nov 24,
> >2004, this is an active X-10 Forum that currently appears to be an
> >"ActiveHome Pro" niche. It has good forum software and can possibly
> >grow to become an "all-encompassing" X-10 site given time (and user
> >interest...)
> >
> >SPORADICALLY:
> >=============
> >
> > - <http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?> CocoonTech.Com - Created
~Dec
> >22, 2003, this active VERY TECHNICAL Forum appears to be a
"HomeSeer"
> >niche.
> >
> > - <http://board.homeseer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=708> HomeSeer
> >Technologies General Forums - OBVIOUSLY supported by HomeSeer, I
> >sporadically visit their GENERAL Forums for ideas...
> >
> >What sites do *YOU* regularly visit?
> >
> >Why?
> >
> >--------------------------------------------------
> >This message was originally created on Mar 14, 2005 and posted on
> >several internet sites simultaneously, with the intention that it
will
> >be updated (if possible) "sporadically" as readers respond to it...