Re: Z-Wave in the news

["wkearney99" <wkearney99@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Yes, it looks like a hybrid solution will be necessary
> until a wider range of products is available.

I agree.  I converted all my wall switches to Lutron Radio RA and it's been
WONDERFUL.  Every command works, EVERY time no matter what other powerline
devices I connect.  Joy!  The only downside, of course, is the lack of wall
outlets or plug-in modules for the Christmas lights.  Back to the usual
train wreck of untangling X10 mysteries.

> but maintain X10 for some of the more
> obscure applications (sensing when the clothes washer
> cycle is complete, etc).

I do still use some X-10 motion sensors and RF remotes.  The cat's water
dish is on an X-10 IR sensor that trips the RF receiver right in the same
room.  Otherwise the rest of the IR and slimswitches all speak to the RF
receiver tied into Homeseer.

> It's interesting, and a bit of a mystery, why it's taken
> such a long time for X10 to be replaced with something
> more reliable. The speed of tech advancement in this area
> seems to have moved at about 1/10 the speed of say, personal
> computers.

Home automation is a fringe market.  The average resident isn't really
prepared to torment themselves with the hassles of properly setting up home
automation systems.  Partly, I'm sure, by being hesitant to go yanking wall
switches.  But even if that's overcome it's still a pretty big hassle to get
an effective design configured.  It falls into the category of "if you want
it, you'll do it" but most folks don't.  Thus the usual economies of scale
never get a chance to kick in.  X-10 has been both a blessing and a curse.
At this point their continued delivery of such utterly shitty products (mfg
and design) is probably doing more to HARM the market than anything else.
Were X-10 to die overnight it would probably do more to help the market than
anything else.

But hey, that's just the opinion of someone that's suffered through trying
to use their crap for the past 2 decades.  I've given up entirely on their
powerline solutions and am quite hesitant to put up with anyone else's.
Perhaps Control4 will "suck less" but thus far I've not heard enough about
them to convince me one way or the other.

-Bill Kearney