Re: Computer interface CM12U Relpacement

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

Beachcomber" <Beachcomber@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

> Thank you for your response. I ordered yet another CM12 as an X10 system
> without timers is a complete was of money.

Some people get along fine without timers.  It just depends on what you want
the system to do.

I'd be pretty worried that your third CM12 will smoke as well.  While it's
probably a good idea to search out the cause I would consider fitting at
least a passive cooling sink and maybe even a fan to the unit so that it got
good airflow.  Are you on a two or three phase system.  From what I was just
reading the new and ubiquitous switching power supplies can cause some
serious issues with transformers and the components that use them.  Not sure
if any of that concerns you, though.

> X10 is is just not supported well here in the UK - yes we have a couple of
> excellent suppliers but the prices are double to 3 times the cost in the
> USA. Its a great shame as it stops the market growing.

It's a shame, and I wonder whether it's just a perfect example of "economies
of scale" in the manufacturing or market process or whether more complex
forces are conspiring against you.  It seems like a fair number EU members
don't think much of many of the new EU rules.  The cost of engineering for
the higher voltages can't really account for the 3X price boost, given that
end-users convert 110 VAC X-10 modules all the time.

It may simply be that there's no incentive to design for a market that has
so many different plug variations.  There was an interesting map just
publishing in the US edition of National Geographic describing all of the
technical differences between European countries.

--
Bobby G.