Re: Newbie Trying to sort it all out...

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

I've created a web page that's more DIY oriented than most.

     http://www.mbx-usa.com

You might consider a PDA as your programmable remote. There are 3-4 software
packages that allow this. You get an excellent color touchscreen for far
less than the dedicated color touchscreen remotes. You do need to be aware
that IR range depends on the model of PDA.

The more specific you can be in your questions, the better the responses.

"randomnoise" <randomnoise@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Dave,
>
>Thanks for the advice - I'll continue to lurk & pick up on the
>experience here.
>
>I am looking to retrofit an existing house - The house is about 8 years
>old, we've been in it about 2½ months.  I'm not looking for bottom
>dollar  solutions - those often end up costing so much in time, repairs
>& replacements, but I'm not looking to go top-end either.  For now, I'm
>really only looking at lighting control - I haven't even thought about
>much else, except perhaps thermoststs.
>
>I'll order the SmartHome catalog today.  I am willing to tinker - I'm a
>DIY type, and a Ham radio operator, so tinkering is in my genes.  As
>for the remotes, I'm willing to spend $200-$300 or so - I know those
>aren't cheap and that more features and flexibility come with increased
>price tags.
>
>Dave Houston wrote:
>> You should lurk for a few more weeks.
>>
>> You don't provide much in the way of specifics but it sounds like you
>want
>> to add automation features to an existing house rather than to one
>being
>> constructed. You also don't say how much you want to spend.
>>
>> X-10 is probably still the best choice for low budget retrofits but
>it does
>> require that you understand its quirks and weaknesses. There are
>several
>> manufacturers that use X-10 technology but they do not always make
>that
>> clear in their marketing. Get a copy of SmartHome's print catalog.
>They
>> usually note when devices are X-10 compatible. (Note that I do not,
>however,
>> recommend using their own *Linc brand devices.)
>>
>> How much do you plan to spend on a programmable remote? How willing
>are you
>> to tinker?