Wall Acne (was Re: X10 still around?)

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

Marc F Hult and Robert Green spoke of "wall acne"

<multiple headers snipped>

> >> -- Do they contribute to "wall acne" (plethora of wall plates and
> gizmos)
> >?
> >
> >Perhaps the biggest issue with HA, as far as SWMBO is concerned.
> >Adding filters to X-10 modules has pretty much been the last straw in
> >terms of "wall wart creep."  The next incarnation of HA in our house
> >will have to be far more invisible than it is now.
>
> Agreed.  This isn't just an x10 issue. Among other gizmos, it is also
> all those Class 2 transformers. In a different article in this
> newsgroup, I used the example of the need for three wart-warts to supply
> a drapery control. Even when you do as designed, the %#& things will
> switch positions if there is a line glitch or power outage, so along
> with the wall warts, a battery and yet more wires are needed
> (non-standard). Not appreciated in my household. One part of the
> solution (for me) is distributed DC power.

It's ironic that Edison's vision of a DC world is beginning to appear
through a sneaky back door.  Take that, Tesla!

:-)  I'd hate to count the number of Class 2 (regulated!) wall warts that
are plugged in.  I'm entering them all in my database as I check each one
for X-10 "impact" and I have 36 toted up so far.  That's just not right.

The newer switching supplies seem to be more efficient and less bulky, but
up until recently they almost always interfered with X-10 signals.   Smaller
is better but it still gets the stinkeye from design-oriented half of the
family.  I'd love to dump them all and have a number of coaxial jacks  on
wallplates (4-8 to a plate) distributed throughout the house just like AC
outlets are.

The rub is that not all 12VDC appliances want to play nice with other
appliances.

> And it not just AC stuff.
>
> It's also
>
> dimmers,
> sound distribution controls,
> speakers,
> intercoms,
> LCD panels,
> fan controls,
> thermostats,
> security controls
> cameras,
> occupancy sensors,
> smoke detectors
> other environmental sensors
> and so on

Tootbrush chargers, phone charges, walkman chargers, power tool chargers,
shaver chargers, dustbuster chargers, etc.

Plus, we're so upside-down, economy-wise I can buy a new drill on sale with
two new packs for the price that B&D wants for one replacement pack.  I've
modded my 9.6V drills to use little 12V AGM deep discharge batteries.  Way
cheaper, interchangeable with every other modded tool and far more powerful.
I had to learn to use a 1/4" quick connect crimper like a pro, but it's
wonderful to have all DC appliances set up with slide on female connectors.
I even learned you can make a very simple DC fuse by using a two-prong
plug-in automotive fuse and two insulated 1/4" female quick connects.

I now use one charger for the whole bunch of vacuums, drills, lights,
portable TVs, etc.  What I lose in true portability having the batteries
outside the case, I gain in having always charged spares that are totally
interchangeable.

> that adds to the acne. In some homes, that may add to a desired
> Hometoys/Jetstone look, but not in ours.

While I've met a number of women into HA, I've never met a woman who thought
rat's nests of wires were attractive.  No matter how neatly they are plugged
into one of those special wide-body power taps, an outlet strip full of wall
warts still classify as "those damn wires."

--
Bobby G.