Re: X-10 dimming of front house lights

["RoughRider" <Post@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

While I can't address your NX8E directly, I can tell you that I did a
similar thing with my front house "coach" and perimeter lights for a few
years using the X-10 motion floodlight sensor and a standard X10 dimmer to
control the coach light brightness.  Automation control was using a X-10
CM-11A programmable controller.  It worked OK, but the nasty thing about the
CM-11 was that it has no logic if/then capabilities.

I then moved up to the Smarthome PowerLinc USB and their SmartHome Manager
Plus software (to program the controller) which worked really well.  After
23h00, the front lights turn off completely.  Any motion would turn them
back on for 5 minutes, then off  under PowerLinc control.  There are many
other nice things about the PowerLinc.  Great product.

However, X-10 protocol and their switches have proven unreliable under a
variety of noise conditions.  The switches also break their internal
push-button contacts, they go deaf, not 2-way...     Look at the Smarthome
X-10 or Insteon switches.  Much better quality, function, and reliability.

My justification for dimming the lights was to save on electricity
consumption.  I also got a kick out of watching the lights get brighter when
I walked up to the house.  Unfortunately, none of my guests ever noticed it
enough to mention.  It was pretty obvious too, but people take this for
granted of have other things on their mind when walking up to your house.

End result after the experience:  I changed the dimmer for a Smarthome
SwitchLinc Relay and changed all the incandescent bulbs with CF lamps.  Much
easier on the electricity that the dimmed incandescents and brighter too.
But you didn't want to hear this did you?