Re: Insteon receptacles?

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"BruceR" <br@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:AheEf.4883$Z3.3395@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Yes, you're right, I was comparing the wall switches. The plug-in
> modules are needlessly huge.

We have most off-white walls.  When SWMBO saw the battleship-sized and
battleship gray ApplianceLincs, back they went to Smarthome.  They actually
made the small X-10 appliance modules look good to her.

> The Leviton X10 plug-ins are a nice size,
> wish they'd copy that design!  BTW, Leviton offers a version of the X10
> outlet with both switched rather than just the one that X10 offers. It's
> really just a matter of internal wiring as they are not switched
> seperately.

By "both switched" you mean upper and lower outlets respond to the same
address?  That's a compromise design, IMHO.  Ideally, you want to control
upper and lower outlets separately but I don't think they could cram a
second relay in the Leviton box.  I've looked inside a couple of dead X10
duplex outlets.  It's cramped.

Ideally, both upper and lower outlets could be individually addressed and
either switched or unswitched.  They should also be capable of being wired
to separate circuits like they do some kitchens to provide 30A per outlet
point for toaster ovens and high wattage appliances, etc.   It would be nice
to know the answer to "Did I leave the toaster oven on?" (which is easy to
do with some of them just by closing the door) remotely by knowing that
outlet Kitch3 was OFF.  Oh, and that's really off - no current at all going
to the appliance not any of this "based on my state table I believe it is
off" crap.  Off.  That has to be switchable, too, because so many new
appliances have "sleep" modes.  No wonder we haven't seen a good duplex
outlet yet!  Lots of factors to look at when they design and  build a good
one. :-)

It will be interesting to see what they design if they ever get around to
releasing one.  Once upon a time someone from Smarthome used to post here,
but he was probably run out of town on a DIN rail.  :-)

--
Bobby G.