Re: ControlLinc Maxi

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

For $29.99 you could have this equally ugly device.

http://www.smarthome.com/2430.html

"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Anyone else out there using one?  I just got mine today and they seem to
>solve the problem of not being able to access more than one housecode
>easily.  Some nice programmable features, too.  Not bad for $39 but I'd
>prefer it in an RF configuration.
>
>It's also a LOT bigger than I expected which won't help with SAF, but the
>fact that it's got a cover with 5 buttons for simpletons and will be
>replacing two maxi X-10 controllers by the beside will probably make it
>acceptable to SWMBO.
>
>Fortunately you can expand those 5 any housecode commands to 10 through the
>setup program.  The way they have it set, they leave the ON/OFF DIM/BRIGHT
>buttons still visible at the bottom with the lid closed, which might leave
>someone marginally familiar with the X-10 unit to punch in an extra ON which
>in this case is ALL PROGRAMMABLE UNITS ON.
>
>It's got lots of features that I will never use in all probability but some
>of them will come in quite handy like the ability to send pre-set dims from
>the console.  Their scheme gives you 100 presets to choose from.  It will
>also be handy when troubleshooting to be able to send all sorts of commands
>from any unit/housecode combo.  I've noticed that it also retries commands
>when the powerline isn't clear.  Not sure how long a delay it's set for, but
>it does seem to work with single commands.  I'm not sure it would wait for
>an entire macro to execute.
>
>A number of other interesting features are the ability to send ALL UNITS ON,
>ALL LIGHTS OFF for up to 10 housecodes at a time, IIRTMC.
>
>They also seem to infer that this device will control Insteon modules but I
>think the excerpt below from their manual at:
>
>http://www.smarthome.com/manuals/4071.pdf
>
>is probably a misprint and they meant X-10 instead of Insteon in the second
>paragraph:
>
>
>? To turn ON all and X10 Devices linked to the addresses programmed to all 5
>of the On/Off Button Pairs, tap
>the ON Button. ControLinc Maxi will beep and its Status LED will blink off
>once. Dimmable modules will go
>to whatever On-Level they were set up for, at whatever Fade Rate they were
>set up for. Switchable modules
>will immediately go full on.
>
>? To turn OFF all INSTEON and Devices linked to the addresses programmed to
>all 5 of the On/Off Button
>Pairs, tap the ALL OFF Button. ControLinc Maxi will beep and its Status LED
>will blink off once. Dimmable
>modules will go full off at whatever Fade Rate they were set up for.
>Switchable modules will immediately go
>full off.