Re: INSTEON: Let the recalls begin ...

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Larry Moss" <moss@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

<ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >> >> You frequently talk about all the knowledge that's on the 'net and
> >> >> all anyone has to do is *spend time* researching the issues.
> >> [Lots more stuff from both of us]

> > No need.  I'll concede the point.  I'm not sure I said it in reference
to
> > Insteon, where, as I said above, the solutions to some problems seem to
be
> > still unknown no matter how much research one does.
>
> No.  I meant you said it in reference to X10.  And I was pointing out that
> while there are known solutions, I (and other newbies) didn't know them
> until I (we) put in a lot of time.  so there's a lot of time invested in
> using X10.

OK - I remember now.  We were comparing Windows/Unix to X10 Insteon among
many other excursions.  In fact, we mostly had the same discussion then that
we had yesterday! :-)

I think the general conclusion was that there's a lot of investment in any
complex technical endeavor, and that's how we segued into the
Windows/Anything Else discussion.  I have no doubt that Smarthome will
eventually work their problems out.  Whether they become the pre-eminent HA
protocol is still very much in doubt, at least in my mind.  That's also the
thread in which I said I'd still start a newbie on X-10 just because there's
so much more troubleshooting help available for it all over the net.

I'm having buyer's remorse: I'm worried that my wife will actually come to
like the Icon switches and make me replace all the Stanley X-10 gear.  :-)
We're used to the mushy pushbutton X-10 style but my MIL has yet to embrace
them fully.  That's another reason to keep the X-10!!!!!  Still, at $20 a
switch it was just the right choice for the situation.

> > OK - I didn't realize anyone remembered what I wrote a month ago!  I
don't.
> > :-) And you're welcome, although I am pretty sure you thanked everyone
> > previously.
>
> I only remember because I don't post often. I tend to remember the
> discussions I'm part of.

That's the advantage of *not* being a compulsive poster like me!   I can't
help it though.  I always come out of a discussion knowing more than when I
went it.  It's only when it gets snippy, rude or stupid that I feel
compelled to remain silent.

> > Were they [failed devices] X10 made devices or Smarthome X-10 devices
that
> > failed?
>
> Both, but I had more trouble with smarthome stuff.

Dan L's observations are right on the money, and to echo his words, to be
fair, almost every Smarthome switch/module is a lot more complex than the
simple X-10 circuitry.  While only an EE could say for sure, it's entirely
possible that their miniaturization efforts meant using parts that were
closer to the make or break tolerance points.  It seems to be the prevailing
theory of what caused the flickering problem - an undersized choke coil.
It's not a big leap to think that they may have been a little too aggressive
in making the switches small.

Insteon's series of problems that don't afflict X-10 may only reflect the
far longer debugging period that X-10's had available.  Let's hope that's
the case.  I'd hate to think the design problems of the earlier SwitchLincs
are still unresolved and haunting the new gear.

--
Bobby G.