Re: XTB - the Future of X10 has arrived!

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

One reason X-10 didn't do it may be that many regulatory agencies around the
world limit PLC amplitude to 5Vpp. Most X-10 transmitters output about 10Vpp
but all those introduced for the past 7-8 years are 5Vpp to comply with CE.

"BruceR" <br@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>No offense taken! Had I known about the XTB a few months ago I would
>have waited before jumping onto the Insteon bandwagon.  I'm still using
>X10 in my other home and I will still use X10 for some signalling with
>the Insteon using the XTB.
> The reports so far have been glowing and I can't wait to get my hands
>on them.  The big question in my mind is, "why didn't X10 develop this
>20 years ago and eliminate all the repeaters and other "fixes" and
>problems that have plagued it?"  It seems to me that just turning up the
>volume on the signal is so elegant in its simplicity that it would have
>been done before now.  In any case, hats off to Jeff for doing it!
>
>
>> "BruceR" <br@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>
>>>> I'll bet that an XTB will help you maintain your Stargate
>>>> installation
>>
>>> I'm counting on it!
>>
>> The XTB's going to allow me to keep using X-10 until "the next big
>> thing" emerges in HA and maybe even beyond that.  Whether it's
>> Z-Wave, Zigbee, Insteon, UPB or something else apparently remains to
>> be seen.  I've been less than happy with X-10 for a while now,
>> primarily because of signal strength issues.
>>
>> The XTB has allowed me to restore a number of items that had been
>> consigned to the dustbin because they could not reach every part of
>> the house even with a repeater.  (My experience with repeaters was
>> both costly and fruitless.)  Fortunately most of the loads I want to
>> control are on one phase, but I'd like to be able to reach everywhere
>> without any problems so I've ordered a simple capacitor and more
>> complex tuned circuit SignalLinc passive coupler to test with the
>> XTB.  My feeling is that the .11 volt signal that I get on the phase
>> opposite the XTB (via street pole transformer coupling) will jump.
>> How much, I can't say.
>>
>> The best part of all this is that the new technologies are forcing the
>> prices of X-10 equipment on Ebay to outrageously low levels so that I
>> can easily afford to be 1 level deep in spares on every item and 3 or
>> 4 levels deep on critical items.
>>
>> In addition, I have an inside line on some new X-10 devices that I
>> believe will be nearly as revolutionary as the XTB, at least for some
>> of us.
>>
>> Please don't take this as an insult, Bruce, but what I want to avoid
>> is a system like yours that's straddling multiple technologies.  I
>> also need something simple enough that if it fails when I am away, I
>> can walk my wife through some basic troubleshooting.  I also stand a
>> chance of her swapping a bad module or having her shut down the
>> quirky parts of the system and go to manual control until I return.
>> I wonder about some of the other systems I read about.  What happens
>> when the original designer is out-of-service for any reason?  The
>> Leviton repeater had her going into the box and flipping breakers one
>> too many times which is why we're repeaterless.  :-)
>>
>>
>> "BruceR" <br@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:_SIeg.8882$9W5.5135@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> I'm counting on it!
>>>
>>>
>>>> "BruceR" <br@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>> news:iYseg.7920$9W5.3517@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> Great news!
>>>>
>>>> I'll bet that an XTB will help you maintain your Stargate
>>>> installation running smoothly despite the issues created by having
>>>> so many Insteon devices.
>