Re: The problems with X10 ...

["Robert L Bass" <robertbass1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> I think the real problem is a serious lack of competition...

Since X10's patent ran out many years ago there are now lots of competing brands using the same technology.

> The reliability, performance, durability and overall quality
> is crap.  BUT - there is simply no other product that
> provides X10-like functionality.  It must be wonderful to have an entire marketplace to yourself for years, but
> it certainly doesn't encourage quality improvements.

Look around.  There are lots of options.  The problem IMO is not just poor quality from X10 brand.  The medium itself (powerline
carrier) is rife with problems such as line noise, interference, signal loss, etc.  There are ways to deal with each of these
problems and, from what others who tinker with it enough have said, it can be made to work semi-reliably as a home automation
add-on.

Unfortunately, X10 security hardware is not reliable enough to meet the demands of a professional security installation.  Most of
the participants in ASA are not home automators.  Their exposure to X10 is usually with the toy-like X10 alarms so there's not much
respect for it here.

> Jim said...

Pay no attention to Jiminex.

> If someone were to market a competitive product
> with the same functionality as X10 but proper
> reliability and durability, I'd switch over to it tomorrow.

A few people in another newsgroup have spoken well of Insteon, which claims to be the next better thing than X10.  Unfortunately,
Insteon also seems to be problematic.  There are other, more robust HA solutions on the market that still qualitfy as DIY-capable
and won't break the bank.  A search on Zwave may prove interesting.

> Having said all that, once I'd weeded out all
> the rubbish modules and got down to a set that
> seems to work and keep working, I've had
> reasonably good service.  There are still
> switching failures (a device doesn't respond to
> an event sent by the CM12), but it's not like
> I'm running someone's life support system off it.

Your results are not unlike many others we've seen.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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