Re: X10 replacement?

[Joerg <notthisjoergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Marc,

>>>
>>>>>Interesting. Ours doesn't have it but next time I'll ask whether they
>>>>>can order starter kits etc. Prices that I've seen elsewhere were a bit
>>>>>steep, like $39.99 for a light switch relay. Don't know if that'll fly
>>>>>with the average consumer and those are the guys who need to be
>>>>>convinced. We'll see.
>>>>
>>>>I agree that $40 for a wall switch is too much.  Likewise, $85 to $95
>>>>for a receptacle, is WAY too much.  Standard wall switches start at
>>>>just over a dollar and go as high as $7 or $8, some fancy models might
>>>>be over $10.  I understand these will cost a bit more but $40?
>>>
>>>I just did a quick count (in my head, I probably missed two or three).
>>>There are 27 standard wall switches controlling lights in my house.
>>>There is a single dimmer for the dining room light.  Further, there are
>>>ten switches wired in five three-way configurations and three more
>>>wired to a single set of lights (three fixtures).  Assuming I could
>>>simply replace each of these 41 switches with this $40 switch, it would
>>>run me $1,640 just for light switches!  And of course there are the ten
>>>or so pull switches on overhead lights in closets and in the basement.
>>>Of course, those items don't seem to be available anyway.  Receptacles,
>>>at $95 each will get out of control even faster.
>>
>>Don't forget the controllers, remotes, software etc. Pushes you above
>>$2k in a jiffy. IMHO this will not fly at the $40 a pop price level. The
>>ICON series leads into the right direction by offering lower prices. But
>>it has to work and most people (including me) have now adopted a
>>wait-and-see attitude when it comes to HA. Because X10 was a bit of a
>>disappointment.
>
> My arithmetic comes quite differently using actual, today's prices from
> http://www.smarthome.com/prodindex.asp?catid=74
>
> Homeseer 2.0 software with INSTEON USB controller Part 12660    $200
> Keypad Dimmer INSTEON Starter Kit - Part 2493			$160
> 	two signal enhancers, 2 V2 dimmers, Wall keypad/dimmer
> Plug-In Dimmer INSTEON Starter Kit - Part 2490			$100
> 	Desktop controller, two signal enhancers, 2 lamp modules
>
> 36 ICON dimmers and ICON lamp modules  (any mix)                $720
> (36 _more_-- Yikes! Is the choice *really* "41 dimmers or nothing" ?)
>
> Shipping							 $20
> Total  	 							$1200
> In other words, No. It is not "over $2k". For a complete system with 31
> (thirty-one) dimmers it is 1/2 that ( $979.71 + shipping to be more exact).
>

If you run lots of CFL bulbs like most of us you'd probably need the
2876. But it's on sale as well so instead of $35 it's now $25. Probably
HLS had their regular prices in mind and so did I. The sale prices do
indeed look a lot better. Why don't they simply adjust their regular
pricing to what's realistic?

They should also come out with a "real" starter kit for $99. The one on
the Home Depot site doesn't contain any USB controller and our HD didn't
have it AFAIR. Once in a while X10 offers the CM12, software (free), two
lamp modules and two appliance modules from the pro series for around
$85. Now that's a deal. If it only worked...

BTW, Home Depot does not list the ICON devices. It's all $39.99 there
and that is too much.


> And its hippo-think IMO to assume one needs to be able to automate _every_
> light to decide to automate _anything at all_.  One could do *most* of what
> most folks need and want with half that.
>

Yep, just like city folks who think they absolutely need a big honking
4WD SUV. I'd concentrate on only the locations where automation really
makes sense.


> I started with (effectively) the specials in the first three lines and added
> an admixture of one-of-each-of-everything because I'm a Curious George ...
>
> FWIW, the ICON wall dimmers use identical cases, leads, PCBs (including gold
> plating) as the V2 dimmers that cost twice as much -- the only visible
> difference to my eyes is the number of LED's that are actually populated on
> the boards and thus the number of LED aperture in the plastic front. One
> can't tell if the TRIACS are the same part number without drilling out the
> rivet, and I'm not _that_ curious ;-) Newer V2's also have a larger choke.
>

That's what puzzled me, too. The ads say "except for certain functions",
whatever the heck that means they don't seem to say. I guess they did
realize that anything much above $20 isn't exactly selling like hot cakes.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com