Re: HA Primer - Pos and cons of X-10, Z-wave, Insteon, UPB

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

mmikem32 <pinzen@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Dave, Do you own any Z-Wave equipment?  If so, are you having issues
>getting it to work?  If not, are you using a technology that you are
>having problems with?  I am just trying to understand your negative
>theorical specification speak against Z-Wave when most of the posters
>here think its a solid technology, and some posters, including myself,
>have a successful installation with no bandaids like line filters, etc.

To the best of my recollection you are the very first Z-Wave end-user (aside
from dealers and installers) to post here in the 5 years or so that Z-Wave
has been available. So "most of the posters here" have never indicated
whether they think Z-Wave is "a solid technology". One rather knowledgeable
person, the author of Charmed Quark, uses Z-Wave and has, by and large,
agreed with most of the things I've had to say about it. Had you not just
recently "fallen from the sky" into CHA, you would know that.

As to my "negative" views, I suggest you actually review my posts on the
topic (my first post about Z-Wave was in June of 2002). You will find they
are factual and backed by evidence. If you want to argue with me on
technical issues I suggest you arm yourself with facts and supporting
evidence rather than relying on the litany of lies and misrepresentations
from Bass.

I live in a building that isn't very friendly to RF of this type. The walls
are plaster with lots of wire lath and with metal junction boxes, metallic
conduit, and hot water heat with large metal register enclosures in each
room. I have no problem with either X10 or Insteon and my RF setup (of my
own design) manages to handle RF quite well here.

While I have range tested some Z-Wave modules I do not use nor do I expect I
ever will use Z-Wave. I try to test and evaluate each new HA technology
(some manufacturers and dealers have loaned me hardware to make this
possible) and report on it here for the benefit of others - especially those
with disabilities for whom reliable HA technology is important.