Re: XTB II Review

["Jeff Volp" <JeffVolp@xxxxxxx>]

"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2tydnR8ggfAGmgbYnZ2dnUVZ_hmtnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxx

(much snipped regarding an X10 RF sniffer)

> DIY?  Who, me?  Why do you think I buy XTB's fully assembled!
> Phat Phingers!

The problem is that the economics just doesn't make sense for a low volume
item.  Elsewhere was mentioned the National LED driver.  Yes, that's a cheap
chip.  But a finished product requires a printed circuit board and some sort
of enclosure.  That enclosure probably needs to be custom machined for the
readout and to provide a few holes for controls and antenna.  The XTB-II
case costs $15 each at 25 pieces with its simple machining - mostly setup
charge.

At low volume, parts alone for a X10 RF sniffer would be over $50, including
a printed circuit board and a machined case.  I just don't see the benefit
for investing hundreds of hours into a project that may only sell 10 units.

One project I do have in mind is a power status indicator.  Many people have
reported difficulty controlling power to remote toggled ON/OFF devices, such
as TVs.  I have in mind a simple module that just transmits the status when
the power goes above or below a threshold.  It would also respond to a
status query.  There might be enough volume to produce something like that
in the $40 to $50 area.

> I guess I'll look at Ebay to see if any of the units Dave mentioned are
> available cheaply.  The stuck button problem has happened often
> enough that I am pretty sure it's going to happen again.  This time my
> wife wasn't home so I dodged a bullet but I haven't been that lucky
> in the past nor do I expect to be in the future.   Since she's never
> caused a button to stick, it's something that's a black mark on my
> record when it happens and X-10's already made enough of those!

Other people have reported similar problems.  We have several palmpads
floating around ourselves, but I don't recall ever having a problem here
with a stuck button.  We have seen our cat send X10 commands though.  ;-)

Jeff