Re: x10 Help

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:46fba451.2981238812@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> "Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >"Frank Mc Alinden" <Frank.Mc.Alinden.2xhnvg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> >> My initial problem with no reponse at all was due to a bent pin on the
> >> Homevision x10 socket.
> >
> >Good on you, mate!  What made you even think to look at the connection?
> >
> >As for the ESM1 and the difference in Hz between Aussie and US power, I
> >thought that someone said it doesn't make any difference but I couldn't
find
> >substantiation for that in a quick Google search.  Perhaps someone
smarter
> >will chime in and clarify.  It's too bad that X-10 never really embraced
> >240VAC the way they did 110VAC.  From what I saw in my brief search, the
> >price for the 240VAC gear is still pretty painful.
>
> And if each of the 50 states in the USA required a different plug design,
> X-10 prices here would reflect that. While Europe is standardizing on
> voltage, nearly each country has a different plug style. If Belgium
splits,
> there will probably be yet another. ;-)
>
> European/US prices for X-10 devices that do not plug into the powerline
are
> not all that different, especially considering the difference in sales
> volume. Laser sells the HR10E for 12GBP. X-10 sells the equivalent HR12A
for
> $19.99.

The transformer that came with my GPS has a detachable plate on the wall
plug side.  It looks like they can mount any sort of plug type on that
adapter plate.  I've noticed that a number of new X-10 items come with wall
warts (the cameras and the new LED mini-timer, among others) so maybe
they'll get around to designing a similar system for their 220-240VAC
modules.   I believe that the Sanyo GPS supply is a switching-type and X-10
can't use switching supplies because they would not pass the 120KHz X-10
signal to the device they power.  Do you think it's possible to design a
switching supply that's capable of passing the X-10 signal?

> As for using the ESM1 on 230VAC, replacing the 120VAC:12VAC wall
transformer
> with a 230VAC:12VAC wall transformer should work. I've answered this
> question a few times but don't recall ever getting feedback from anyone
who
> tried it. Whether that's because no one tried it or everyone who did was
> electrocuted, I don't know. Maybe Frank, if he survives, will give us some
> feedback.

What might the possible effects be of the differ power frequencies?  My
"impression" (and it's only that because I don't usually pay a lot of
attention to 220VAC X-10 gear questions) is that the meter obtains the
frequency from the powerline to start with, so it should at least indicate
the presence of a signal, i.e. the bars will light.   My question is whether
the 'X-10 Good' LED will light, too.

It's up to Frank now.  With the dollar so weak, there probably will never be
a better time for him to buy an ESM1.  If he's serious enough about HA to
own a centralized controller like HomeVision, he's *got* to get a meter
sooner or later.  Sooner will probably save a lot of plugging and unplugging
of suspicious signal suckers and noise sources.  Hopefully he'll survive the
transformer experiment and report his results.

I thought Jeff had an ESM1, too.  He should have the appropriate sized
220VAC transformer and the electro-smarts not to electrocute himself.  It's
big of me to volunteer his ESM1 (and his time) for a possibly lethal
experiment <grin> but he's probably bored now that the he's finishing up the
XTB-IIR.

--
Bobby G.