Re: Why cling to old X10?

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"RickH" <passport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

<stuff snipped>

> You guys know best, I'm just a consumer who had problems with X10 for
> years, but now I have no problems, this system is rock solid so far.
> I dont hate X10, it has just been undependable for me and I've had a
> lot of problems with relay chatter and devices failing, as well as
> flashing lights where you have to hit the button 5 times hoping the
> light lands the way you want it after it stops flashing, (maybe
> Chinese manufacturing but failed nonetheless).

You're completely entitled to spend your money any way you want.  In the
face of declining X-10 performance, it was an entirely logical and
reasonable thing to do.  Plenty of people HA-smarter than both of us went
that route.  X-10 didn't do anything to address the problem so there wasn't
really anything to do but switch up - unless you wanted to become an
electronic Sherlock Holmes, buy a meter or an analyzer (I bought both!) and
crawl around plugging and unplugging things until you find articles about
"divorce" appearing on your breakfast table.  (-:  Not really, but you know
the pattern.

> I still use some X10
> in fact because my DSC alarm and dusk/dawn porch lights are X10.  I
> dont want to play with gear, I just want to install it and forget it,
> and have it do my scenes.

If HA isn't a hobby to you, then you certainly made the right choice.
There's a big difference between "set and forget" and "customize to the last
byte" users and vendors and what's good for one may not be so good for the
other.  I try to keep that in mind regarding SAF (spouse approval factor).
My wife doesn't want to futz with this stuff, she just wants it to work.  It
hardly gets noticed when it works, but it sure as hell does when it fails.

> The RF bridge is ingenious because it
> bridges through a medium that is not the same medium that could have
> the problem it's bridging (catch 22), when I get my two access points
> I'll make sure I have them listening on each side of the split phase.

The fact that X-10 didn't come up with it certainly support's Neil C's
assertion that not much new except wireless cams comes out of X-10 these
days.  Maybe there will be an XTB-III from Jeff that doesn't have to been
installed in the panel.   That would certainly make it appeal to people
without electrosmarts who need a big boost to save their X-10 installation.

I just got a new X-10 device in today, a macro controller that accepts IR
input triggers and it reminded that there's still a lot of juice left in the
old protocol.  When Insteon has an 8 by 8 video matrix switcher, a speaker
selector,  a thermostatic set back, a screw-in lamp module, a universal
module, a powerflash module, a chime module, a siren module, a dawn/dusk
module, a REX-10 dog emulator, a hand held analyzer, a few dozen styles of
remotes, a number of other vendors making devices and load control as low as
$5 a module, I'll certainly reconsider!

--
Bobby G.