Re: XPS3 Strangeness

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"David White" <whitedavidp@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:3uednTL_C_LJJ47VnZ2dnUVZ_qqgnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(Apologies for sending the first message "scarce half made up" and
prematurely.  My new keyboard's left <control key> sits just where the heel
of my hand used to rest on the old one.  Inadvertent pressing of the control
key causes some pretty serious problems - time to pop the keycap!)

> Thanks for the response Bruce. I had not heard of the XTB units. But in
> my old house I had a SmartHome SignalLinc (no booster) in my dryer
> outlet. It will not fit my dryer in the new house though (and there is
> not enough room behind to fit).
>
> If I understand the SignalLinc and BoosterLinc operation, they both are
> attempting to create a better bridge across the two sides of my electric
> panel so that signals can pass more easily (the booster adds some form
> of signal amplification). Is this correct and true also of Jeff's units?

Yes.  I've been so impressed by its performance that I wrote an article
about it for Hometoys:

http://www.hometoys.com/ezine/08.04/green/xtb.htm

Since I installed the XTB-IIR (the coupler/repeater version) my X-10 stuff
"just works" and that's really much greater praise than it sounds.

You may need an electrician to install the XTB-IIR but that's easier than it
sounds, because it basically means installing a new 240VAC outlet somewhere,
hopefully near the circuit panel.  You don't even need to find an "X-10
smart electrician" for the project.  I found it challenging, but I was able
to do it myself and I'm no great talent in the electrical deparment.

The XTB increases the power of the X-10 signal (according to the formula
P=VA) nearly 25 times over the standard X-10 signal.  So far, the only
problem has been a chime module that "sings" softly whenever the XTB
transmits, and that was solved by moving it further away from the XTB.

> I have not checked yet to see if the garage interior light circuit and
> the circuits having the controllers  are on different sides of the
> panel. If they turn out to be on the SAME side, what sort of improvement
> might I expect from such a unit as Jeff's?

Tremendous improvement.  I was considering scrapping my significant X-10
investment because the signal problems became worse every year.  I was about
at wit's end when the XTB came along and I figure it's saved me 1,000's of $
and 100's of hours of deinstalling X-10 gear and installing new stuff.  The
only reason why I waited long enough for the XTB to "rescue me" was that I
couldn't decide which new HA protocol to switch to.  I would have probably
gone with <choke> Z-wave.  But I wouldn't have gone over happily.

With the mandated switch to CFL's coming soon, I am afraid that the XTB is
going to become mandatory for most X-10 installations.  Fluorescent lights
have become the number one source of X-10 "trouble on the line" for a lot of
people - especially me. Last month, a shoplite that had shown no X-10 band
noise for the first few years of its life began emitting noise at nearly 2
volts - strong enough to cause plenty of trouble.  Even the mighty XTB had
trouble coping with such "loud" noise on the line at the end of long circuit
branch and that load had to be filtered.

I've had to invest more heavily than I'd like in X-10 filters, but the
filters allow me to use fluorescent bulbs without problem, and with the
recent huge hikes in electricity rates, they'll pay for themselves in short
order.  Eventually, anything 110VAC that's got a light socket will be behind
an X-10 filter.  I've found that nearly identical runs of CFL's can have
significantly different electrical characteristics and God only knows what
LEDs will do to X-10 (or other HA signals) when that technology matures.  So
it's filters everywhere, but it's a small price to pay to enjoy a break in
electrical rates and be enviro-friendly at the same time.

--
Bobby G.