Re: XPS3 Strangeness

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Bill Kearney" <wkearney99@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:I7OdnVEBCKp7NYnVnZ2dnUVZ_r2nnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Whoa there on the advice regarding panels.  Are you a licensed electrician
> and expert in the electrical code?
>
> Has the gear been tested and certified as being safe for installation
inside
> a breaker box?

The XTB-IIR should be connected to the breakers by a standard 220VAC outlet
and wouldn't fit easily in the average breaker box.

> If not then why put the considerable value of your home at risk on such
> nonsense?

Nonsense?  I have a small inkling of the time and effort Jeff's put into the
design and building of the device and his qualifications.  That means a lot
more to me that UL putting its very expensive alleged "stamp of approval" on
something.  I've got four UL listed devices that have failed in spectacular
and predictable ways.  One was a simple outlet "extender" that used a
press-fit bus bar which any damn fool - except, apparently, UL Labs - could
tell would work loose over time.  When it worked loose enough, it blew out
with impressive force when my wife plugged her hair dryer into it.

UL approves soldering irons, hot melt glue guns and powerful crosscut paper
shredders WITHOUT off switches.  Today, my Global 75X paper shredder jammed
and the motor began to smoke as I worked the AUTO/ON  - BACKWARDS - FORWARD
switch to no avail.  After the smoke cleared, I rewired the unit to a
powerstrip so I could kill it immediately if that happens again.  I already
rewired both the glue gun and the soldering iron, both potential sources of
ignition, with line cord switches.  As badly designed as they are, they are
UL listed.  (Ptooey!)  So freaking what?

When I beta tested the XTB, Jeff and I had many, many discussions about UL
or ETL "listing" (it's only that, and not an "approval" BTW).  Since I had
worked for a law firm for 10 years, I really leaned on him to get a waiver
from customers so that they acknowledge its lack of a UL listing.  Two very
important legal protections against unjustified lawsuits are "informed
consent" and "full disclosure" and I believe that Jeff has very
conscientiously addressed both, unlike some other small "manufacturers."  He
knew being upfront about the UL listing would cost him sales, but he also
knew it was the right thing to do.

Jeff has been designing gear like this for one of the nation's most
prestigious research labs for over 30 years, IIRC.  You need only look at
the design, construction and assembly of the units to know that they aren't
just things he knocked out overnight with no thought to safety.  During the
beta phase I explored as many possible failure modes as I could think of
with Jeff, and I am certain that the unit will fail in the safe mode if it
fails, and that it's fused against overloads so that any sort of surge
damage can be repaired easily.  I wish I had as much faith in the safety of
my cars as I do in the XTBs.  Detroit's way of handling things is
diametrically opposed to Jeff's.  They'll only go into full disclosure mode
after the 100th person is killed in a roll-over accident caused by bad
design and deniability is no longer a credible option.

So when you label what's really more a labor of love than a money-making
endeavor "nonsense" it makes me wonder how you define that word.  Nonsense,
in my dictionary, more aptly covers the utterings of someone who heaps scorn
and derision on something they've never used or or even seen close-up.
Especially when that "nonsense" device has saved people like me thousands of
dollars in equipment costs and 100 of hours in time *not* upgrading to a
more expensive HA protocol.

>Real bottom line?  Give up on the X-10 crap, it's junk.

That's great advice from someone who hasn't even seen or used the XTB and
wouldn't be underwriting (pun intended) the serious cost of the changeover.
X-10 works just fine for me and for many others here.  It works *especially*
well for people like Bruce Robin and me who have added the XTB to their
systems and who rely on powerful whole-house controllers like Stargate

http://www.jdstechnologies.com/

Homevision

http://www.csi3.com/homevis2.htm

and Homeseer.

I can control 256 devices with X-10.  How many units can your *incredibly*
overpriced Lutron Radio RA system use?  IIRC, it's a very puny 32 loads.  I
also seem to recall the control options are outrageously limited.  Can Radio
RA shut down the water supply from 1000 miles away?  I doubt it, but my X-10
system can.  Do you have universal modules that can drive non-X-10 equipment
via X-10 controllers?  Do they only cost $20 each?

How much does a simple time controller cost for Radio RA?  Judging by the
few prices I see published (not a good sign, IMHO because it means there are
manufacturer price control in effect) what costs me $40 in X-10 gear costs
RA users $1,280.

People who are thinking of following your advice to abandon a true home
automation protocol for one that basically controls just lights should check
out these prices:

http://www.electricsuppliesonline.com/raacresyen.html

     $32.00 --- Lutron RA-AD RadioRa Accessory Dimmer for Multi-Location
Dimming
   $320.00 --- Lutron RA-REP-WH RadioRa Radio Frequency (RF) Signal Repeater
     $40.00 --- Lutron RA-VCTX-WH RadioRa Car Visor Control Transmitter
   $208.00 --- Lutron RAMC-MFE-WH RadioRa Multi Function Entry Master
Control
$1,280.00 --- Lutron RA-SBT-CHR RadioRa Chronos System Bridge and Timeclock
(Provides a powerful, built-in astronomical timeclock that simulates daily
routines with the "Away" mode, giving the appearance that someone is home.)

OUCH!!!!!  I'd say you spent a lot of money to insure the sort of
reliability that you *could* have gotten with X-10 had you waited until the
XTB came along before you switched.

And before you say "who needs 256 unit control?" I can honestly say that I
do.  Today, I started programming my X-10 capable HomeVision controller so
that when I press certain X-10 codes, the HV unit sends out IR commands to
the various AV devices.  This means when I exit a room, I can have HV turn
off any devices or lights that were on and restore them to their previous
state when I return.  It also means I can Velcro a tiny $5 keychain remote
to my PC keyboard to mute the stereo or TV with a single button push.  Try
something like that with Radio RA.  With 256 addresses, I can do all sorts
of things that would be impossible with a 32 load maximum controller.

--
Bobby G.