Re: Occupancy detector / turn off computer monitor/audio

["Josepi" <JRM@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

X10 works fairly well. I have a CPU with conditional events to follow up on
the X10 motion detectors.

X10 wireless devices, I have and been told by others,  are quite unreliable.
I believe most of the problems are with the cheap X10 receivers. They seem
to think they get codes from noise or data collisions and send out crap like
"all lights on" or wrong addresses and control incorrect units.

For example, I have a wireless motion detector over each bed in each
bedroom. (I know what you perverts are thinking...LOL) The bedroom motions
detectors are set to send ON and then light OFF signals about 2 or 4 minutes
after last motion. The CPU system sees this and if it is in the middle of
the night, (between decided times), it turns the bedside lamp off in about
15-20 seconds 'cause it's just somebody getting up to pee and you want those
lights off ASAP, once back in bed, or for your partner still in bed. If this
signal fails the motion detector should get it OFF  at the 2-4 minute mark,
as a backup.

Hall and other  lamps are set the same style except they may be 4 - 32
minutes on the detector and the CPU decides what time of day it is, if it's
a late night party or a guest looking for the bathroom off the staircase,
and decides when to kill the light earlier. The detector follows up at it's
time-out setting, just in case.

Detectors need to operate the lamps ON directly and not through any macro or
decision making device. They are too slow and you will be down the first two
steps in the dark before getting lights, sometimes. The codes ahev to be
sent to the wireless translator and sent via wiring to the decision device
(software on CPU) andf then send out another code on the wiring for the lamp
device to turn the light on. A few seconds are critical and a nuisance. This
only applies to the "ON" signals and not the "OFF" signals. There is lots of
time when turning most things off.

Out of 12 motions detectors I have about 3-4 reliable units that don't act
up when cold,  batteries low, or just plain POS defective on purchase.
Out of 5 wireless to X10 wiring translators I have maybe two reliable units.
The others satrt sending out continuous noise at times, lock up if dimming
signals are sent in the wrong order or will only work with a narrow range of
unit codes.

It can work, but the X10 devices from the spamming X10.com have to purchased
in bulk (if you can get through the pop-ups and spam) and specially selected
for function to get a fairly reliable system.

My CPU registers movement in the house and cycles the furnace fan are
selected times when people are home and slepping especially. When nobody is
home many of lights go through a random times sequence of somebody
travelling fromthe bedroom throught staircase to the front door, then the
side door and the back yard in sequence and then back turning lights on and
on behind them. I have had neighbours report there was somebody in my house
while I was south on vacation and thought I didn't go.

I hear Insteon or SmartHome and others may be a better system but more
expensive and I have no experience with them yet. With my new home, coming
to a slow finish (my arms are tired) , I need to find a more reliable system
to integrate some existing X10 modules and logic into.


Get a new monitor. The new ones sleep about 1 watt or less.



"David Rogoff" <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4b54c7e8$0$12887$c35e2916@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I could use some suggestions from the group.  I want to set up an
occupancy sensor (IR? Pressure Mat?) in my home office to control an AC
outlet to turn off (after a delay) my monitor, stereo, and lamp when I
leave the room.  I've looked around, but I'm not sure what would work
without spending a fortune.

Stand-alone would be best, but I'd consider X10 or Insteon.

Thanks,

 David