David Kramer wrote: > X10 has turned out to not be reliable enough... Heh. No surprise there. I guess you've been lucky elsewhere in your house.
I've found RF X10 to be more reliable than power line carrier X10, so that would be an option. For example, you surface-mount a battery operated wall switch like: http://www.x10.com/automation/ss13a_s.html?TWENTY11 It it controls an RF receiver with built-in relay module (TM751A): http://www.x10wirelesshome.com/modules/x10_wireless_transceiver_tm751.html (I don't see any mention of a relay on that page, so I'd recommend digging deeper to confirm that if you want to run a CFL with it.) I've used an older version of these components along with a wireless motion detector to control a pair of 2-bulb 4' fluorescent shop lights in my basement. Reliability has been moderate. Even just sending a signal across a 15' room has been somewhat of a challenge for the wall switch. (I hacked it and added an external antenna wire, which helped the reliability.) The newer model might prove better in this area. But you mention you want to control 3 lights. In theory, you could add lamp (or relay) modules for the other two lamps, and with the source and receiver of the power line carrier transmission being physically close, it may work reliably. That's assuming you aren't contending with some active power line noise source (like a switching power supply) or that the different outlets in the room aren't oddly placed on different phases of the electrical system. > What would be the next step up (ie still affordable) technology to try, > and where would be a good place to get it? I'd like to say Z-Wave, but battery operated, surface mount switches like the X-10 one above are near non-existent for Z-Wave. I'm not sure why, as they are quite useful. I do a search for them about once every 6 months. First viable option I ran across was this $130 Cooper switch, that looks close to a stock "Decora" style switch and can mount in a standard electrical box (or not; not clear if it surface mounts, but it does say it doesn't have to use a wall box): http://store.homeseer.com/store/Cooper-RF9500-Z-Wave-Battery-Operated-Switch-Dimmer-Controller-P552.aspx More recently I ran across this $50 GE switch: http://www.amazon.com/45631-Z-Wave-Wireless-Lighting-Controller/dp/B003OUWABU/ which has buttons to control 4 devices, and also mounts in a standard electrical box or can be surface mounted. It seems like a decent option, even if not in the same price range as the X-10 stuff. You do get greater reliability, as noted by the reviews on that page. If you value money more than your time, there are some hack options to create a battery operated Z-Wave switch. For the internal guts you'd use an $8 Intermatic remote: http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-HA09C-Settings-Wireless-Control/dp/B000BRMMDK/ and pair that up with one or more SPDT momentary switches: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=leviton+spdt+momentary&cid=10707740639939791084&ei=upKWTPqzGY3-2ASE_ODWDQ&sa=title&ved=0CB4Q8wIwBDgA#p though at $20+ each, that sort of kills any cost savings. Hacking a $1 3-way switch from the hardware store with some springs, or using a non-Decora style momentary switch would be cheaper. You also need to leave some budget for a surface mount enclosure, unless you plan to stuff it all into an electrical box in the wall. Really, the only sure fire way to save money would be to Velcro the Intermatic remote to the wall as-is. :-) There may be similar products for Insteon, which I don't follow. > I thought of doing hard-wired two-way switches, but it would require > running wires along the base of her closet door, and I'm afraid the > monsters would chew on them. Another option to consider, if you don't need remote control beyond the one switch location, is hard-wired low-voltage. That way you can run small (or even flat) "bell" wire between the switch and the relay. You could use a stock Decora switch(es) in a wall box or surface mount box. What's less clear is what is available on the relay side. It's pretty trivial to wire up a small power supply and relay circuit, but I'm not aware of any off the shelf part like a lamp module with a couple of screw terminals for the low voltage switch. (Like an X-10 PowerFlash, which is close, but lacks the relay part.) You'd think someone would make such a product. Here's a $30 module that's close: http://www.prolighting.com/pp-sh.html?gclid=CNKC1IyQ7rECFYLb4AodhhQAGA It combines a relay to switch high voltage and a 24 V power supply, but it has pigtail leads. It isn't packaged like a lamp module. -Tom _______________________________________________ Hardwarehacking mailing list [email protected] http://lists.blu.org/mailman/listinfo/hardwarehacking
