Thread: A few X10 Questions

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I tried searching but X10 is too short of a word to search so I have a few questions. I went to their website but it didn't help too much. I would like to get started in remote triggering. I am very much a novice in electricity and this seems to be one of the simplest routes to take. Right now it will be just one prop but that will most likely change over time so I would like to be able to expand. I guess my first question would be "How well do these units work?" The site claims a 100' range (not that I would need that far) but how consistent are they? I had a wireless doorbell once that would work only about every other time 2' away. This would be useless in triggering a prop. I was thinking about getting one of the home automation kits and use it around my house during the rest of the year. It says it sends the information through your home wiring. Is this safe? I have an older house that still has fuses, would that be a problem? Sorry for all the questions but basically I would like to know your experiences with and how you use X10.

Thanks,
Matthew

Can't really answer the question in regards to the fuses, but I have used the X10 setup to run 4 separate props in my yard haunt for the last 2 years without any problems, all being roughly 50' away from me at the time. You have one main reciever and as many secondary units as needed (there's room for 8 on the hand transmitter, but it can be expanded. It's very simple to use, just plug in the unit, set the dial for it's designation, say A 1, 2, 3, etc., and hold the A1 button on the transmitter until it triggers the unit, after that, it's ready to go) They are a great deal more dependable than the Christmas tree remotes sold in stores and have more functions than most people will need. I picked mine up as a starter kit on Ebay for under $25. Hope this helps.

Thanks bradg. I thought about the Christmas remotes but knew they were not expandable. I have never tried one so I didn't know they weren't dependable. I'll have to do some searching on ebay.

Well i have been using X10 for about 2 years now and it works like a charm...to add to that i have a friend that has been using it for over 10 years and has no problem!

Is there much of a delay from when you activate the remote until it is actually triggered?

like 1/25 of a second

There is very little delay.

There is also an optional control that plugs into the serial port of a computer. I believe it was called the firefly. This would allow you to automate your display.

yea...that is for advanced users

That's what I like about these. I don't need to hook it up to my computer now, but who knows what will happen in a couple of years.

There are a few things that interfere with X10 signals and not all peopl have been sucessful using x10. Any noise on your AC lines can cause problems. Flourescent lighting is one such noise source incliding the new CF (compact flourecent spiral lights). Dimmers also are a noise source. Before I buy the farm, I would give X10 a try in your situation with just a few devices and ensure that it works as you intend.
Just my 2 cents