OK.. After doing testing with 1-4 strings of LEDs and the X10 mods I had on hand (modified and unmodifed) here's what I did... (none of the modules would turn off the Leds all the way
- Home Depot - gray plastic box, outlet cover, and outlet - ~$2
- 2' power cord (salvaged from junk box)
- 110v AC relay (ratshack - $8, but I'm sure they can be found cheaper -
10amp contactsis what I got) Just make sure it will fit in the outlet box, with the outletBasically, wired so that when power is a applied, relay closes and power is applied to the outlet.. Using a std X10 appliance module all works! I plug the relay into the module, the LED lights into the relay. It's less visible than adding a incandescent light to the mix.. 2' cord is enough to set the outlet box on the floor (containing the relay).
The relay is DPDT, but only switching hot, so I can easily use the other side for dry contact at a later time. (3 screw terminals on the outside of the box and wire to the relay is all it takes...)