Where Do YOU Go For Your (Daily?) X-10 "Fix"?

I usually check comp.home.automation daily. It is the most complete and the most comprehensive, covering topics other than X-10, and having enough posters with real expertise that incorrect info is usually debunked rather quickly while even esoteric questions usually elicit responsive responses.

A couple of the groups you mentioned are too heavily influenced by vendors and/or people who don't let their lack of expertise get in the way of offering advice. ;) Groups dedicated to particular products also have tended to reduce the activity here. I suspect that dilution will continue as such groups proliferate (e.g. X-10 has started their own support forums) and that your quest for a single source will go unfulfilled.

Do you still have the ultras>I've been a X-10 User for *MANY* (20? 25??) years. My first "kit", that

I was really SURPRISED, and DISAPPOINTED, at the ABYSMAL response to my identical post on ALL SIX sites listed in my OP. The era of one hobbyist helping another is fading; the era of the lazy, can't-take-the-time-to-look-it-up-myself whiners going to a few "specialized" sites is taking hold. Vendors full of incorrect advice seem to find EVERY AVAILABLE Home Automation site and SURPRISINGLY they aren't that often challenged/corrected. So sad...

Is this REALLY the *ONLY* site that the "pioneers" still visit?

I routinely use GROUP:comp.home.automation as a X-10 Encyclopedia. With ~10+ years of ARCHIVES, *almost* any question I come up with has already been answered. Sometimes, coming up with the "right" SEARCH parameters is "challenging" - too vague = too much; too specific = too little. [I'd like to be able to PRIVATELY ask YOU a question every now and then, but alas, you no longer list your current E-Mail address.]

In the same relationship as movie/television actors to fans, I've known your reputation for YEARS, but you haven't a clue as to who I am. Regardless, THANKS for all the wonderful, informative posts and the multiple web sites packed with info that you've provided over the years. [VERY SORRY to keep reading about your poor health. Mine too has gone downhill MUCH TOO QUICKLY since I passed the half-century mark.]

YES, I *still* have the Ultrasonic Console, *with* the Remote, in pristine condition, along with a handful of BSR Lamp, Appliance and Wall (Toggle!) Switch modules. Why do you ask?

I also "had" a GE HomeMinder and a Radio Shack HomeMinder (one at a time) "way back when". They were REALLY NICE (for their time) with the cute graphics, etc..., but the video modulators were just TRASH. Both overheated (according to posts I read at that time) and thus "went blind". Repair didn't appear "cost-efficient".

They were replaced with a TW-523 and a Votrax Speech Synthesizer, runn> I usually check comp.home.automation daily. It is the most complete and the

enough

responses.

various

the

X-10

~Dec

"HomeSeer"

Unfortunately, the combination of ill health and increased spam forced me to stop publishing my email address and even take steps to eliminate the archived copies of my previous web page as they also included my email address. That plus better filtering by my ISP and the forced shutdown of a few wholesale spammers reduced my received emails from several hundred per day to less than a dozen. I have noticed an uptick lately but am not sure why. For awhile I published an email address on onwe web page that used Java Script so the actual address only existed once the page was d/l. That evaded the bots but I've seen a couple of recent spams that used that address so they've either gotten more sophisticated or someone republished it in uncloaked form.

I do have a slimmed down web page at

These days you can get an embedded PC >I was really SURPRISED, and DISAPPOINTED, at the ABYSMAL response to my

Ain't that the truth! While it's tough on people just trying to be helpful who get in over their heads, it's a good thing, overall. Bad information is worse than no information at all.

I've got some in various states of repair and a few that are definitely still working. I like them because the have a smaller overall footprint than the MAXI 16 although they are quite a bit taller. Some were/are in daily use for over 20 years. That's the hallmark of a good, basic design. The ones that failed usually had the code wheel start to freewheel, but that a nuisance fixable by black tape, not a fatal flaw. Another nuisance is that ALL of the flip lids are broken. They seem to have been designed by the same people who designed CD jewel case hinges. :-)

I wonder what, if any HA gear will be worth the big bucks on _Antiques Roadshow 2105?_ Do you think X-10 will still have some operational presence in the world? It the NYC subways are using 100 year old track and train control gear, there's hope for X-10.

-- Bobby G.

I don't recall ever seeing a remote in person although I think I remember seeing them in DAK ads. Wherever these came from (Sears or RatShack, I think) they came sans remote. Not a bad failure rate, though between us. It may be evidence that leaving electronics on 24/7 leads to lower overall failure rates.

-- Bobby G.

I too have about 6 of the old ultrasonic controllers still in use after

From:Robert Green ROBERT snipped-for-privacy@YAH00.COM

I think you will be pleased to see the Misterhouse-users mailing list. It is chock full of do-it-yourselfers building custom circuits to integrate various hardware, creating software to interact with and monitor various automation devices, etc. It's full of the kind of ingenuity you're seeking. Sometimes they talk about Misterhouse too :-)

It's a great forum for any HA enthusiast, even if they don't use Misterhouse.

- Mark.