So, what's the X 10, a module that is run off your computer?

Doug

You plug your lights/pumps etc into the X-10 modules and then program each module individually as a timer on the computer ... the signal to turn on or off is sent through your existing electrial wires in the house from the base unit connected to the computer.

Cheers

I looked at X10 stuff, but shied away after the costs were totalled up!

That depends on how valuable reliable automation is to you :smile: ... I tried the mechanical timers and found that they were very unreliable ( sometimes they would just not turn on or they kept losing/gaining time :rolleyes: ) ... then I looked at the electronic timers and they were as much as or more than the X-10 modules ( X-10 modules run around $14US ) ... so far I am really happy with it and dont have to worry anymore about the lights being on/off.

Cheers

only $14 US?

I went to RP (a local electronics and supplies store) and totalled up what I need to run lights and pumps etc, and it came out to nearly $600 cad...

can you share your full setup and costs pls? I would love to automate the tank some, but I hate paying so much for such a simple thing.

Goto www.x10.com ... they have specials constantly on all their stuff ... Look for the " Activehome " controller and use a bunch of 466 appliance modules ... my costs are irrelevant as it all depends what you get on sale from them ... when you phone in your order ask for multiple module discounts. ( I think if you buy 3 the 4th is free )

Cheers

I looked at their site and it looks interesting, I can't see running pumps off of it, unless I was going to use it as a wave maker, (that just occured to me), but for lights it would sure be useful. I'll keep thinking of it, I see Rona Revy has some digital timers now, I'll price them out and compare them to the cost of the X 10.

The thing you need to watch with X10 is that it's not guaranteed delivery.

A command can get "lost" in the natural background noise of your house electrical system sometimes (fairly often in fact). Just make sure you send multiple "turn on light 1" commands in a row to make sure it actually gets received.

I have never had a command get lost, and I have been using X10 for my lights for 2 years. If you have "noisey" wiring that may be the cause, but I have never had a single problem. Now I have had the computer crash (my 3 year old son likes to turn computes off when he was younger. Now he just uses them :))