X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Other Automation Systems => Topic started by: dhouston on July 13, 2016, 01:18:31 PM
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https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-RPLS730B1000-7-Day-Programmable-Switch/dp/B004SOZHXY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468429579&sr=8-2&keywords=honeywell+switch+timer (https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-RPLS730B1000-7-Day-Programmable-Switch/dp/B004SOZHXY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468429579&sr=8-2&keywords=honeywell+switch+timer)
Even more features...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7IWBI8?psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7IWBI8?psc=1)
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I have one very similar to the Honeywell (possibly identical). It was working fine, but I replaced it with a cloudless, PC-less, PLC-less, RPi based timer. ;)
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Back in the 80's I lived alone, worked long hours, and traveled a bit. I had a clock-motor timer That turned a light on. It made it look like I was home when I was away... and was OK to have on when I was home. I remember my parents used the same type of device and process when they went on trips.
I have an outdoor device that turns on at dusk (light levels) and shuts off at variable time later, (including dawn). I use it for some summer decorative outdoor lights.
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I had a clock-motor timer...
For many years I drove Mercedes diesels which were reluctant to start in cold weather. I used a similar motorized timer to turn on a block heater an hour or so before I left in the morning.
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..... I used a similar motorized timer
IMHO... if it works it works. I've never thought automation had to be of a certain brand or flavor. Or of a certain level of technology either. I am all for mix-N-match. I want ALL the advantages! From clock motors.... to whatever latest-greatest app gizmo gives me the most.
I think my systems limitations... come from my own imagination.
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IMHO... if it works it works. I've never thought automation had to be of a certain brand or flavor. Or of a certain level of technology either. I am all for mix-N-match. I want ALL the advantages! From clock motors.... to whatever latest-greatest app gizmo gives me the most.
In general, I agree - but as computers have become ubiquitous I think there's an understandable desire for integration to simplify control, scheduling, etc.
But, there may soon be another computing platform that will interact with one's home and other things.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/12/the-importance-of-alibabas-new-internet-car/ (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/12/the-importance-of-alibabas-new-internet-car/)
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I had a clock-motor timer...
We used them for the living room light many years ago to give the house a "lived in" look while we were away. The timer had to be adjusted periodically to track sunset, and the motor would begin to seize up in a year or two. Then we discovered X10 with the old brown BSR modules and that timer with the blue fluorescent display. We never looked back.
Jeff
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https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-RPLS730B1000-7-Day-Programmable-Switch/dp/B004SOZHXY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468429579&sr=8-2&keywords=honeywell+switch+timer (https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-RPLS730B1000-7-Day-Programmable-Switch/dp/B004SOZHXY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468429579&sr=8-2&keywords=honeywell+switch+timer)
Sadly, the Honeywell switch "Requires natural wiring for correct install" and our home has mostly unnatural wiring...sigh. rofl
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Then it's definitely a different model than the one I have. Mine used hot, neutral, and ground. I'm not sure if my local code would allow for me to also install a natural wire in the same box.
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Sadly, the Honeywell switch "Requires natural wiring for correct install" and our home has mostly unnatural wiring...sigh. rofl
I wondered if anyone would catch that. I suppose it's another offshoot of the organic movement. >!
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IMHO... if it works it works. I've never thought automation had to be of a certain brand or flavor. Or of a certain level of technology either. I am all for mix-N-match. I want ALL the advantages! From clock motors.... to whatever latest-greatest app gizmo gives me the most.
In general, I agree - but as computers have become ubiquitous I think there's an understandable desire for integration to simplify control, scheduling, etc.
I'd say computers had become (past tense). Computers became ubiquitous here.... with the release of Windows 98. Home automation became "smart" with the addition of a PC running 24/7.... quite a few years ago (back with win95). And, X10 really helped lead the way IMHO!
I myself have been running an automation PC for about a decade. I actually run two computers for automation (one is a CE version tiny PC)... but that's a whole different subject. I have a server-like shelving set-up in my man-cave. I used to call "my room"... my office... then the Nerd-nasium... now it's my man cave. I don't even have a desk in there anymore. The one last full-sized PC I have setup (I have others in storage)... connects to a long range keyboard/mouse and HDMI connects to a 46inch TV/monitor. I can use the PC while seated at my bar-height table and chairs. Or even while on a bicycle mounted to a trainer.
For a long time I advocated the re-purposing of old PC's for home automation. And I still see nothing wrong with keeping the "old stuff" working. But there is a lot out there... that still can be done. But to accomplish what can be... we have to be willing to let go of what we already know how to easily do. And then.... fearlessly imagine what can be.
Everything changes! Not only has "my room" changed much of what I used to really need a PC to do... I can now easily do with a tablet and/or phone. My automation would/could be better if cloud based and controlled through tablets and phones. I like better!
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It was the proliferation of tablets, smartphones & crockpots that I was alluding to with the phrase have become ubiquitous.
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It was the proliferation of tablets, smartphones & crockpots that I was alluding to with the phrase have become ubiquitous.
I am sure that is what you must have been thinking.... But it doesn't really change anything. Tablets and smartphones aren't new. The newest tech going on is the cloud. And we've been using the cloud for far more than a decade. This isn't scary new futurist technology.... this is the stuff we're (many of us are) using every day.
This is good solid useful stuff.
In general, I agree - but as computers have become ubiquitous
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Sadly, the Honeywell switch "Requires natural wiring for correct install" and our home has mostly unnatural wiring...sigh. rofl
I suppose it's another offshoot of the organic movement. >!
<Grin> Yeah, could be. Could also be AutoCorrect gone nuts and a totally non technical advertising editor. However, it made my laugh, which seems to be an increasingly more difficult thing to do.
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The cloud has its place, but it doesn't when the tech is proprietary to the cloud and useless without it (at least in my home). When the cloud offers features that add to those that are offered locally as a compliment, that's great. The cloud approach is unacceptable when the only way the device is useful is with the server IMO. Everyone can chose their own approach, but I won't buy tech that relies on some companies service that has no reason to expect will last forever. Tech has a finite life span, but that doesn't mean that I can't continue to use it past that typical life span anyway. I have a VCR and watched a movie last night on it. If things were done today like they were in the 80's, then I would have a paper weight and a bunch of targets because the cloud validator service would be down since VHS is dead. >*<
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...... I won't buy tech that relies on some companies service that has no reason to expect will last forever. Tech has a finite life span, but that doesn't mean that I can't continue to use it past that typical life span anyway. I have a VCR and watched a movie last night on it. ......
What is that VCR resolution... 340X480? Well at least they still make and sell movies in that format. Right?
I can't believe this thread! Technology is (by definition) The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.
Unless we have another dark ages.... tech will remain a moving target. We can never have the latest-greatest... or at least not for very long. Because new better stuff keeps rolling out right behind last months latest greatest. The best way to exploit developing technologies isn't to watch a 40 year old grainy video tape (or was that supposed to just be a joke?). The best way to get the best use from new tech is selecting value purchases. Well developed products that integrates existing tech and attempts to future-proof the product line with available download upgrades.
So much of what I read here [at the X10 forum] reads like X10 users have become Home Automation Survivalists. What's the deal guys? Are we prepping for the fall of the Internet? Is someone working on a way to automatically light candles made from the wax of the bee's we keep out by the pond?
Seriously. What is the direction we are heading here? Has X10 users become a bunch of old men set in their ways. And hoping to just limp the automation along enough.... that it's still working when we are hauled off to our graves. I can NOT recall the last time anyone shared a new application or use of any product here.
Is this the current state of all automation forums/products/users? Is all of the HA community hunkering down.... or just X10 users?
P.S. I can certainly understand the VCR post. My wife and I discarded over 1500 VCR movies... many could not be replaced (at the time). Now my DVD and BlueRay collection is well over 1000 strong. And... I have set-up my home theater to view streaming content. Change... is the only thing that remains the same.
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I can't believe this thread! Technology is (by definition) The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.
What's the deal guys? Are we prepping for the fall of the Internet?
YES. You know that where I live, internet is a problem. Before the dark ages (exactly three years ago) I used a dedicated phone line and dial up at 28.8 to access the web. got rid of my wired phone lines the month that my phones were online for exactly 50% of the billing cycle and AT&T billed me for the full month. My home lines are now cellular and my home network is LTE, but sometimes that isn't great due to the weather.
I like HA, but cannot rely on the cloud to run it.
Besides, what happens when the president declares martial law and seizes the internet and radio waves? What then? ;D
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Not really what I was trying to illustrate, but I understand your opinion. I was simply comparing watching a VHS movie (an old dead tech) on my TV (a CRT actually, so technically dead tech too) rather than watching a DVD (almost dead tech) or streaming over the internets (current tech, but my ISP provides terrible speeds at too high a cost so I don't typically use it for much). This is pretty similar to HA in that I have old components that work with new components and unless the task changes or the module dies, I want it to continue to function in performing the task I gave it. I know lights are now LED in many homes, but whether they are LED, CFL, incandescent, or nuclear, I simply want a switch to toggle the light source. If the new technology (cloud based in for comparison) can't function because the server goes down, that's not an improvement over my clunky X10 modules. Maybe I sound like an old man, but then I'll have to say...
GET OFF MY LAWN! :'
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..... I was simply comparing watching a VHS movie (an old dead tech) on my TV (a CRT actually, so technically dead tech too) rather than watching a DVD (almost dead tech) or streaming over the internets (current tech, but my ISP provides terrible speeds at too high a cost so I don't typically use it for much). This is pretty similar to HA in that I have old components that work with new components and unless the task changes or the module dies, I want it to continue to function in performing the task I gave it. .......... If the new technology (cloud based in for comparison) can't function because the server goes down, that's not an improvement over my clunky X10 modules.
... You know that where I live, internet is a problem....... My home lines are now cellular and my home network is LTE, but sometimes that isn't great due to the weather. I like HA, but cannot rely on the cloud to run it.
I know I must have.... but I sincerely did not mean to sound insensitive to those with Internet disabilities.
Of course we need to keep existing systems running. And we need to operate in less than perfect environments. Knightrider is a stellar example of extreme automation operating outside of a natively high tech environment.
But we also need to continue to keep looking forward. Although I may be a little too progressive in what I expect of the technology... and how fast I expect development.
Besides, what happens when the president declares martial law and seizes the internet and radio waves? What then? ;D
I don't know. Is the gopher thread still around? And..... I'll pick you up as we drive down to DC to march with all the other old (and irate) men.
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.....Internet disabilities. ....
Yep. :'
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Unless we have another dark ages.... tech will remain a moving target. We can never have the latest-greatest... or at least not for very long. Because new better stuff keeps rolling out right behind last months latest greatest. The best way to exploit developing technologies isn't to watch a 40 year old grainy video tape (or was that supposed to just be a joke?). The best way to get the best use from new tech is selecting value purchases. Well developed products that integrates existing tech and attempts to future-proof the product line with available download upgrades.
So much of what I read here [at the X10 forum] reads like X10 users have become Home Automation Survivalists. What's the deal guys? Are we prepping for the fall of the Internet? Is someone working on a way to automatically light candles made from the wax of the bee's we keep out by the pond?
We have a library that still includes several hundred VHS movies that we occasionally watch. While the quality is certainly not up to BD or even DVD standards, we watch for the content, not to see each whisker on the actor's face. Some of us don't have the money to replace older products with the latest technology.
You must remember the problems the demise of X10 WTI caused for those of us who were using ActiveHome Pro. That is one reason why I will not choose a product that requires cloud support to function. As some people have pointed out, there are already devices that are no longer being supported. When I invest in a product or technology, I expect it to last. Almost all my tools date from the '70's. And X10 continues to function in our home virtually flawlessly. Over the last decade my goal has been to help others achieve the same level of reliability.
The latest technology can be great, but much of it is a passing fad that will go unsupported as the popularity wanes.
Jeff
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... The best way to exploit developing technologies isn't to watch a 40 year old grainy video tape (or was that supposed to just be a joke?).......
So much of what I read here [at the X10 forum] reads like X10 users have become Home Automation Survivalists.......
We have a library that still includes several hundred VHS movies that we occasionally watch. While the quality is certainly not up to BD or even DVD standards, we watch for the content, not to see each whisker on the actor's face. Some of us don't have the money to replace older products with the latest technology..
Yeah... no offense but keeping old VHS tapes around just isn't normal. When was the last time you actually watched one? Keeping old stuff like that can be more like hoarding than anything else. Often times the (old) public library systems will lend DVD's for free. I am not a wealthy man... this is NOT a money issue.
You must remember the problems the demise of X10 WTI caused for those of us who were using ActiveHome Pro. That is one reason why I will not choose a product that requires cloud support to function. As some people have pointed out, there are already devices that are no longer being supported..
Being an AHP user since the beginning.... I am well aware of the failures of the bankruptcy system in WA. Consumers should have been protected! Some assets should have been reserved from liquidation to maintain the X10 server presentence. A promise to use a big name server system with long term service plans.... would go a long way to preserve confidence in modern X10 tech.
When I invest in a product or technology, I expect it to last. Almost all my tools date from the '70's. And X10 continues to function in our home virtually flawlessly. Over the last decade my goal has been to help others achieve the same level of reliability. .
I also find X10 to be completely reliable. Thanks in no small part to your XTBM-Pro X10 Signal Analyzer (http://jvde.us/xtbm-pro.htm). Your fine [high quality] products have been helpful to many! You have done an impressive job with your products and your contributions here at the forum as well.
The latest technology can be great, but much of it is a passing fad that will go unsupported as the popularity wanes.
Yes... I know. That is why I am still a loyal X10 user. But being attached to an old reliable product doesn't mean we can't also progress with the new developing tech. This is NOT either-or. We can have it all.
Maybe someone.... some X10 user code-writer.... could create an app that runs off of our own individual clouds (we all have cloud space right?). Then we can have the very best of ALL WORLDS... and no one gets left out or left behind. I would hate to see anyone excluded from automation..... even those with solar powered off-grid cabins.... should be able to enjoy automation.
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Yeah... no offense but keeping old VHS tapes around just isn't normal. When was the last time you actually watched one? Keeping old stuff like that can be more like hoarding than anything else.
Most recently - Andromeda Strain (the original) and Executive Decision (Kurt Russell), and before that the Long, Long Trailer (Lucy). Many of our VHS tapes are children oriented, and we pull them out when the grandkids visit. But we also have some great movies from the 80's.
A promise to use a big name server system with long term service plans.... would go a long way to preserve confidence in modern X10 tech.
Even big name companies have gone down - Enron, Lucent, Worldcom, ... One of the large solar energy companies recently went down when a major contract was cancelled.
Several years ago a construction project cut the only fiber optic link feeding our city, and we were without any Internet service for a couple of days while it was spliced it back together. So I would rather rely on something that I can control myself than something that requires connectivity outside our home.
Jeff
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Maybe someone.... some X10 user code-writer.... could create an app that runs off of our own individual clouds (we all have cloud space right?). Then we can have the very best of ALL WORLDS... and no one gets left out or left behind. I would hate to see anyone excluded from automation..... even those with solar powered off-grid cabins.... should be able to enjoy automation.
That almost sounds like a personal server such as a low powered RPi running a web server with HA software. I wonder where I would find something like that that could power all available technologies?
Anyway, keeping a library of content could be considered hoarding but then why would they sell DVD/BD in the first place if they didn't intend for us to keep it. If it was intended to view the movie once and then discard, we should all just move over to Red Box or streaming (depending on your disability level). I keep things that I buy until they no longer serve a perceived service. If my VCR breaks, the movies hit the bricks too. Until then, they will sit at the lower back of my media cabinet with the hundreds of DVDs hiding them. Oh, and though I still have a binder and boxes of music CD's, I have ripped them to my personal cloud (network file server) so that I can continue to use it with my futuristic Android music box. Of course, I haven't pulled a CD out in years but in that case it's more in case the server crashes and I have to restore my collection the painful way. It also keeps me all legit in that I can prove I own the CD as opposed to selling the originals and keeping the (now) pirated content on my cloud.
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.... keeping a library of content could be considered hoarding but then why would they sell DVD/BD in the first place if they didn't intend for us to keep it.
I don't know why those "they" people make people do the things "they" do. I don't even know who "they" are. And I don't understand why people hoard.
.... If my VCR breaks, the movies hit the bricks too. Until then, they will sit at the lower back of my media cabinet with the hundreds of DVDs hiding them.
I have an old VCR as I sometimes convert old media for people. But those old mechanical devices have little rubber belts. The odd's are... if it has set for long... the old VCR is useless anyway.
I am really taken aback. I had no idea anyone was still hoarding... let alone using... the old VCR tapes. You all must live in huge homes! I've never had that much storage space.
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Most recently - Andromeda Strain (the original)
It was a good movie. I remember seeing it... I think... while on leave from the Army (we lost that war). But if you like the old classics they are still available on-line at YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGypuIl7Ddw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGypuIl7Ddw)) and other places.
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Most recently - Andromeda Strain (the original)
It was a good movie. I remember seeing it... I think... while on leave from the Army (we lost that war). But if you like the old classics they are still available on-line at YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGypuIl7Ddw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGypuIl7Ddw)) and other places.
The book was better. We still have that in our library too. I haven't tried any rental YouTube videos, but the ones that can be downloaded for free are pretty poor quality.
Jeff
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The book was better. We still have that in our library too.
VHS tapes, books, CRT oscilloscope - what other relics do you hoard? :o
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VHS tapes, books, CRT oscilloscope - what other relics do you hoard? :o
Our library has almost 1000 books cataloged. And that is 4 CRT oscilloscopes - 2 Tektronix 7603 beasts, and 2 others. One is an old Heathkit I tried to give away years ago. I did get rid of the CGA monitor, but I kept the old NEC 2A as a backup to support some old hardware. We have 8 computers, 5 of which are used on a daily basis - 2 running XP and 3 Windows 7. Another is an XP backup for the lab computer, and another is an old laptop that I use for ActiveHome Pro when testing. The last is an ancient Epson kept to support some old factory automation equipment I developed years ago.
I much prefer the 7603 to the digital storage scope for daily use, but the digital storage scope was invaluable for capturing entire X10 strings (especially the extended codes).
Then for nostalgia I saved various enthusiast magazines from the 60's and 70's. I have the first few years of Byte and Kilobaud magazines, back when we were building our own computers from components and wire-wrap boards. And yes, I still have that stuff too. Everything has its place on shelves in several walk-in closets and storage rooms.
We also have the stuff left behind by our ping-pong children before they established their own families, but that is out in the garage 3rd bay. If they don't eventually take it, most will go to DI (our version of Salvation Army).
Jeff
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Books? You know they have readers for that now. Geeze. rofl
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Books? You know they have readers for that now. Geeze. rofl
And I even have some cassette tapes for the tape player in my 280ZX!
Jeff
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The book was better. We still have that in our library too. I haven't tried any rental YouTube videos, but the ones that can be downloaded for free are pretty poor quality.
I've been reading books downloaded to my phone or tablet... the past two-three years. I am not anti-paper... but digital weighs so much less than the old books do. I think I have 3 or 4 books on in my phone right now.... and I can't feel that the phone is any heavier at all. ;)
Poor [streaming] video quality hasn't been my experience. But not all the old stuff was created in high quality. So poor video and/or sound quality... is all there is. The old Star Treks... display in better quality streaming on-line today..... than they were when originally broadcasted.
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......... Then for nostalgia I saved various enthusiast magazines from the 60's and 70's.
I apologize Jeff. I would have never guessed or attempted to expose your hoarding tendency's. It is common now-a-days (and nobody knows why).
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...I will not choose a product that requires cloud support to function.
I agree and can only think of one HA related situation where cloud storage can be useful - off-site storage of motion triggered video recordings in the event of a burglary makes sense. But, even there, I would object if the only way to view camera video in realtime requires accessing it via the cloud.
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I would have never guessed or attempted to expose your hoarding tendency's.
It's not really that. I firmly believe in the saying "don't fix it if it ain't broke". And I also believe that after selecting a good product, I should keep it running as long as it serves its purpose. That is essentially what I'm doing with the XTB business. I don't keep junk magazines or anything that doesn't have "historical" value for me.
Jeff
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I have historically had a tendency to want the latest and greatest tech. In school I would buy a new video card and sell my old one ("old" being a few months of use) to another student. At that time, I could upgrade for ~$20USD for a card that was costing ~$200. When I moved out of the dorm, I realized it was harder to move the old stuff and so I ended up keeping it telling myself I'd have a backup. After moving a half dozen times and seeing the boxes of old slightly used tech it got me thinking about the waste of both money and resources. I think more about throwing the useful (to someone) items out more so than I do the loss of funds. It really bothers me that the business model of the HA industry is to get people to buy into a proprietary tech that they will intentionally orphan in the near future leaving owners with little more than a slightly dusty paper weight. If that device lost only a bonus feature that would be one thing. But, many cloud based devices are ONLY useful that way.
I have a weather station I got for the cost of shipping recently thinking I could find a way to make it work locally too. Though I haven't done so yet, the company hasn't turned a profit and still relies on KickStarter to go forward. This will not end well and I'm sure I'm going to end up with a new paper weight soon (unless Apple or Google buys them). It's not that I expect the weather station to last forever. I expect it to last it's expected life functioning fully as intended. When the business fails, the expected life becomes the life of the servers...
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Before becoming disabled, my job (and/or the local sheriff ;)) had me moving every couple of years so I, too, learned to limit the things I held onto. Since being disabled, I've tried to give away anything I can no longer use so that others might make use of it.
However, I also have 8 computers (3 W10, 3 W7, Mac Mini, iMac) plus several Arduinos and a few RPis that I'm hanging onto in case I'm able to finish a few projects and write/test software for them. My two monitors have multiple video inputs that I can switch between which reduces the total desk space needed.
One W7 PC has a removable HDD and I have 10 versions of Linux that can be swapped in/out. I recently sent a W98 PC that had a nice ISA bus oscilloscope card (made obsolete by the PCI bus) plus the CRT monitor I used with it to a local electronics recycling center and will likely be sending a lot of electronic components to a dumpster soon.
And, while I, too, was an early subscriber to Byte, I usually tossed them after a few months. My kids got my books, Dr. Who tapes, and vinyl LPs years ago.
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We have a library that still includes several hundred VHS movies that we occasionally watch. While the quality is certainly not up to BD or even DVD standards, we watch for the content, not to see each whisker on the actor's face. Some of us don't have the money to replace older products with the latest technology.
Make sure you maintain your VCR since they now are no longer being made. This article makes a few points in their favor - e.g. VHS tapes have a longer shelf life than DVDs.
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/07/caetlin_benson_allott_explores_the_legacy_of_vhs_and_vcr.html (http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/07/caetlin_benson_allott_explores_the_legacy_of_vhs_and_vcr.html)
I only have a few VHS tapes of classic movies and a couple concerts although I do have a fairly recent Toshiba VCR/DVD recorder/player that can copy VHS to DVD. I've about 3 dozen DVDs but have moved to streaming over the past few years. One Lenovo Q190 W10 PC is dedicated to streaming to my TV. At my age, it's hard to stay awake past 10PM so I frequently stream favorite TV shows the following day at a more geezer-friendly hour.
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And I even have some cassette tapes for the tape player in my 280ZX!
Jeff
Off topic, but I had a 280Z. Great car. Kept it for 10 years. At 120 the front end got way too light, but it would cruise at 100.
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Make sure you maintain your VCR since they now are no longer being made. This article makes a few points in their favor - e.g. VHS tapes have a longer shelf life than DVDs.
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/07/caetlin_benson_allott_explores_the_legacy_of_vhs_and_vcr.html (http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/07/caetlin_benson_allott_explores_the_legacy_of_vhs_and_vcr.html)
Thanks for linking that article. It was an interesting read.
We still have 3 functioning VCRs, 2 of which are SuperVHS compatible. Someday when I have time I have to transfer our library of SuperVHS tapes over to a digital format. But like with purging unused stuff, there seems to always be something more important to do, such as checking into this board while out of town for my high school class reunion. ;D
Jeff
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Off topic, but I had a 280Z. Great car. Kept it for 10 years. At 120 the front end got way too light, but it would cruise at 100.
You might be surprised how many people have told me they owned one. It is a real classic. This year I had the A/C converted to F134a, which has been great with our 105-110 daytime highs.
I've only run it up to 80 (which is legal out here on much of I-15).
Jeff
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The VCR is officially dead (http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/tunedin/the-vcr-is-officially-dead/vi-BBuFKgZ?ocid=spartandhp).
http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/tunedin/the-vcr-is-officially-dead/vi-BBuFKgZ?ocid=spartandhp
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I agree and can only think of one HA related situation where cloud storage can be useful - off-site storage of motion triggered video recordings in the event of a burglary........
I do the off-site security camera storage myself. But also.... Pictures (and/or video) taken with my wife and my iphones are automatically copied to the cloud. This is a great way to protect that media from loss... and allow easy sharing (even to the TV via my phone as the remote). Cloud images can be shared across state lines... great for distance located kids and grandkids.
There is a lot of shared use applications that can be cloud shared (like schedules and appointments) that just doesn't fit into people paradigms of how things are done.
One example that comes to mind would be when I was leaving the dentist office the receptionist asked if I'd like to be reminded of my next appointment by: Being called on my home phone or a text to my mobile phone. I asked... can't I just share calendar permissions with you? I almost felt bad. She was so pleased with the progress they had made with texting. She had no idea there was more, newer tech.
The thing is our old rock solid outdated paradigms aren't JUST holding back our Home Automation setups.... they are holding back our entire nations (worlds?) progress.
The bad thing is.... our paradigms (view of how the world works) tell us how things were... NOT what CAN BE. Our natural view of how things are done.... is based on how they were done in the PAST. We can not help these natural driving forces.... that is how the human brain works. And most of the time that function serves us well. But the natural paradigms also stifle imagination, creativity, and invention.
This is NOT an age thing! It is an ambition thing. It is no harder to discard a learned response... to explore a new way to do something at age 80... than it is at age 18!!!! There is a minimum effort required when we make a decision to try streaming... as opposed to popping in an old VHS tape. The benefits to progress has always been worth the effort. No vessel or container holds anyone's memories, emotions, sentimental attachments, or nostalgia.... other than the human mind. Stuff... is just stuff.
I have ALWAYS said (as far as you know) The use of Home Automation is limited... only by our imaginations. What I failed to mention is that we get to decide if we want to limit that imagination. We don't have to limit ourselves. Our natural limitations are great enough.