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Author Topic: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting  (Read 2280 times)

Victor9000

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NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« on: July 11, 2020, 03:11:03 PM »

I'm new here - sorry if I'm in the wrong place

I found some older NuTone HC100WS switches in a box and took one out and it installed it and it worked with an X-10 wireless controller in a circuit with a CFL installed. Simple on and off with a click (like X-10 appliance module). No flickering. Single LED installed.

I was curious to know if anyone here is familiar with this older model and know if it is safe to use with LEDs. I don't need dimming and most of my LEDs will not dim anyway.

Looking to control some lights on the back of the house with X-10 mini controller - recently changed to LEDs.

It has a three wire hookup Load, Neutral, and Line.

Any help is appreciated. It could keep me from going out and buying more equipment.

Any idea if it will control a vent fan or other small motorized device?

Thanks for any comments.

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brobin

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2020, 03:22:11 PM »

Welcome!  IIRC, the HC100WS is just a NuTone branded X10 switch.  X10 did that with a lot of companies.  The click you hear is a relay meaning that it's able to control a fan or other small motor.  As long as an LED bulb works with it you can consider it safe.
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Victor9000

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2020, 02:36:41 PM »

Thank you very much. I have it working with a CFL right now. Will try the LED soon. If I understand correctly, it is basically an appliance module - a relay. If so I'd guess I would also be able to control some light fixtures with the old X-10 motions sensors connected to outside lights.

Again, many thanks.
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brobin

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2020, 03:00:14 PM »

Absolutely.

FYI, X10 has OEM'd their products under a wide variety of brands over the years including:

Radio Shack Plug 'n Power
Leviton Central Control System (CCS)
Leviton Decora Electronic Controls
Sears Home Control System
Stanley LightMaker
Stanley Homelink
Black & Decker Freewire
IBM Home Director
RCA Home Control
GE Homeminder
Advanced Control Technologies (ACT)
Magnavox Home Security
NuTone
Smarthome
Westclox
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Brian H

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2020, 06:21:40 PM »

The Appliance modules have the ratchet switch in them you hear clunk.
To determine if the ratchet switch is On or Off. It has an output On or Off sensor. Sometimes this small sensing current can make a CFL or LED Bulb flash and trigger the Local Control to turn a appliance module back On.
Wall type On Off switches don't have local control. So that should not be a problem.

If they where a two wire dimmer style. That would be different.
CFL and LED bulbs don't normally do well on dimmer types. As they steal power through the load.
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Victor9000

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2020, 07:40:40 PM »

Absolutely.

FYI, X10 has OEM'd their products under a wide variety of brands over the years including:

Radio Shack Plug 'n Power
Leviton Central Control System (CCS)
Leviton Decora Electronic Controls
Sears Home Control System
Stanley LightMaker
Stanley Homelink
Black & Decker Freewire
IBM Home Director
RCA Home Control
GE Homeminder
Advanced Control Technologies (ACT)
Magnavox Home Security
NuTone
Smarthome
Westclox

I've had a few of these over the years. Radio Shack, Leviton, GE, IBM, NuTone, Smarthome and Stanley.
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brobin

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2020, 08:15:24 PM »

A couple of those were rather unique.  The Westclox version included an alarm clock that could control a module that could be set to any housecode but didn't have a unit code wheel as it was hardwired to unit code 13. I no longer have the clock but the module still works.

The GE Homeminder, which I bought in 1984 (I think), was also quite unique. It connected to a TV and you could place module icons in a generic house which would change to indicate on and off.  It had a remote control and programmable timers.  Sadly, it had a very limited battery backup and a power interruption of more than an hour usually meant redoing everything from scratch.  Back then household UPS devices weren't a thing yet.  Later, the CP-290 from X10 replaced my Homeminder. 

Here's a satirical video about the Homeminder:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-PsBwl0loc
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Victor9000

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2020, 03:24:21 AM »

I had a GE Homeminder. I remember thinking how modern the CP-290 was. I believe used it in conjunction with a Commodore-64.
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dave w

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2020, 12:20:27 PM »

I remember thinking how modern the CP-290 was. I believe used it in conjunction with a Commodore-64.
Ooh! you ARE an old X10 automation geezer. In late '70s we had a CP-290/ Commodore 64 with the 64 running a very early voice digitizer. "James" could control eight Unit Codes from voice commands. Can't remember the name of the device but it was frequently advertised in the early automation magazine; "Electronic House". The hardware that connected to the 64 (besides the CP-290), was basically a mic and audio preamp and a CODEC. "James" voice control was so bad it only lasted about two weeks in our house.
You sir are a X10 pioneer  :)% .   
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Askmeoffers7

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2020, 07:46:34 AM »

The RavPower RP-PB060 finally arrived, now operating with the PI. I can confirm charging occurs when driving the Pi. I had first checked the power supply in the powerbank and then the Pi. I turned off the Pi power supply the first time. Oh-oh! So, with the Pi already plugged in, I switched the power supply back on and switched it off again after the Pi had finished booting. It worked — the Pi stayed on through multiple on / off cycles. I'll search it again later to make sure the powerbank holds full charges.
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Allan Hill

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Re: NuTone HC-100WS and LED lighting
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2021, 06:49:29 PM »

I'm new here - sorry if I'm in the wrong place

I found some older NuTone HC100WS switches in a box and took one out and it installed it and it worked with an X-10 wireless controller in a circuit with a CFL installed. Simple on and off with a click (like X-10 appliance module). No flickering. Single LED installed.

I was curious to know if anyone here is familiar with this older model and know if it is safe to use with LEDs. I don't need dimming and most of my LEDs will not dim anyway.

Looking to control some lights on the back of the house with X-10 mini controller - recently changed to LEDs.

It has a three wire hookup Load, Neutral, and Line.

Any help is appreciated. It could keep me from going out and buying more equipment.

Any idea if it will control a vent fan or other small motorized device?

Thanks for any comments.
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