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[daftpunkxl]

Hey guys.

My girlfriend just bought a condo for us that has some X10 switches installed, mostly for lighting control. There are a few switches in the master bedroom that look like standard flat rocker switches that make some kind of a clicking noise around the room. We haven't moved in yet, so I haven't had the chance to really investigate what the heck is going on there. Thoughts? The guy who lived there before was sort of crazy, it seems.

Anyway, my question is more broad than that. I've never had an x10 installation, though it's always been something I'd been curious about. I actually bought my parents a SmartLinc iNSTEON control unit that I was hoping to use here, since they never installed it. Would that work?

How would I go about learning about the system and how to use/customize it? The current owners really don't know what's going on with it. The building was constructed in 1983, but the unit itself was redone in the past 10 years. However, not by the current owners.

I've attached a photo of some of the switches in the entryway, and would love it if you all could give your insight as to where exactly these may fit in a typical installation. Mostly, I don't really understand if x10 is controlled ad-hoc, or if there's a "brain" someplace I should be looking for.

Thanks, guys!

[Brandt]

X10 was originally designed to just work over the powerlines with transmitters and receivers...no brains involved...however as of lately we have implemented computers and computer-to-powerline interfaces to add some intelligence to the mix.

These are the X10 transmitter bases underneath the faceplates:

http://www.smarthome.com/4210R/Leviton-Wall-Mounted-X10-Transmitter-Base-16400/p.aspx

And you can pick and choose faceplates based on the number of items you want to control:

http://www.smarthome.com/4213WR/Leviton-Wall-Mounted-X10-Controller-with-LEDs-White-16450-2DW/p.aspx
http://www.smarthome.com/4215WR/Leviton-Wall-Mounted-X10-Controller-with-LEDs-White-16450-4AW/p.aspx
etc...


All these do is transmit the X10 signal that is programmed under the faceplace onto the powerlines.

The fixtures or lamps can be controlled with plugin modules or wire-in modules:
Dimming:
http://www.smarthome.com/2000/X10-Lamp-Module-LM465-PLM03/p.aspx
http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/X-10-Pro/Item/XPDF/
Non-Dimming:
http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/X-10-Pro/Item/XPFM/
http://www.smarthome.com/2001/X10-Appliance-Module-AM486-PAM01/p.aspx
etc...

There are modules for just about anything that uses electricity....