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[sirron01]

Can the X10 suite of products control everything is your house?  From the house lights, thermostat, and ceiling fan to the garage door opener, porch lights, and outdoor fountain, and everything in between.  Or is it limited to devices that use RF and electrical outlets?

[HA Dave]

Can the X10 suite of products control everything is your house?  From the house lights, thermostat, and ceiling fan to the garage door opener, porch lights, and outdoor fountain, and everything in between.  Or is it limited to devices that use RF and electrical outlets?

Apparently... you don't particularly like to read.

X10 technology has been around for decades and its abilities (and faults) are well known and well written about. Simple searches should produce tons of reading material about X10 for home automation.

X10's “suite of products” are... somewhat limited at the X10 [dot com] Site. Getting a light switch or lamp module to work by remote control is pretty straight forward. I think most people can get that to work without reading the directions. Although I think many of those people call X10 on the phone. Even tiny setups... on occasion... can have problems. Search this forum (the search block above) for: phase issue, signal sucker, and line noise.

X10 isn't a Plug and Play technology for the advanced “everything in between”. The everythings” can even include a little soldering as well as slightly above average computer skills. But nothing that can't be easily learned.... or at least faked while borrowing from the more knowledgeable and talented .

I myself have leaned on the knowledge of others for years. I think I represent what the regular Joe can do with X10... with a little committed effort. Please take the time to check out my links below.

[Tuicemen]

Apparently... you don't particularly like to read.

And yet you write a long drawn out Yes answer telling them to do something they  apparently won't do!
 

[dave w]

Hang on, I got this.
Yes.
No.
 

[HA Dave]

Apparently... you don't particularly like to read.

And yet you write a long drawn out Yes answer ( telling them to do something they  apparently won't do!

Well... sure!

I thought it was an interesting question. And often times when I reply to a post I also consider the random reader that may never actually post their own question. Regulars here know I believe (I really do) that... The use of Home Automation is limited... only by our imaginations. But I don't want my enthusiasm for automation to come off as sounding like a sales pitch ether. Of course X10 can do nearly everything... but it does require a little effort.

I think my answer was honest.

[sirron01]

Thanks for your the reply but all I needed was simple "it will . . . or it won't do it" answer.  I thought the objective of these forums was so that we didn't have to search around whole to find our answer.  Being new to this technology and X10 products a quick 'yes' or 'no' would do.
 

[Tuicemen]

I thought the objective of these forums was so that we didn't have to search around whole to find our answer. 

No!
The reason for the forum isn't so you don't have to search!
Thats the reason there are so many duplicate posts, to many users think this way!
The Forum has a search function which all can and are encoutraged to use.
The long time members requested long and hard to get one that worked!
Read the stickies as they will usualy help you with finding answers to issues as well.
 

[dave w]

Can the X10 suite of products control everything is your house?  From the house lights, thermostat, and ceiling fan to the garage door opener, porch lights, and outdoor fountain, and everything in between.  Or is it limited to devices that use RF and electrical outlets?

Like I said:
Yes.
No.
But you really need to peruse the forum to get an idea of the various way this is done, the fun of doing it, and some of the pitfalls. But the reason for the forum isn't so you don't have to do research and searches, you still have to do that to get a good picture. X10 hasn't started paying us as Research Assistants yet, but I'm waiting. 

[HA Dave]

Thanks for your the reply but all I needed was simple "it will . . . or it won't do it" answer.  I thought the objective of these forums was so that we didn't have to search around whole to find our answer.  Being new to this technology and X10 products a quick 'yes' or 'no' would do.

This is a Community Forum.

The forums are here for your enjoyment and as a way for you to interact with other X10 users such as yourself to share, learn and find answers. Your questions are answered by unpaid forum members (other X10 users, just like you, who, through trial-and-error and/or reading-and-learning from the efforts of others, have somewhat mastered the 'skill' of getting technology that has evolved ~30 years ago to co-exist with gadgets that appeared - and continue to appear - years and years afterwards).

We don't work for you.... or X10. We are here for each other. So no one ever has to deal with this technology alone. There wasn't and isn't a quick and easy (yes or no) answer to your question. I tried to very politely point out that reading and learning is the only way to accomplish the "everything" you asked about. I know my reply was long and drawn out... which was intended... to help make my point.

I don't think you need my guess as to wether you will invest the time and reading required to enjoy this really remarkable technology to its full potential.

[beelocks]

Can the X10 suite of products control everything is your house? 

Yes.
Is that the simple answer you need?

Maybe.
If you want to put the time and effort into making it do what you want.

No.
Not straight out of the box.

[Knightrider]

X10 controls almost everything in my house, but I've made some pretty off-the-wall modifications.

[sirron01]

I would like to get some others ideas on some of the uses of X10 devicesfrom you guys.  I've put sensors and a lamp in my closets where there was no light before, so now a light comes on when I open the closet door.   I put sensors on my front porch and a chime and a porch light comes on when someone approaches the porch, And I most recently place a sensor in my mailbox to let me know when the mail comes.  I  am disabled so these devices have made life considerably easier. 

[Tuicemen]

Read all posts in these sections:
Automated Home Showcase

User-Designed Working Macros

Users here have gone to great detail writing about there setups and how to make things work!
 

[HA Dave]

Read all posts in these sections:
Automated Home Showcase
User-Designed Working Macros
Users here have gone to great detail writing about there setups and how to make things work!

Those are good links for "idea hunters". I am a big believer that the use of Home Automation is limited... only by our imaginations. Reading the forums (every post) for a while is a great way educate yourself about how people are using X10. I have some links in my tag-lines (below) that might spur some ideas as well.

Looking for ways and ideas as how to use more X10 and Home Automation... is [also] what brought me to the forums.