How does X10's Wireless Doorbell work

[Brian H]

I would think that if my jump drive did not work. I would at least ask the owner if they had a recent backup. 

I had a hard drive just died with on warning. Even the Smart Drive feature didn't catch anything bad. One day I was shutting down and XP just hung. Then the sounds of the hard drives heads BANGING on the platters and track stops. 

[HA Dave]

...... All is lost, all is lost. 

It is heart breaking to hear of lost data.

Long before I met my wife... just before she graduated from high school.. her family's home burnt to the ground. I know [through her] that the pictures and the documents and other "data" that can be lost in a flash... can be grieved for a lifetime. My heart goes out to you Knightrider

There is no comfort in being told how to avoid data loss next time... so I won't. Bad things happen to good (and even careful) people.

I never actually built my X10 setup, it just sorta evolved almost on its own. I have often thought of how I would have done it all different if I had - had the forethought. This maybe your chance to create a way of designing a system.

Best of luck.

My "doorbell recording macro" is actually four macros... so far.

[HA Dave]

Well my doorbell (like Dan's) may not be "the" X10 doorbell... but it certainly is an X10 doorbell.

The hacked/modified chime triggers the PowerFlash Module and sets it all in motion. (AHP) iwitness emails me two snapshots captured by the X10 wireless color camera about as fast as the button can be pressed. At the same time the VCR commander triggers a recording.. I am using a VCR now... but a DVR is on order. Since I can't see a need for 3 minutes of front-door video... after a few secs the cameras cycle, collecting views around the outside of the house.

This is REALLY fun stuff! Now... I have to see if I can email these snapshots to a cell phone.

[dave w]

All is lost, all is lost.  I'm just about done with evga and my computer guy.

Somebody buy me a beer.

Here is a Bud. Boiler is tossing in a shot of Jack, so you can have a boiler maker.

Guess this will spur me into getting a tetrabyte drive to back up all my machines.

[Knightrider]

NAS is coming to the Knightmare.

[Freeman]

May I suggest finding a friend with a computer with either a spare IDE or SATA cable, adding your HDD as a slave and booting into a data recovery bootdisk? I have done countless data recovery jobs and usually the success rate is 80% unless you have installed windows back over the same drive, or zero filled it. Even with a re-install you will have sections that haven't been over written and you will be able to recover some data.

If you need a list of good free data recovery programs I can list them!

Sam

[Knightrider]

Sam,
Already way ahead of ya!  Have the restoration software ready to go and the computer guy down the road has agreed to undertake my project.

[Freeman]

Ah excellent, good work Knightrider

[HA Dave]

... Have the restoration software ready to go and the computer guy down the road has agreed to undertake my project.

As we all wait with baited breath (whatever that means) and hoping you get a good result from your Hard Drive recreation... I finished my doorbell mod.... that this thread inspired (re-inspired?).

Remember... it was a simple enough setup. Hacked (wireless) doorbell triggers a powerflash module. The Powerflash Module triggers a macro which, turns on a wireless camera, then takes a snapshot, and emails it to me. The picture tells me weather it was a visitor, or package. Arranging to have packages delivered for testing... has cost me three months allowance. But here's a cropped image of just how well that works.

[dave w]

As we all wait with baited breath (whatever that means)

"BATED"

Use bated in a Sentence
â€"verb (used with object) 1. to moderate or restrain: unable to bate our enthusiasm. 
2. to lessen or diminish; abate: setbacks that bated his hopes. 

â€"verb (used without object) 3. to diminish or subside; abate.

â€"Idiom
4. with bated breath, with breath drawn in or held because of anticipation or suspense: We watched with bated breath as the runners approached the finish line. 


Sometimes I just can't stop myself.   

[HA Dave]

with bated breath, with breath drawn in or held because of anticipation or suspense: We watched with bated breath as the runners approached the finish line.

That would be it.... the spelling does make a difference. 

Sometimes I just can't stop myself.   

Apparently

[Dan Lawrence]

Just a quick update:  I added a AM486 to the Heath unit and now it is turned off between Midnight and 6:00 AM so somebody can't ring it at 3:00 AM when we are asleep.

[beelocks]

Does baited breath smell like maggots?   

[dave w]

Does baited breath smell like maggots?   

More like night crawlers I think.