Funky electricity 127/50

[Dan Lawrence]

Good link, but it still doesn''t help the original poster, who is in the Netherlands Antilles.  He cannot use US/Canadian electric equipment

[Charles Sullivan]

Good link, but it still doesn''t help the original poster, who is in the Netherlands Antilles.  He cannot use US/Canadian electric equipment

The line voltage at my house (in the USA) has at times varied in the 125-130 Volt range with no ill effects on my X10 equipment, and the original poster says his line voltage is usually around 120 Volts anyway.   Again except for timed macros, I wouldn't expect problems with X10 signals on the user's nominal 127 Volt, 50 Hz  power.

Whether the telephoning feature of the X-10 security console is compatible with the telephone network in the Netherlands Antilles is another question entirely.

[Dan Lawrence]

What I know of AC electricity, frequency is very important. Electrical devices are built for the frequency where they are sold.  A device built for 60HZ will not work properly on 50HZ. Electric clocks will run slow, for example and motors would overheat.  Airline travelers who fly frequently buy converters for use in countries where frequency and voltage is different from US/Canadian standard. The electric shaver built for US/Canadian use won't work in London or Paris without a converter.

Question for the user base here: Have X10 modules been affected during "brownouts, where voltage is reduced?  I live in Baltimore, where brownouts are very rare.

[TakeTheActive]

Good link, but it still doesn''t help the original poster, who is in the Netherlands Antilles.  He cannot use US/Canadian electric equipment

Did you read it?

What I know of AC electricity...

The most important thing to mention is that anything sold by X10USA WILL NOT work outside of the US or Canada. Neither any modules or the CM15A will not funtion at all and nothing with US/Canada conectors can be plugged into a non-US electric system without adapters and AHP will not function properly.

If you're not an expert in a subject (utility power systems, for example), then perhaps you should stop making blanket statements.

IMO, from looking at the chart Charles Sullivan was so gracious to locate and provide a LINK for, folks living in:

• American Samoa
• Aruba
• Bahamas
• Bermuda
• Brazil
• Cayman Islands
• Columbia
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Ecuador
• Guam
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Neth. Antilles
• Okinawa
• Panama
• Philippines
• Puerto Rico
• Saudi Arabia
• St. Pierre & Miquelon (France)
• Taiwan
• Trinidad & Tobago 
• Venezuela
• Virgin Island

have a VERY GOOD chance of everything operating right-out-of-the-box!  [~120VAC, 60HZ, Plug Type A and/or B]

[specs]

The line voltage at my house (in the USA) has at times varied in the 125-130 Volt range with no ill effects on my X10 equipment, and the original poster says his line voltage is usually around 120 Volts anyway.   Again except for timed macros, I wouldn't expect problems with X10 signals on the user's nominal 127 Volt, 50 Hz  power.

Whether the telephoning feature of the X-10 security console is compatible with the telephone network in the Netherlands Antilles is another question entirely.

I don't really care about the timed macros.  Looking at it mainly for the motion detectors and horn.  Looking for something I can set and leave.
I work from home, so there is usually somebody here.  I just want it for the few times I do leave.  I live on a wonderful island where there is almost no violent crime, unfortunately theft and burgulary are very common.  And I have a fair amount of computer equipment I want protected.

For the telephony, I use Vonage (VOIP); because all my family and customers are in the US. I read on other threads that you can make this work with Vonage.  The question will be if I can get it to dial my local cell phone (011599XXXXXXX) 13 digits ie: dial international.  This may be answered elsewhere, I haven't looked yet.

[steven r]

...I use Vonage (VOIP)...

Make sure you have a UPS for your modem, router, & Vonage.

[specs]

...I use Vonage (VOIP)...

Make sure you have a UPS for your modem, router, & Vonage.

You sure bet I do! I have a 1500VA APC in every room in room in the house with any real equipment in it.

[Brian H]

The UPS units will suck up the X10 line signals. My APB BX1000 needed a X10 filter on the AC power cord to stop it from absorbing most of the X10 Line Signals. Also X10 signals will not pass through the UPS so battery backup of the X10 stuff will probably not work. One side test I did for someone here. I tried the TM751 Transceiver on my UPS battery backed outlet. On Battery it fried the module with it's modified sine wave output.

[steven r]

...I tried the TM751 Transceiver on my UPS battery backed outlet. On Battery it fried the module with it's modified sine wave output.

My transceiver almost fried (It got hot as H***.) when I tried a similar thing with the AC output from an inverter plugged into a 12V battery. My guess is that it is more of a square wave than a true sine wave.

[Charles Sullivan]

What I know of AC electricity, frequency is very important. Electrical devices are built for the frequency where they are sold.  A device built for 60HZ will not work properly on 50HZ. Electric clocks will run slow, for example and motors would overheat.  Airline travelers who fly frequently buy converters for use in countries where frequency and voltage is different from US/Canadian standard. The electric shaver built for US/Canadian use won't work in London or Paris without a converter.

The converters sold in the US for foreign travel just step down the voltage from 230 Volts to 115 Volts and provide the receptacle adapter.   They don't normally convert frequency.  True, AC electric clocks and other equipment (like the CM15A) which keep time by counting cycles will run slower on 50 Hz than on 60 Hz, as will AC motors.  See: http://www.franzus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=FOS&Screen=UE

Question for the user base here: Have X10 modules been affected during "brownouts, where voltage is reduced?  I live in Baltimore, where brownouts are very rare.

FWIW, I once tested a LM465 Lamp Module's response to dim signals at different voltages by plugging the module into a "variac" (autotransformer).  It worked fine down to 90 Volts, which is as low as I went.   (The CM11A used to send the X10 signals remained at 120 Volts on the input side of the variac.)