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[freggo]

Hi everybody,

Ayone can give me an idea if X10 modules can be used to let websurfers remotely control a simple modeltrain layout ?
The cameras to 'view' the action should be no problem, but what about controlling 1 or 2 trains and maybe a few lights ?

cheers,

Peter

[Dan Lawrence]

Most likely not.

The X10 software that allows camera pictures to be viewed, AHP (the sofware that controls X10 modules) cannot be remotely controled, unless the PC running it can be.

[Tuicemen]

freggo :Active Home Pro (AHP) with the plugins iWitness and  Myhouse Online  will let you turn on/off lights/appliances remotely also viewing cams switching and pan&tilting.
Infact almost any thing you can do with x10 modules in the home can be done from the web! As Dan stated Your PC has to be left running!
Controling the trains could become tricky (what do you want to be able to do? speed/forward/reverse?)

[freggo]

freggo :Active Home Pro (AHP) with the plugins iWitness and  Myhouse Online  will let you turn on/off lights/appliances remotely also viewing cams switching and pan&tilting.
Controling the trains could become tricky (what do you want to be able to do? speed/forward/reverse?)

Controlling speed (forward only) will be ok. However, because of the nature of the installation a simple train ON...Train OFF will not do and some form of speed control is necessary (i.e. controlling a DCC module).

Cheers,

Peter

[Tuicemen]

I remember reading a post by a disabled person with a train setup using X10 and cams !
Doing an Advanced Search here may turn it up also check some of the other homeautomation forums you may find someone who has everything you wish to do already running! The speed thingy will be a little tricky but you might be able to use the dim function of a lamp module to incorperate it!

[freggo]

I remember reading a post by a disabled person with a train setup using X10 and cams !
Doing an Advanced Search here may turn it up also check some of the other homeautomation forums you may find someone who has everything you wish to do already running! The speed thingy will be a little tricky but you might be able to use the dim function of a lamp module to incorperate it!

Thanks for the little kick in my thought machine ! I'll try the advanced search next 
Your are right of course, the trick is finding someone who has done it and is willing to share the know how. There is no point -to a degree- to reinvent the wheel over and over.
I am always amazed that after more than a decade of the WWW it is still relatively difficult to use a computer for the various remote functions. I think there is a huge untapped market. Hello Micro$oft, are you listening ?

Anyway, there IS someone who has done the remove control train thing; it's been online for something like 5+ years. But it is a University project for graduate students in Germany and 'sharing' is -understandably- not an option.
Besides, in good German fashion, they went far beyond anything I am planning anyway :-)

If anyone wants a peek at their setup (sorry, I don't think they use X10 stuff), it is quite interesting.
http://rr.informatik.tu-freiberg.de/index.php?js=1

Thanks for all your advice so far!


Cheers,

Peter

[Duck69]

Try this web site:

http://www.g4tv.com/screensavers/features/14683/High_Tech_Model_Railroads.html