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YES - It's The *ONLY* Way To Go!

35 (47.9%)

YES - BUT I Also Have a CM15A That I'm "Testing"

7 (9.6%)

YES - BUT I Also Have a NON-X10 Controller That I'm "Testing"

2 (2.7%)

NO - I've Upgraded To The CM15A And I'm Happy With It

16 (21.9%)

NO - I've Upgraded To The CM15A And I'm Disappointed With It

4 (5.5%)

NO

9 (12.3%)

Total Members Voted: 72

[TakeTheActive]

Yeah, I know that I'm the "Short-Timer " here [Date Registered: 2006-06-23, 00:44:18], the *NEWEST* Community Organizer, (aka the one with the BIGGEST MOUTH!  ), yet I'd *STILL* like to have the opportunity to turn this "X10 Community" around, from one of (mostly, IMO) NEGATIVITY (i.e. the majority of the posts COMPLAINING ABOUT X10, or asking for HELP ME! - for situations that have ALREADY been answered / addressed  ) into one of (at least some) POSITIVITY (is that a real word?) where there are *ALSO* posts of "Here's What *I* Did With X10!".

In other words, IMHO, Folks should come here to SHARE IDEAS as well as ASK FOR TECHNICAL HELP and/or COMPLAIN. 

So, here's my *FIRST* (of what I hope to be SEVERAL POLL(s) about X10...

Please participate, comment and VOTE! 

BTW, the various FONTS / COLORS / FORMATTING / ETC... that I use in my posts are intended to convey some sense of EMOTION / FEELING / URGENCY (or not) compared to regular FLAT text. 

Interpret them as you will... 


[TTA Edit: Correct spelling error - THANKS Jim! Re: Do You (?Still?) Use The CM11A As Your PRIMARY Home Controller?!? ]

[ralex17]

Yes, I've used my CM11A for several years with few problems.  Although recent electrical problems in my area seem to have shorted out my controller.  But I plan to buy another one and avoid  the Activehome Pro due to problems I have heard about (low range, etc).

[Oldtimer]

"Here's What *I* Did With X10!".

In other words, IMHO, Folks should come here to SHARE IDEAS as well as ASK FOR TECHNICAL HELP and/or COMPLAIN. 

I agree with TakeTheActive.  I have a couple of X10 related write ups in the FAQ I've written for my wife and family about all the equipment I've installed in, and mods I've made to, our home.  I'd be happy to post these but please tell me the best topic area to put them in.

[TakeTheActive]

Yes, I've used my CM11A for several years with few problems.  Although recent electrical problems in my area seem to have shorted out my controller.  But I plan to buy another one and avoid  the Activehome Pro due to problems I have heard about (low range, etc).

Land Sakes Alive! Golly Gee Willikers!! WOW!!! 

The tumbleweeds were rolling through this thread (Posted: «  on: 2006-09-07, 01:55:02 » - ZERO REPLIES!  ) and I was preparing to get estimates for a tombstone when you "rode through ". 

ralex17: THANKS for bumping this thread back into view!

Oldtimer: THANKS for finding it and offering your support!

[TakeTheActive]

I agree with TakeTheActive.  I have a couple of X10 related write ups in the FAQ I've written for my wife and family about all the equipment I've installed in, and mods I've made to, our home. 

I'd be happy to post these but please tell me the best topic area to put them in.

[/size]

THANKS Oldtimer! 

Whereever you put them, any Community Organizer can move them if they feel it's really necessary. BUT, write them up and POST THEM - we can deal with the piddly details later! 

How about we start here: Troubleshooting Automation Problems ?

[Oldtimer]

TakeTheActive: Okay, go ahead and delete both our pearls of wisdom!  

Seriously though,  you may have acaccidentally touched on the problem.  What I am offering to post has nothing whatsoever to do with  Trouble Shooting Automation Problems.  What I've written up are articles about how I integrated X10 equipment into environmental control systems in our house that utilize waste heat and solar heat to reduce our oil bill.  We need a topic area to post successful applications like these so others can learn how powerful a tool X10 can be.  That's one way to counterbalance all the it doesn't work postings.

[TakeTheActive]

Seriously though,  you may have acaccidentally touched on the problem.  What I am offering to post has nothing whatsoever to do with  Trouble Shooting Automation Problems.  What I've written up are articles about how I integrated X10 equipment into environmental control systems in our house that utilize waste heat and solar heat to reduce our oil bill.  We need a topic area to post successful applications like these so others can learn how powerful a tool X10 can be.  That's one way to counterbalance all the it doesn't work postings.

Yes, I understand. BUT, *ALL* of our hands are tied (Community Organizers *AND* Administrators) by X10 Management - the Forums available are what there is.

My interpretation:

• Automating Your House - Pre-purchase Home Automation questions.
  .
• Troubleshooting Automation Problems - Post-purchase Home Automation questions, tips, hints, etc...
  

Where else would you suggest (out of *ONLY* the choices currently available?) 

[Hemingray]

Up until recently, my primary controller was a BSR X10-014311 plug-in base controller (Similar to X10's SC503). Now I rely on my Palmpad (HR12A) and my Transceiver (TM751). I'll likely keep the BSR around for the purpose of programming socket rockets (whenever I get to obtaining/using those). I do own a CM11A (Radioshack 61-2417), But it does not always work properly. I'll go on about my CM11A issues in the right forum 

[tom j]

Yes, I've used my CM11A for several years with few problems.  Although recent electrical problems in my area seem to have shorted out my controller.  But I plan to buy another one and avoid  the Activehome Pro due to problems I have heard about (low range, etc).

Low Range OOOOO Yeah!!!!!!!!

Tom j

[BentSk8r]

Just got things running under Vista.  First install of Active Home 1.43 didn't work.  It seems that my system (Gateway GM5407E) only has COM 1 and the best way to specify that is during installation.  After the reboot everything worked perfectly.  My simple requirements are met just fine with the CM11A and I'm thrilled not to shell out the $50 for the CM15.

[HA Dave]

Just got things running under Vista.  First install of Active Home 1.43 didn't work.  It seems that my system (Gateway GM5407E) only has COM 1 and the best way to specify that is during installation.  After the reboot everything worked perfectly.  My simple requirements are met just fine with the CM11A and I'm thrilled not to shell out the $50 for the CM15.

Thanks for sharing BentSk8r! And Welcome to the forum! I think your right in your approach of keeping things [just] simple [enough]. However, be warned Home Automation has an addictive effect... and can take on a life of it's own... isn't that right Kate.

[ac7ss]

I seem to be re-awakening this thread.

I use my CM11A with the Heyu software http://www.heyu.org/ on my Linux box.
I have also added a web page (private) to my personal web server that allows me to monitor the X11 activity and turn the lights on and off from work.
The Heyu software is a command line interface to the functionality of X10 via the CM11A that can be easily controlled by a CGI script.
You may also run macros on the computer side with it, and of course you can program the CM11A macros and timers with it.

[HA Dave]

I seem to be re-awakening this thread...  I use my CM11A with the Heyu software.... on my Linux box.

Welcome to the forum ac7ss!

Sure glad you Linux users have that option (with the CM11A). We have a great Linux/Heyu user/expert here at the forum too. Hopefully he will also post here.

I've read so many complaints from users that X10 isn't plug-N-play enough. I would say you Linux users earn your automation. Actually... it sounds like you have a setup most users would be envious of. I Hope you hang around the forum a bit and share your knowledge.

[Charles Sullivan]

Yes, welcome ac7ss!

If you haven't already done so, you may also want to join the heyu_users forum (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/heyu_users) and share experiences with a larger family of Heyu users.

[EricJay]

Whew...  I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only CM11A user left!  I purchased the ActiveHome kit years ago when it first came out (and when talking about COM ports made me feel young, not old!).  I had abandoned my X10 projects a few years later, and nearly forgot about them entirely...  until my sister recently moved into a place with a light-switch arrangement that didn't fit her lamp-centric decorating style.  I remembered the old shoebox full of parts, and dug a few out.

I'll be setting her up sometime next week with some new lamp modules (that soft-start is a nice improvement), wireless transciever, and slim switch (also a nice looking improvement over the old "lumpy" wireless wall switches).

I figured while I had the parts out, though, I'd install ActiveHome on my PC and see if the CM11A still worked.  Sure enough, it did.  I even installed a few lamp modules in my living room, complete with macros and timers.

I know that at some point, I had the universal remote with X10 RF transmitter and a collection of motion sensors, but those may have been tossed years ago.  Still, it's nice to have the old system running again.  Ah, the memories!

Now, I need to look into some of the open-source software alternatives since this ActiveHome interface really was a clunker, huh?

Anyway, it was nice to find this site, and to see that this old ActiveHome forum still has users.