I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a new and fun way to use
BVC (This is the holiday season and guests always want to see my HA improvements).
OK...
those squeamish about NON-X10 home automation should look away... while I type the remainder of this.
The (
maybe original) HA device is available this time of year (mostly in drug stores) as a gift item.
Of course... I am talking about the CLAPPER.
Those that know me... also know I've been joking about the clapper for some time now. I have even taught my
Kate 16 (AKA seven of nine) to sing the
"Clapper song" on request. Of course... lately when I ask her to sing the clapper song... she replies:
"yeah-right... pull my finger". Kate gets more like a wife everyday.
So what does a CLAPPER have to do with BVC (or AHP or even X10)
? Well I am not going to walk around the house slapping
MY hands against each other!
I have a lamp on an end-stand beside my favorite easy-chair. But because of it's strategic location... my wife has refused to allow me to automate it. No push buttons or voice commands for that lamp. But she can't refuse a clapper... what would be the reason... she can't find her hands late at night?
Now all I have to do is record a WAV file of both a single and a double clap (I got the
Clapper PLUS). And then teach Kate (
BVC) to respond to my request to: "Turn on my lamp"
by playing the appropriate WAV file. The Clapper should hear the clap/WAV and turn ON/OFF my lamp.
This is serious FUN with Home Automation.