How do you use your VCR Commander?

[Tuicemen]

Many of us have this things but how many of us are actually using them?
And How many are getting the maximum bang for their buck from these things?

I have one set up at the cottage which triggers a VCR to record and stop recording from a hidden cam I mounted between logs it the wall!
Since I'm on solar there it isn't the best as the VCR must stay on eating up power
Maybe I'm missing something there? 

Anyways at home here where I have a AH PC running 24/7 and power is plentiful my VCR Commander has Unlimited possibilities!
I never liked the Idea of having wire dangling in front of all my audio/video electronics! And hated the emitters stuck to each,they never stayed! (Could be the fact that my wife never liked them either.) 

But with my recent Powermid combo that is a thing of the past!
see: Hide that VCR Commander!
A single X10 ON command:
1:Turns on my VCR
2:Turns it to the input channel 3 (just in case the last channel it was on is something else)
3:Then starts to record!
4: It also sends the signal to turn my TV to the input channel so If the TV is on I can quickly see what is being recorded .

Of coarse I'm using software to do this as the same X10 signal also turns on the designated camera, fires of an Email, and triggers a light in the house to turn on!

The X10 Off command simply
1: Stops recording
2: Turns off the VCR
3: In addition to the VCR commander the same X10 trigger also turns off the Light and Camera

I'd love to hear how others are using this! It may spur me to use mine more or in other ways! 

[Jim Clark]

Since I'm on solar there it isn't the best as the VCR must stay on eating up power

I have the power on/off programed into my VCR Commander and don't have to leave the power to the VCR turned on.  I know that this is not recommended as the VCR can confuse the on and off signal should things get out of sequence but I have not had a single problem with this in the past two years.