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[kenner]

I need a clever idea for a small wall mounted indicator light to show armed status.

I have the macros all figured out. But the light is stumping me. Given the layout of the entrance of my house, there is no room for a floor lamp or table lamp. Also there is no electrical outlet nearby, so no lamp module.  The ideal solution would be a small battery powered LED mounted on or near the door jamb.

My wife (and sometime I ) are always going out the door forgetting the alarm is armed. And I'd like to upgrade from our sticky note reminder posted above the doorknob.

[HA Dave]

I need a clever idea for a small wall mounted indicator light to show armed status.

Oh you need the: X10 Remote Receiver relay (RR847). It's been on my wishlist for sometime now. X10 hasn't made one yet. The remote power transmitter isn't available at thinkgeeks ether (see attached image). The only battery operated device I know of that will receive the X10 RF signal is the VCR Commander. And it's battery ability's are only for back up.

I will assume you are also using the MS10A security motion sensors. You could place one of those close to your exit door. Then write a macro for that particulars sensors motion detection... based on "at home or armed console settings". In other words... that sensor would work normally. But.. in addition... when approached/triggered when the alarm is in the "at home mode" or "alarm armed" settings.. a macro could be triggered.

I guess you could then use a strobe, flashing light, or even a chime from across the room... where you have a plug available... for a reminder signal. I would consider intergrading this into my S.A.R.A. setup. Then I would simply add a Voice Warning as a listener in my BVC setup.

So.. nearing my exit door... while the alarm is armed would meet the conditions of a macro and cause my Kate Voice (speakers) to warn me that "the alarm is armed, remember to disarm the alarm". That would also work well as a reminder... when I enter the home with the alarm on.. in delay mode.

Of course I should point out I've never done this... but in theory it should work fine. I currently use the BVC listerner for the DS7000 alarms all lights on/off. So my Kate voice yells along with the (several) sirens I have through out my house if the alarm is triggered. I don't think an intruder would understand what my Kate voice is... he would just hear a womans voice clamly yelling something about "the police have been called".

[dbemowsk]

Well, some things you could try...

• An option with no X10 control would be to use a little stick on LED light like these little stick ons from Sylvania.  They can be solid on or flashing with a simple tap.
• If you have some tinkering ability, and maybe some simple soldering skills, you could take one of those stick on lights apart and wire on a piece of small gauge speaker wire to the switch connections in the light.  Make the wire long enough to reach to an outlet where you could then connect it to a universal module that could be set up to show you the actual status through AHP.  A universal module will more than handle the low battery voltage of a light like this.  If no outlet is near, this may not work

You are kind of limited with no nearby outlet source.

Dan B.

[PajamaGuy]

my $.02

One of the “wishlist” items is for the DS7000 to “talk” to AHP – it doesn’t.

To circumvent what’s lacking, and because my soldering skills aren’t that great, I do 4 things.
(1)   Using the On-Alert module with AHP, I listen for security remotes to Arm & DisArm.  I have a simple nightlight plugged into an appliance module that via macros lights when AHP thinks the system is ARMed, and is not lit when DisArmed.  Various timed macros reset that light periodically when they fire.

(2)   I have another simple nightlight plugged into a SuperSocket that is addressed to the DS7000’s security light HC/UC so that it flashes on & off when I arm the DS7000.  As everyone knows, the on-off security light flash from the DS7000 that indicates the system received the signal and actually armed – does not always happen – even though the DS7000 did in fact arm.

So even if AHP received the signal, and believes the alarm system is armed, if the DS7000 didn’t actually arm (for lots of reasons) – you really can’t be sure.  Conversely, if the DS7000 did arm, but AHP did not register the remote’s arming RF, while the DS7000 may be armed, AHP might not think so.
Either Puck or Tuicemen hardwired a light from their DS7000 to a panel by their garage giving an accurate indication of the armed status of their system. 
When I exit my house and press the ARM button on my KR10A, I get the On-Off flash of the SuperSocket’s nightlight (mounted on my porch) from the DS7000, and I get the Appliance Module-connected night light “on” (mounted in a porch window) indicating AHP knows the system is armed.  By the time I get to the garage, I also have an email on my BlackBerry confirming AHP’s armed status.

(3)   That email also contains a snapshot of the DS7000 showing me its Armed light is lit.  Yes, I have a camera mounted in the closet with the DS7000.  I can email my home and get that snapshot returned usually within 7 minutes.  It’s very comforting.  (If I have access to a PC, I can get a live shot of my DS7000 from that camera.)

(4)   Because no one else living at my address has the patience to listen for the dings, and watch the lights, I also have a KR10A wired to 2 universal modules – so by email I can Arm & DisArm both the DS7000 and AHP.

[HA Dave]

Either Puck or Tuicemen hardwired a light from their DS7000 to a panel by their garage giving an accurate indication of the armed status of their system. 

That was Pucks DS7000 LED extension. A great old post. We were able to save the images (pics) and attach them at the bottom of the post. The geocities closing... caused much havoc.. some posts still requires a little work. I will try to "pretty-up" that post a bit because it is worth it.

But you've done some pretty impressive stuff with your setup as well. A step-by-step thread of your own could be a lot of help to users now... and [like Puck's old post] even years from now.

I also recently read this post about monitoring a status (LED) light. That piece got me wondering... I often open up my "eye" sensors and tape over the photo sensor.... that way I don't have to bother with that pesky dusk/dawn sensor stuff. I wonder now... if I could extend that sensors connection.... and place the photo sensor over an LED light (like the DS7000's).

Has anyone tried that yet? Looks like something similar was done here (another cocoontech piece).

[kenner]

I went the security sensor route placing it near the door which triggers a voice alert. It works great when the system is armed via the key chain remote. However, it consistently fails to work if when AHP arms the system which is the primary way we arm the system.

Any suggestions before I try rebuilding all my modules and macros in AHP?
 

[PajamaGuy]

I'm a tad confused.  Although AHP macros "can" arm the DS7000, AHP will not recognize, nor reflect an "ARMed" status.  If you need to do the arming via AHP, and if you want AHP to recognize the arming, you have to force AHP to physically activate one of the Security Remotes.  That involves solder, wires, a universal module, etc., and nerves, and a couple of beers.

I went the security sensor route placing it near the door which triggers a voice alert

Not sure what this means - which sensor?  And if you're arming via AHP, any conditional macro that relies on AHP's "ARMed" state WILL NOT WORK.  You can test this by watching for one of the 2 "armed" icons at the bottom of the AHP screen. 

I repeat, the ONLY way AHP will think the DS7000 is armed is if its On-Alert module picks up the actual RF from one of the security arming remotes.  (RF From AHP will not work)   Yes, it's a bug, yes the DS7000 will actually arm vial an AHP-installed security remote, but unless you physically press an arming button on an actual physical device, manually or electronically,  AHP will NOT go into ARMED state.

[HA Dave]

I went the security sensor route placing it near the door which triggers a voice alert. It works great when the system is armed via the key chain remote. However, it consistently fails to work if when AHP arms the system which is the primary way we arm the system.

I think PajamaGuy has the knowledgeable inside scoop on this (see below).

...... the ONLY way AHP will think the DS7000 is armed is if its On-Alert module picks up the actual RF from one of the security arming remotes.  (RF From AHP will not work)   

You could make the motion sensor voice warning part of a macro that is triggered by ether the DS7000 arming... or whatever macro your using with OnAlert's RF arming. I would guess that shouldn't be too hard.

[kenner]

Thanks PajamaGuy.  If its a bug, that's really disappointing. But thanks for explaining it.

To clear things, up, I'm using the MS10A as the my motion detector. When triggered, the macro executes a batch file which runs saystatic.exe to announce that the alarm is armed.
It can be found here: http://krolik.net/post/Say-exe-a-simple-command-line-text-to-speech-program-for-Windows.aspx

Not to rant, but is anyone at x10 working on AHP or is it a dead project to them?

[Brandt]

Switchpadlinc...

Works with X10 and the buttons light up for open/closed, on/off status

[Walt2]

If one could still find them, there are the old Stanley Homelink/Lightmaker status modules.  They kind-of look like an appliance module and plug into any AC outlet.  It has three green LED's and three red LED's.  Each LED be turned 'on', 'off', or "blink", by sending it the appropriate X10 extended command.  The CM15A can be programmed to send such commands.

Going off on a slight tangent, I would be nice if X10 (or someone) still made these modules, including the garage door status transmitter.

[Brandt]

Switchpadlinc...

Works with X10 and the buttons light up for open/closed, on/off status

The Switchpadlinc would replace your nearest lightswitch, or you could look at the transmitter base which has on/off indicators which would also replace your nearest light switch:
http://www.smarthome.com/4210R/Leviton-Wall-Mounted-X10-Transmitter-Base-16400/p.aspx
http://www.smarthome.com/4215WR/Leviton-Wall-Mounted-X10-Controller-with-LEDs-White-16450-4AW/p.aspx

[pconroy]

including the garage door status transmitter.

I grabbed the "Chamberlain remote Garage Door Sensor" from the clearance bin at home depot last year.
And have been using it - just as is.

A few weeks ago, Google led me to a short post from Dave Houston saying that he popped the top off and noted it resembled the X10 device. As well as a ?pot? that he could turn and tune the device back to an X10 frequency.

I'll dig up the link if anyone's interested................

[phongluu]

sure, I'm interested in.

Thanks,
P.L

[Brian H]

While researching an answer for another thread. I found that Chamberlain has remotes on 315MHz and X10s it 310MHz. It maybe possible to retune down, but if the data sent is in X10 format? I also saw the one on Dave Huston's site where the one he had used 312MHz.

If you have the FCC ID number on the remote. You can see who made it and sometimes photos and schematics.
If the first three digits are B4S that is X10s ID.
https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/GenericSearch.cfm