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[HA Dave]

Do any of the user-admins have access to archive the entire site content, and possibly mirror it externally?

Some time ago.... Yahoo dropped its free Web Site. Many of us (me included) had used the free Site to host personal Pages and Pictures that we could link to from the forum. We prepared for Yahoo to drop the Sites and we recovered as many images as we could. But was able to recover more... even after the Yahoo Site closed down.

Let's hope so, because if X10 drops it, it's lost forever.

Some years ago.... someone got the idea that since the government had a near limitless supply of money.... there should be creative new ways to spend money. They came up with the idea of backing up.... The ENTIRE INTERNET. It's called the Wayback project. Thanks to the the Wayback project everything ever posted anywhere on the Internet will always be available... safely stored on a server.... for as long as the government has surpluses of money.

[dhouston]

Since you can exclude a website from being archived by a very simple process, it may be that X10 blocked the robot and this site is not archived.

However, the site below probably is.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_machine

I believe I mentioned this before but HostMonster, which I use for my website, periodically runs specials - today you can set up a site for $3.95/month if you prepay for a year. I imagine the volunteer adminstrators could finance that thru donations (and have beer money left over). The question is whether X10 would allow duplicating the forum content of this site, assuming Sherman & Mr. Peabody haven't archived it.

• http://www.hostmonster.com/?lo=1

[HA Dave]

I wonder how much is here. I wonder how much disc space the forums use. Could the data be compressed and Downloaded?

[dhouston]

I wonder how much is here. I wonder how much disc space the forums use. Could the data be compressed and Downloaded?

Yes - there are freeware apps that will d/l and archive a website. But you need access. If none of the administrators have that access, perhaps those who have worked with X10 before could ask their contacts. I expect he's now retired but I always found Dave Rye both accessible and responsive.

The HostMonster price includes unlimited space and bandwidth. (That's their terminology - I'm sure that unlimited probably doesn't mean infinite space and bandwidth.)

[HA Dave]

.... The HostMonster price includes unlimited space and bandwidth. (That's their terminology - I'm sure that unlimited probably doesn't mean infinite space and bandwidth.)

I think many of the big Web hosts offer unlimited plans. But disallow music and/or video in the unlimited plans. Most Web Pages only contain a few KB of data (as I am sure you know) so it would require millions of hits to tie up much bandwidth. I would guess there must be some limits to images (AKA porn) as that could use up large amounts of both disc storage space as well bandwidth transferring the images.

A couple of the administrators own their own domains with forums. They should be able to make a good guess about the volume of storage space that might be required for a forum this size. I know Bill's BVC Forum... even uses the exact same format.

[dave w]

I expect he's now retired but I always found Dave Rye both accessible and responsive.

As of August 2011, Dave was still at X10.

[HA Dave]

.... The HostMonster price includes unlimited space and bandwidth. (That's their terminology - I'm sure that unlimited probably doesn't mean infinite space and bandwidth.)

I chatted with Bill last night (very late) and did a little guesstimating... and my best guess has the raw forum data (no membership lists or such) at around 2 gigs. If I am even close to correct it could all fit on a data DVD.

However... I think a book by someone like yourself or Brian H (and/or others) might make for a better reference and trouble shooting guide. Distrubited via the Internet as a PDF (for profit) might be the best form of preserved knowledge. IMHO.

[dhouston]

I've already committed to more than I'm likely to finish. If I take on more, I likely will be committed.

[Oldtimer]

Re site access.  Check with your friendly neighborhood hacker.  I believe there are below the radar apps that can download and untangle sites without the owner's permission.  Feel free to delete this email after the right people have read it.

[kenrad]

As we are looking at the extermination of the cm15a I was just wondering if the insteon PowerLinc Modem - INSTEON USB Interface (Dual-Band) will work as a interface for x10.  I don't use active home pro.  I use third party applications to control my setup.  Just a thought  I saw it as I was searching for x10 compatible switches that are two way compatible. 

Please let me know your thoughts on this.  I currently have a few cm15a but would like ot research an alternative in the even that they fail and x10 doesn't restock them.

  Ken

[Brian H]

The 2412U/S PLM and 2413U/S can send and receive X10 signals but not anywhere close to what AHP can run on.

The PLM does not have any memory in it for downloading timers and macros. It needs a computer or dedicated microcontroller 24/7 to be used.

Now that Smarthome has started selling X10 only two way modules again. Who know what else they may change.

I saw you request in the Smarthome Forums on their two way devices for X10.
I tested four of them and posted my findings.
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=65d9esimlhin3qog7fkslf3941&board=35.0

[HA Dave]

As we are looking at the extermination of the cm15a I was just wondering if the insteon PowerLinc Modem - INSTEON USB Interface (Dual-Band) will work as a interface for x10. ................
........Please let me know your thoughts on this.  I currently have a few cm15a but would like ot research an alternative in the even that they fail and x10 doesn't restock them.

People do seem to be trying to "exterminate" X10... and its product line! Currently... there is NO CM15A. Although, X10 has said they will be making or contracting the manufacture of new products including the CM15A.

There is nothing wrong with using Home Automation products that are no longer in production. I think most of us do! It breaks my heart to see some of what I think of as great products fall from current production status. But... the large-boned lady has yet to sing.... and I remain hopeful that X10 will be true to its statements and return many products to the marketplace.

However, I think.... INSTEON makes some nice X10 compatible products. Although you might need to dig slightly deeper into your pockets to own them. And.... our X10/CM15A third-party software writers have yet to address writting programs that utilize the INSTEON SDK (I think they have to BUY the INSTEON SDK).

You can't build a Home Automation setup now... using the parts, software, and systems that will be available in the future. Because.... we don't know what will be available in the future. The one thing I do know about software, technology, and by extention Home Automation: is that this stuff isn't static. There will always be change. The minute we decide that our setups are built around this line of products or that interface... is the minute the our automation begins the slide backwards towards manual operation. 

I enjoy what my system can do today. And I dream about the great advantages the new systems we will have in the future. Great new stuff will be here sooner or later. Of course... I really enjoy Home Automation so that is good news. But it also means my setup will never be complete or finished.

[dhouston]

And.... our X10/CM15A third-party software writers have yet to address writting programs that utilize the INSTEON SDK (I think they have to BUY the INSTEON SDK).

...buy the SDK/License and be bound by their NDA. The cost of the license likely precludes any freeware applications.

The license was reasonable when Insteon was introduced (I paid $100 and also got about that much in hardware.) but went up in price after a year or two. Unless you are making money on hardware (e.g. ISY) there's little incentive to create software and deal with the support burden that goes with it.

And, I forgot that developers still have to pay for support by Insteon.

[HA Dave]

....... there's little incentive to create software and deal with the support burden that goes with it.

I agree. Or at least I don't disagree. I don't know of anyone that has made big bucks with creating third party Home Automation software. The era of cheap and/or free little windows based software products may be coming to an end. It has been a nice ride. But Android and Apple apps.... they seem to be a different matter entirely.

[dhouston]

But Android and Apple apps.... they seem to be a different matter entirely.

True - but most Android apps are open source and I'm not even certain you can even link to libraries that hide the details covered by the NDA (one reason Zarduino^TM uses ZBasic). Apple apps tend to be video games rather than something like this and very few of them are freeware.

Plus, you need something running software that talks to the Insteon/X10 controller which means it likely was developed using their SDK and NDA.