Home Automation has gone mainstream

[Brian H]

Jeff,
That is a sad thing to read.
I also fear the present X10 is going down the same road to doom as X10WTI went down.

WiFi module is looking more like vaporware every day that passes.

[JeffVolp]

Jeff,
That is a sad thing to read.
I also fear the present X10 is going down the same road to doom as X10WTI went down.

WiFi module is looking more like vaporware every day that passes.

With the very limited communication I had with them about producing the XTB-IIR, it sounded like the decisions were being made in China.  And since they already had a coupler/repeater in their product line (XPCR), they weren't interested in another one.  It might also be that the XTB-IIR would be more expensive to produce than the XPCR, and there would not be the margin required for the distribution chain.

Jeff

[dave w]

Anyways, I also bought a HomeSeer S2 which comes with a Zwave and X10 plugin. Alexa sees the Homeseer which is a plus.

Some kind of Wifi module or two would cover a house so easily. What a shame.

1. Well now that is interesting! Do you know if the Alexa/Homeseer connection is via Z-Wave, or WiFi?
2. Yes a WiFi module SHOULD be easy. Yes it is a shame. The Sphinx probably did not take three years to build. However they probably did now observe the Chinese New Year.

[dave w]

I also fear the present X10 is going down the same road to doom as X10WTI went down.

WiFi module is looking more like vaporware every day that passes.

Amen, brother.
Authinx isn't running the manufacturer, the manufacturer is running them.

[racerfern]

Well now that is interesting! Do you know if the Alexa/Homeseer connection is via Z-Wave, or WiFi?

Alexa definitely does not have Zwave capability. On the Alexa website there are various plugins and Homeseer is two of them. One of them takes the command "Alexa, tell Homeseer ..." The other one is simpler, "Alexa, turn on the ..." The first one is wordier and more powerful and specific, I think.

Alexa will try to discover whatever Homeseer sees including door sensors, motion sensors etc. Of course there's no sense to needing that since Alexa can't announce a door sensor is in the open position. Some day, it might be a two way conversation but for now, Alexa only speaks.

For an existing X10 lighting arrangement it should work without too much drama.

[HA Dave]

.... Alexa can't announce a door sensor is in the open position. Some day, it might be a two way conversation but for now, Alexa only speaks.

I've been allowing a few things to mill around in my mind. Like.... my ihome devices can send notices/alerts via email/text?/alerts-sounds? to my mobile phone. And... I can purchase an app that will allow me to create my own "sounds" (wav?). I just wonder if using a little Rube Goldberg trickery would allow me to continue to get voice notices.... without a free-standing PC. Just a thought.

For an existing X10 lighting arrangement it should work without too much drama.

Very nice to hear (read)!

[Tuicemen]

I've got Alexa controlling my X10 setup nicely.
The lights come On/Off before she says OK most times.
Setup was fairly easy once I figured out the scripts to create, which Alex10 now creates for you.
HA-Bridge which Alex10 uses will control many other brands of devices and lights even some that aren't considered a HA device.
Of coarse there is no documentation for that.
My wife keeps asking when Alexa will turn on my non smart TV. However when I ask if she wants that, she says she wouldn't use it!
The cool thing about Alexa is no voice training was done even though that is still possible.
Very rarely does she not understand a command.

[racerfern]

I just wonder if using a little Rube Goldberg trickery would allow me to continue to get voice notices.... without a free-standing PC.

Homeseer with the X10 plugin sees a motion sensor activate which Homeseer easily sends SMS via email and can trigger other actions. So no PC, but at least the Homeseer which is a glorified Raspberry Pi about the size of a deck of cards with a CM15A plugged into it. You could certainly control different voice files and different text messages depending on which sensor activated, but not sure how your phone could play a different sound file based on the content of the incoming SMS text.

As far as I can tell, Homeseer can't tell Alexa to do anything. I suppose that's why she's Alexa and he is not Alex.

Only you, with your voice an initiate an Alexa action, I think. For now...

[Tuicemen]

As far as I can tell, Homeseer can't tell Alexa to do anything. I suppose that's why she's Alexa and he is not Alex.

Only you, with your voice an initiate an Alexa action, I think. For now...

When Davex10 and I first started playing with BVC and PCC voice recognition I was able to get the two to carry on a short scripted conversation.
So I expect (though haven't tried yet) one could get Alexa to respond to a PC sound file or TTS 

[Tuicemen]

  I just had to try it!
it worked using TTS!

[racerfern]

TTS?? I saw this referenced, but that area of my brain is blank. Please remind me.

[Tuicemen]

TTS stands for text to speech.
BVC and PCC are both capable of doing this the PC will read what is typed into a text box!

[racerfern]

Thank you and Darn you! BVC?

I sent you an email concerning AléxTen beta.

Thanks.

[Tuicemen]

BVC although hasn't been update in some time was the go to software for voice control of x10 modules with AHP.
I'll get you out a link to Alex10 as soon as I get it on my server.

[HA Dave]

.... BVC?

A user here created a software using the Microsoft Voice recognition (in XP) and the AHP software with the CM15A. Users could voice command things On and Off. We discussed it here at length. 

Bill still maintains his web site too.