X-10 (was Re: controlling power)

From: Alistair MacDonald <AlistairMacDonald_at_economist.com>
Date: Wed Jun 27 08:32:48 2001

=== ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk 27/06/2001 00:25:35
>
>> On June 26, Richard Erlacher wrote:
>> > communication via the power mains, isn't it? My notion to date has been that
>> > the X-10 stuff is a mite costly, considering that one could hook up a triac, an
>> > MOC30-something isolated triac driver, and a PIC, e.g. one of the 14-pin or
>> > even 8-pin parts, and put the thing in the box with the switch.
>>
>> Costly? A 300W dimmer module costs like nine bucks. When I add up the
>
>This probably explains why X10 is not at all popular in the UK (and yes,
>a 230V version does exist). I seem to remember that last time I looked at
>the price of the modules they were all about \pounds 40.00 each. And the
>computer [1] interface was about \pounds 90.00. I decided it was going to
>be far too expensive for me to use.

I checked with them, and they sent me a list of their European suppliers once. (They also put me on one of their spam lists - not just their spam, but their 3rd party European suppliers one too ....) When I queried the large jump in costs they tried to blame the need for 230V PSUs instead of 110V.

Something else to consider is that a lot of the items are not approved for use in the EU. (One of their UK suppliers happens to list the approval status - don't ask me which)

Alistair
Received on Wed Jun 27 2001 - 08:32:48 BST