I've just embarked on my first home automation project using some x10 gear - has anyone here gone down the home automation route?

such as?

Lighting scenes, scheduling use of appliances, setting macros to automate events - an example being morning routine - bedside lights come on at 7 when alarm goes off, bedside lights switch off after 20 mins or if main light is switched on, kettle boils at 7.15 etc.

I've not, but have been doing some research for when I buy a house!

Let us know how it goes

I've not, but have been doing some research for when I buy a house!

Let us know how it goes

Will do

After staying at a 5* hotel that had it in Amsterdam a few years ago (could run a bath from your bed!) I wanted to do it at home.

The kit can be pretty expensive, and to do it well means a lot of channelling out walls etc.

I'm very much into it, but have surprisingly little done yet

I used X10 in the past, but it was more unreliable than the train service, so was quickly put out of service. I've now started to use the Bye Bye Standby / Domia Lite stuff, which has proven itself to be a lot more reliable. Have just installed the online controller which not only gives me the ability to apply event based scenes, but also the ability to control everything by computer/iphone.

Drive Me Insane! used to be a good site. You could turn on and off various items and watch the results on the Webcam, even moving the camera. Sometimes even people were at home. Unfortunately there's nothing good there now.

SWMBO is, she has a voice activated slave

Or maybe it just feels like that.

A friend of mine is heavily into it -it turns his lights on at dusk, draws the lounge curtains, and monitors rooms for occupants and turns the lights off if the room's empty!

I did start to play with some stuff I got cheap at B&Q, but a mystery power spike caused meltdown in most of the kit and I gave up. I think I might still have a computer module and an appliance module in a cupboard somewhere.......

Phil

Just checked out drive me insane - quite a cool concept!

Quinten, I found a quirk with my x10 that having my TV on downstairs blocked all x10 signals to any part of the house. As soon as I turn it off everything's fine again. I've ordered a filter which I'm hoping will cure the issue. Were you getting similar issues?

Yes, although mine was due to the christmas lights (only found that out in hindsight). Certain devices "inject" a lot of noise on the powerlines, and will mess x10 up severely. The bye bye standby (RF) stuff I now use is not perfect either, as the frequency is used by my other items. Hardwiring is the only way forward, but unfortunately that is also the most expensive to do in an existing build. If I ever win the lottery I'm going to design a house from the ground up with wires running pretty much everywhere conceivable

I'm looking at buying a new house, so it'll come without carpets etc... gonna try and do as much as I can before we move in.

I'm looking at buying a new house, so it'll come without carpets etc... gonna try and do as much as I can before we move in.

Good plan! I'd like to run cat5 throughout our house but my wife would have a fit!

:orb_bonk: I don't understand...

:orb_bonk: I don't understand...

Would... you... like... a... crayon?

Would... you... like... a... crayon?

No thanks, not long had my dinner...

Good plan! I'd like to run cat5 throughout our house but my wife would have a fit!

If only it could be disguised as something useful, like the mobile phone transmitters which look like trees.

Good plan! I'd like to run cat5 throughout our house but my wife would have a fit!

My wife had a fit the other morning when our cat ran through the house with a half dead bird in its mouth...