SPGDCM@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU (07/15/88)
MSG:FROM: SPGDCM --UCBCMSA TO: NETWORK --NETWORK 07/14/88 13:24:31 To: NETWORK --NETWORK Network Address From: Doug Mosher Subject: Inquiries about the R.S. Homeminder X-10 control To: misc-consumers-house@ucbvax sci-electronics@ucbvax To: pjd@a.LANL.GOV To: ezf@CC5.BBN.COM >You posted aa article a couple of months ago about your experiments >with the HomeMinder unit and CORE, etc. What is your assessment now >that you have played with it longer? Are you happy with the HM unit >by itself? I have come across a source and was interested in your >present feelings about the HM. +you may have used the HomeMinder and could provide +some insight. My interest is whether the unit is easy to use and suitable +for a non-programmer like my sister. I'd appreciate hearing your comments. .Has anyone used the HomeMinder system that Radio Shack is selling? .It's a remote control system to operate lights and appliances in a .house that are plugged into remote boxes). My sister is looking for .a convenient way to program lights to turn on/off when she's not home. .Since all the lights can be operated by the control unit, she wouldn't .have to run around the house setting separate timers. . .I'd like to hear comments before buying one as a housewarming gift. .Is it easy to program? Is the telephone remote control feature .useful? Also, who else sells compatible lamp and appliance control .boxes (other than Radio $hack)? The GE homeminder is being bankrupt-soldout by Radio Shack. If you find one available, I'd recommend its purchase. It's about $60 and for that price it's in my opinion the best X-10 control bargain around. It's an odd mixture of easy- and hard-to program. They tried to make it as easy as possible, yet it ends up with a fixed tree-sequence that is still odd and obscure. But I think it's more accessible than equivalent units, and with help from any technically-inclined friend, a person could set it up. Once set up, it will just do its thing on and on, requiring little intervention. I'd say the skills needed are similar to those needed to pre-program a VCR for 8 programs, or a bit heavier. I find it works very reliably, sends a strong control signal, has power-outage backup so it keeps its program, and is more easily learned than other general X-10 timers. This master control controls the widely available X-10 units located at each wall switch or outlet. X-10 units are available from Radio Shack, Heathkit, and some other electronics stores (in the bay area, for example, at Whole Earth Access). They are all fully compatible. It's a de-facto standard in the US, no others are prevalent. The Homeminder also works from Infrared control and hence can be programmed into a C.O.R.E. remote along with one's audio and video equipment. I do that too, but it's not fully functional because using a CORE for multiple on-off toggles has proved unreliable. I get 1-3 units to come on or off together; the rest must then be switched individually. It's a drawback of "power" being a toggle control. There is a telephone interface as well that I have not chosen to use. I think that's less useful. (Incidentally, the latest model of mini-controller offered by X-10 looks superior to me. It has direct toggle on-off controls for 4 items, and a separate bright-dim and allon-alloff toggle. I think it's more natural to use than the older style, push unit 1, push off style.) ( ) ( Doug Mosher <SPGDCM@CMSA.Berkeley.edu> ) ( ...!ucbvax!cmsa!spgdcm ) ( 257 Evans, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA, 415/642-5823 ) H <Inquiries about the R.S. Homeminder X-10 control