27 Jun
2001
27 Jun
'01
4:50 a.m.
On Wed, 27 Jun 2001, Richard Erlacher wrote:
'seems the prices have gone down some since I last
looked.
I looked into the X10 stuff about a decade back and it was about $120 to get
into the things, IIRC. Then you had to have an outlet into which to plug them,
You don't need to do EVERY switch in the house to "get into" it. You just
need ONE switch that is inconvenient enough to rationalize the "need".
23 years ago, the cost to "get into" X10 was about $30 - $40 from Radio
Shack, or Sears. That was $15 - $25 for a controller, and about $15 per
module, which included wall switches and duplex outlets, neither one of
which "had to have an outlet into which to plug".
BTW, the wall switch modules in those days resembled a normal toggle wall
switch, except that when you turned the light on locally (by flipping the
switch, it delayed a second before turning on. Some people couldn't
handle that. Also, when the local switch was in the down position, the
light could not be controlled remotely. The newer switches are push
button, with a slide switch for lock-out.
Now the modules are about $15, but they have become commonplace enough
that there are occasional special deals, such as $2 or $3 modules.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com