Lighting Control

[Cyndrax]

Okay, I am getting ready to install homeseer and give it a try, and I have a question about lighting control.

Are there any plug-in lamp modules available that would allow me to send a command to them along the lines of "go on to 50%"? I currently have crappy plug-in modules from x10.com, and they don't allow any sort of fade on.

Unfortunately, they need to be plug in modules, as I am moving from apartment to apartment on an almost yearly basis. Additionally, in my current apartment, I don't have access to any of the electrical breakers, etc.

Thanks in advance,
Brian

[Hunter Green]

I have several.

Nucleus Home Automation

[jruby]

Could you just dim them to 0 then when you want the light on just dim them up to 50?
I have the x10 modules too as don't have enough cash to replace them. I wish I would of did some more research before spending what I did at x10 as I would of went for two way modules instead.

[Cyndrax]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hunter Green:
I have several.

http://nucleus.webhop.net/
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

So I can use the two way to turn a lamp on and ramp it directly to some percentage? If I do this from a switch, will homeseer be able to keep up with its status?

Brian

[Hunter Green]

I don't know what you mean about the "from a switch" part, but the x10.com two-way lamp modules can be turned on at any level you want, directly. They also remember where they were last, and turn themselves back on at that level (though you can override that with a simple HomeSeer event). And there's more that you can do that I haven't bothered to look into.

Nucleus Home Automation

[Rupp]

I was wondering if he thought you could plug them into a wall socket controlled by a switch. When I lived in the northeast this was very common.

-Rupp

[Cyndrax]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Hunter Green:
I don't know what you mean about the "from a switch" part, but the x10.com two-way lamp modules can be turned on at any level you want, directly.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry, I should have been a little more explicit in what I wanted. I have a few of those "stick-on" switches. The ones that RF transmit on/off/dim for 3 different unit codes. If I use this to change the state of the light, does Homeseer follow what is going on with it?

By the way, thanks a ton for the information you have all provided already.

Brian

[Hunter Green]

The one place that won't work is if you turn the light off, then on, HomeSeer will think it's full-on but the module actually returns to the dim level it was turned off at. This has not been a problem for me since I don't like the memory feature and always have HomeSeer force it back to full bright anyway.

Even this is easily remedied; since it's a two-way module it can be set to automatically tell HomeSeer anytime any change is made by any method, even local control, and if you're using a CM11A you just need a script (I don't remember where it is, but it's around somewhere) and an event, and your status will always be right in HomeSeer.

Nucleus Home Automation