TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY?
Bob Hetherington, Editor HTI News

I've been playing around with "home toys" for several years now and must admit that I'm hooked on the stuff.

I bought my first X10 equipment in the '80s from HAL (Home Automation Labs) after scouring their catalog for several hours dreaming of my "House of Tomorrow". Pages and pages of incredible gadgets and lots of informative fine print. My first order consisted of a maxi-controller, lamp module, appliance module and a few switches. A few day's later came the magic parcel which was immediately ripped open to reveal those mysterious items of wonder (and it wasn't even Christmas). I proceeded to set up a few devices and was amazed to sit in my easy chair and control the lamp across the room. DIM / BRIGHT / DIM / BRIGHT / DIM / BRIGHT / DIM / BRIGHT / DIM / BRIGHT until my wife slapped me back into reality.

Next I installed a light switch (all the time wondering what that funny little sliding thing under the pushbutton was for). Lo and behold I could turn the kitchen light ON and OFF from the bathroom. My wife really didn't like that one but what the heck ... technology must be experienced to be appreciated.

Back to the catalog I go to see what other great stuff I can try. What's this ... Enerlogic 1400E ... The first intelligent Home Automation System ... says the ad. Use your PC to control your house. Man I gotta have one of those but $300 bucks hmmmm. I immediately decide that someday I'm going to get involved in Home Automation as a business. I therefore justify the purchase of this creature in the name of "Product Knowledge" for the future. And of course I need more light switches and stuff to control. After all this thing is powerful and it would be a waste with the minuscule amount of equipment I have installed to date. Back to the catalog.

I must admit I was flabbergasted with the Enerlogic box. I could do amazing stuff (programming language very much like BASIC including If / Then statements etc). For me this was a step into a new world. I could actually use my computer to make physical things happen. Up until now this somewhat expensive beige box was resticted to my desktop. Now it could actually make changes to my whole environment. I could program an X10 command that would set a lighting scene and turn on the stereo with the push of one button. Unbelievable and I've just started delving into the opportunities. What's around the corner tomorrow I ask myself.

Gradually I added more lights and modules to my system and purchased an X10 wireless remote control and an X10 sundowner unit. At dinner time I push one button on the remote and the dining room lights dim and family room lights flash to tell the kids its time to put on the feedbag (with three teenage boys I'm not kidding about the feedbag thing ... somehow the dimmed lights don't create the mood I had envisioned). The sundowner turns on various lights including outdoor garden lights when it gets dark. I put a mini-controller by the bedside so I can turn off all the lights in the house after I'm tucked in. In the morning I can turn on hallway and kitchen lights before stumbling in for coffee.

When Christmas rolls around I set up some appliance modules to control the outdoor lights and the tree. Never again will I have to put on my boots to unplug the lights at night.

My next purchase was a One For All remote control unit with X10 capabilities. Now, when it's time to turn in I push one button ... the TV and VCR turns off and I've got 2 minutes to get to the bedroom before the rest of the lights in the house go off.

I have a few lights (carport, garden etc) which do not have switches in convenient locations. My answer to this was to install a 4 unit X10 wireless wall switch by the front door. Now, not only can I not only control the inconvenient ones but the other switches are used to activate things like "Going Out Mode", "Going To Bed Mode", "Guest Mode" etc. With a unit like the Enerlogic you can program each ON and OFF command to perform separate functions.

When I tell people about Home Automation I often get this response ... Why do you need that? I must admit that at first I considered it just a hobby and indulged myself for the mere pleasure of the gadgets. After living with automation for several years however I realize how spoiled I am and how much the system has become part of my living environment. When the batteries died in my One For All remote for example, I stumbled around forever trying to remember where to turn off all the lights. If the sundowner gets unplugged and I come home to a dark house I feel queasy. The bottom line is ... You don't need it until you've had it for awhile. I guess the same could be said for microwaves, VCRs, TVs, telephones even electricity itself. Yes people got along just fine before these technologies were available but try to take them away now. The funny thing is I've spent less than the cost of that 30" TV or stereo system to automate most of my house lighting and entertainment systems.

So, where do I go from here? I must admit I've been in a holding pattern for awhile ... waiting to see what new technologies emerge. Advances have been made in PC controllers and this seems to be the hot spot in Home Automation these days. ActiveHome, HomeVision, TimeCommander and now Stargate add many new features to home automation and do so in various ingenious methods. Can they do more than my Enerlogic unit? Yes and No. As far a programming X10 devices, the Enerlogic does it just as well (albeit not as user friendly). The added power comes when you need to control and sense IR devices, sensors and relays. HomeVison, TimeCommander and Stargate let you command these devices from the PC along with your X10 devices. We now have "Whole House Control" capabilities. I guess I'll have to upgrade soon! Hmm ... how am I going to justify this one?

Or should I wait until someone starts marketing CEBUS devices and controllers? These elusive products promise to provide us with a "Home Network" through which we will be able to talk to and control all of our appliances and equipment with one set of commands (protocol). Now this sounds like the ultimate and I've no doubt that it will happen. In fact it already is available with some of the High End Automation Systems. For me, the cost issue is the deciding factor. When affordable CEBUS products become available I'll probably upgrade (gradually). In the meantime there's lots of other great stuff to play with and I'll keep looking around for more.

As far as new technology is concerned it is my opinion that X10 is missing the boat in a lot of ways. Geez, even the toaster manufacturers introduce new models every year and how many ways are there to make toast. Every day I see new and improved dish soap. Why then are we still stuck with the same old X10 light switches, controllers and modules? Surely there's room for improvement and I know we consumers would be happy to pay. X10 should learn a lesson from the Computer Marketers. We all know these guys have got us by the shorts but we still continue merrily along the upgrade path ... NEW software requires more powerful hardware ... NEW hardware provides more power for software developers ... NEW software provides more functionality but promises more with additional hardware ... etc ... etc ... etc. Come on X10 ... scrap those old plastic molds and make us pay you more for newer and better stuff. This is the 90's ... we're used to being manipulated into buying better technology and we like it.

So, when newcomers to Home Automation ask me whether or not they should buy X10 or wait for the next generation I like to respond with something along this line ... If you'd waited for the ultimate TV set you'd still be waiting to buy your first one and would have missed every episode of Mash. As far as I'm concerned the same goes for Home Automation. Get your feet wet as soon as you can. X10 won't go away and it's the cheapest thrill in town. With any luck they'll even upgrade their products soon and charge you more so you'll know you're on track. Besides, you won't even know what you want out of the ultimate system unless you've had some experience with the less than ultimate.

Christmas is just around the corner. Don't ask for a new tie or pair of slippers. Just imagine finding an X10 remote that says "Open me first" so you can use it to turn on the tree and start the coffee a brewin'.

Best wishes to all for a happy holiday season.