Recent content by JeffVolp

I installed the Carrier/Bryant Zone Perfect system when I built our house over a decade ago, and it has served us well.  It supports 8 zones, with individual daily schedules for each zone.  The master thermostat can monitor and control all zones, and the remote thermostats show temperature and...

Some of my customers are using XTension on the Mac.   http://www.shed.com/   Jeff

You would put it in series with whatever circuit you use to monitor the output of your TED. That would isolate its signal from the ZWave devices spread thoroughout your home. Obviously, no ZWave devices could be on that special isolated TED circuit. Jeff

There have been reports of ZWave switches killing X10 signals, so that may be the problem here. What has worked for people using TED on X10 systems is to isolate the receiving circuit with a 20A X10 XPF filter, and then restrict all TED communication to only that circuit. Jeff

Actually, our house sits on a lava flow about 30 feet thick, with sandstone below that. Out of curiosity I just measured the resistance of the lava. Even with the probe tips only 1/8" apart, it still read infinity on the megohm scale. That probably explains why we have no local electrical...

What you say is partially true. The lightning bolt will end at the earth. However, where it goes when it hits the earth depends on soil resistance. Soil conductivity out here in the desert is very poor, and elaborate grounding systems are needed to achieve a good ground. A single ground rod...

Have you verified the cable between your Omni IIe and the PSC05 doesn't have a broken wire? Jeff

There are issues with a multi-zone HVAC system that have to be considered to prevent damage to the system. That is why I opted for a dedicated multi-zone HVAC controller myself (Carrier/Bryant). It is expensive, but has worked flawlessly for the last 7 years. The main issue is proper control...

One thing you overlook is the fact that the X10 protocol was developed years before computers became a household item. It was at least a decade before the powerline environment started to become hostile to X10 devices. CFLs and switching power supplies have really only become widespread over...

The main problem with X10 is the protocol was defined back when the AC powerline environment was relatively benign. Logic "1" is sent as a burst of 120KHz, and logic "0" as no signal at all. Our homes are now populated with all sorts of electronic devices that pollute the powerline with...

That is certainly true of incandescent bulbs. The tungsten filament has lower resistance when cold, which results in a surge current when the bulb is first switched on. Ramping up slowly eliminates the surge current and sudden thermal stresses. The few incandescent bulbs we still have in use...

I have had several instances when someone sent a follow-up email saying I had not responded to a prior email. Checking my log, there was no evidence of that prior email coming in. I must also admit that I did miss a couple of emails that were amongst a bunch of spam email. They were there...

Note - this is a general response to that statement, not related to Automated Outlet in particular. Some you know me from my XTB work, and others from the help I give other X10 users. I receive a lot of email regarding X10 issues. There have been days that I spent all morning answering email...

It is not quite that simple. A 1% precision resistor must be installed in place of the "pull-up jumper" in the SECU16. The optimum choice for that resistor depends on the range over which you want best linearity. Then there certainly is some math involved converting the SECU16 A/D reading to...

Copper is an excellent thermal conductor, so the skin temperature will be very close to the water temperature inside. As long as you can get good thermal coupling to the pipe, and insulate the leads, pretty much any thermistor should work. My choice would be one with 1 degree C accuracy to...