[How-To] Build An X-10 Broadcast Car Monitor

[electron]

Looks great!

 

[Rupp]

For those of you using this device, what kind of detection distances are you getting?

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

For those of you using this device, what kind of detection distances are you getting?

You are using the circuit to trigger a modified palm pad (palm pad is run at a "slightly" higher voltage than stock).

I use a W800 receiver with my custom antenna mounted in the attic and get about three houses down the street range (around 200 ft).

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

For those of you using this device, what kind of detection distances are you getting?

Hey actually figured this out (finally). See the attached pic below. Start is the car monitor (actually in one of the vehicles) and End is my house. I do have THIS antenna installed in my attic to my W800 (single story house). The land runs "uphill" from start to end point, but is is NOT a direct line of sight.

I just called my house on my cell and asked the wife when she heard the announcement before I pulled into our complex!

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Here is the Ocelot CMax code I use (image below) which keeps track of two variables (my and my wife's vehicles), then passes them to HomeSeer. The vehicle has to be away from the home for 100 seconds for the occupancy status to change. This way one can start the car to say, move it from the parked street location to the driveway without creating a false occupancy status.

The HomeSeer code mainly updates a single house/unit code to keep track of occupancy (0 for none. 1 for me, 2 for wife, 3 for both) so I can use that in other events. It gets "triggered" on any vehicle status change.

sub main (data)

'Note: z36 device occupancy value of 0 for none, 1 for Expi, 2 for Ram, 3 for Both
hs.waitsecs 2
dim Expi
dim Ram

'Variables passed from the Ocelot
Expi = hs.devicevalue ("[11")
Ram = hs.devicevalue ("[12")

If Expi = 0 then

	If Ram = 0 then

	hs.setdevicevalue "z36", 0
	hs.setdevicestring "z36", 0
	hs.setdevicestring "z35", "None"
	end if

	If Ram = 1 then

	hs.setdevicevalue "z36", 2
	hs.setdevicestring "z36", 2
	hs.setdevicestring "z35", "Morgan"
	end if
end if


If Expi = 1 then

	If Ram = 0 then

	hs.setdevicevalue "z36", 1
	hs.setdevicestring "z36", 1
	hs.setdevicestring "z35", "Fran"
	end if
		
	If Ram = 1 then

	hs.setdevicevalue "z33", 3
	hs.setdevicestring "z36", 3
	hs.setdevicestring "z35", "Both"
	end if
end if	

		
end sub

 

[snoreta]

Hi,
I am the first user of this Ocelot CMax code. I think I need some more information about car antenna.

Snoreta

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

FYI:  I put one of these units in my wife's Expedition back in 2008/2009 and it's still running today!  I now transferred this capability to the HomeTroller Zee S2 and no longer use the Ocelot.
 
I was thinking of going with an RFID solution, but opted for this.  I no longer use X-10 and went to Z-wave, but still retained my W800 RF Receiver, mainly for DS10a detection.  This device is the only thing that uses X-10 now.