miamicanes
Active Member
Does anybody remember seeing X-10 switches somewhere that looked like "normal" toggle-type wall switches at first glance, but were actually in a "middle" position and could be flipped up (on) or down (off) with a satisfying tactile snap?
I have a few X10 dimmer-type switches I've bought that look like Decora paddle switches at first glance, but are really just toggle buttons that always have to be pressed on the paddle's top (press and release to toggle, press and hold to dim if last action was to turn on or brighten, press and hold to brighten if last action was to turn off or dim). I've always hated them, because they break a fundamental rule of user interfaces: "if you're going to LOOK like a Decora paddle switch, ACT like one, dammit!". A weird-looking switch at least lets people know they have to do something special to use it, vs frustrating visitors who'll have to stop and puzzle over why a switch that "looks" like it should be "off" is actually "on"...
Also, has anybody ever made an in-wall relay-based X-10 wall switch that DOESN'T require a neutral wire to work? Say, by giving the switch a lithium cell (to power the logic when the switch is off), a big capacitor (to store enough power to energize the relay at least long enough to sustain itself in the "on" state and recharge itself while on), and a discreetly-hidden pushbutton that manually closes the switch & recharges the capacitor if it ends up being "off" for a few weeks and can't turn itself back on? I have a bunch of ceiling fixtures I want to put on X-10 wall switches, but they're all fluorescent. I've cheated in the past and used incandescent plug-in modules with CF bulbs even though it's a bad idea, but I'm not reckless enough to try it with the wall switches because they're WAY too easy to accidentally dim (by pressing and holding, vs pressing and releasing) compared to the remote controls (where it's easier to avoid accidentally dimming something that shouldn't be dimmed).
I have a few X10 dimmer-type switches I've bought that look like Decora paddle switches at first glance, but are really just toggle buttons that always have to be pressed on the paddle's top (press and release to toggle, press and hold to dim if last action was to turn on or brighten, press and hold to brighten if last action was to turn off or dim). I've always hated them, because they break a fundamental rule of user interfaces: "if you're going to LOOK like a Decora paddle switch, ACT like one, dammit!". A weird-looking switch at least lets people know they have to do something special to use it, vs frustrating visitors who'll have to stop and puzzle over why a switch that "looks" like it should be "off" is actually "on"...
Also, has anybody ever made an in-wall relay-based X-10 wall switch that DOESN'T require a neutral wire to work? Say, by giving the switch a lithium cell (to power the logic when the switch is off), a big capacitor (to store enough power to energize the relay at least long enough to sustain itself in the "on" state and recharge itself while on), and a discreetly-hidden pushbutton that manually closes the switch & recharges the capacitor if it ends up being "off" for a few weeks and can't turn itself back on? I have a bunch of ceiling fixtures I want to put on X-10 wall switches, but they're all fluorescent. I've cheated in the past and used incandescent plug-in modules with CF bulbs even though it's a bad idea, but I'm not reckless enough to try it with the wall switches because they're WAY too easy to accidentally dim (by pressing and holding, vs pressing and releasing) compared to the remote controls (where it's easier to avoid accidentally dimming something that shouldn't be dimmed).
