X10 Sundowner.

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  • SpiroExDeus
    Automated Home Lurker
    • Feb 2008
    • 9

    X10 Sundowner.

    Ok. I'm prefacing my post with this information as I usually have to end up saying it anyway. I'm in (probably) a unique situation for most home automators here. I'm in rented accommodation in the UK. Judging by the responses of most posters here landlords in other countries are either a lot less suspicious than landlords in the UK or most of you have never rented. In the UK you would be thrown out of rented accomodation if you made alterations to the wiring of the house you were in without asking permission and permission would probably be unlikely to be granted even if you used an approved electrician to do the job.

    This means the only home automation solutions I can use in my house are those that I can screw into lightbulb sockets or plug into sockets.

    Now I've made that clear:

    I've been looking at the X10 Sundowner unit.

    There don't seem to be any commercially available first hand but I've seen plenty going secondhand on ebay.

    Firstly: It's mentioned that they can control up to four X10 lights through the usual X10 channels but I don't really want to use the sundowner as a direct controller. I just want to use it as a sensor to detect whether it is light outside - I was planning on popping the case and extending and waterproofing the light sensor so that I can pop it out of a window to detect the ambient light outside. The plan would then be to send that sensor information to a computer based X10 controller which would control ALL of the lighting in my house. Would the Sundowner be fit for this purpose? If not is there another plugin option/ something which could easily be adapted by wiring it to a 3 pin plug via which I could do this?

    Secondly: As already mentioned I live in the UK and this is an American device. Some modern devices are rated for a voltage range between US and UK voltage (UK voltage is somewhere between 230 and 240 volts). Does anyone know if the Sundowner is a device which is voltage compatible with a UK voltage or would I have to use a transformer - and if I used a transformer would it then lose its powerline communication ability?

    Lastly: General information on how to adapt hard-wired type X10 solutions to be plugged in via a 3 pin plug would be very welcome. Also Would X10 work via a multiplug or does it have to be plugged directly in?
  • Ad
    Automated Home Jr Member
    • Mar 2004
    • 34

    #2
    Your not in that much of a strange position, I live in a ground floor flat so have no access to the roof, which has limited my ability to have proper lighting control...but I cope.

    The LW11 i'm pretty sure would not need an approved electrician as it is as simple as changing a lightswitch (just two wires and two screws), its a bit basic and a bit ugly but none the less it works.

    The sundowner module is nothing really special and as you have found is not available in the UK. As an alternative you can use an MS13 (PIR Hawkeye) as that has a inbuilt light/dark detector and can be mounted outside with proper protection. Then using a plug in RF receiver (TM13) you could receive the X10 and then have a plug in light module programmed to the address of the light/dark sensor.

    There are a whole host of options available once you branch into using a PC (I use HomeSeer), the only limitation is your mind.

    X10 modules I don't think will work on a transformer as the frequencies (both of the AC voltage aswell as the RF frequencies) are different. Modification websites exist...never tried them myself though, they look a bit risky for me.

    I've had hard wired X10 modules running off plugs before, not that hard to do, just fit a plug, some terminal block and earth...just make sure you know what your doing and keep it well insulated. The only non-plugin modules I have are 3 x LW11's and 1 x X10^2 micro lamp...the other 15 odd modules are all plug in and that includes modifying my central heating to run off a plug though. There should be no problems running the modules off 4way power strips at all.

    Hope that helps...

    Comment

    • toscal
      Moderator
      • Oct 2005
      • 2061

      #3
      I would go with Ad's idea of using a Hawkeye motion sensor and a TM13 is a good idea. If you really want a sundowner unit I can possibly get an EU spec one from my supplier.
      If you want to modify x10 modules then have a look here, http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/ . Personally I wouldn't unless you are very handy with a soldering iron.
      US X10 modules operate on 120V 60Hz and the RF frequency is 315Mhz. I do know people who have put in a separate 120V ring main into their house so they can use US X10 modules but that's a definite no no in rented accommodation. For lighting try and avoid the modules that plug into the lights sometimes called a socket rocket. There have been some reliability issues with them. You may be lucky i have a client who has had one for over 2 years and it is still working. I had 2 and they failed after 8 months.
      As to the step down transformer. Not too sure if this would work reliably enough to be a viable option.
      IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
      Renovation Spain Blog

      Comment

      • SpiroExDeus
        Automated Home Lurker
        • Feb 2008
        • 9

        #4
        Wow!

        Thanks for the advice.

        I was actually looking into those socket-rockets - came across them when looking for mini spiral lights (I've got a candelabra type thing in my lounge with 5 of them in - would be brilliant to be able to control them, even just switching each individual light on or off would give me significant control over lighting levels - yet even though X10 has been around since the '70s I can't seem to find anything other than the standard size bulb) so I'm quite pleased that you've let me know. I was planning to use them to save space (no real need to though) and you have averted a possible error. Thanks.

        Thankyou both.

        Comment

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