An `alternative' to using a flashlight around the house for `clearing'? (Kinda Long?)

[Halfpint]

I've been noticing that there's been a whole bunch of discussions about whether or not one should use a flashlight for home defense when contemplating `clearing' one's house. One thing I *have not* noticed is that there hasn't been anyone who's offered up a better solution other than either "Get this, or that, brand flashlight." or "Don't do it it'll only bring you grief." Well... I think I just may have another `solution' to this. {GRIN!} (And the co$t to implement it really isn't very much more that the co$t of one of some of the various mentioned brands of flashlights *and* will probably get a lot more use for quite a few other things than one of those flashlights. {CHORTLE!})


There's this `Home Automation?' system that's been around for *years* out there that *anyone* can both easily get and install. It is called the X10 `powerline control system' and it can be found either on the Web or at your `local?' Radio Shack under the "Plug & Power" name. There are *no* wires needing to be run and a `system' can be as simple or complex as you may want. (In *my* case the system here is quite complex controlling lights and other appliances all over the assorted buildings on our farm and running under a schedule that turns on and off things at various times of the day and night at either times *I* hace selected specifically or according to SunSet or SunRise times. I even have some lights that will `automagically?' come on whenever one walks into a room and in the case of one of our bathrooms the lights will either come on full brightness or at a dimmer level so that one doesn't get `blasted' awake when `making a run' in the middle of the night. {GRIN!}) One can either use `controllers' that are plugged into an outlet or RF `wireless' ones that can be as simple as just a couple buttons in a keychain sized unit, about the size of one of those car alarm thingies, or a more complex unit that will control up to 16 different things. You can set up the controlled modules and their devices such that with the press of one button on any controller will turn on 1 or more units/devices. You can set it up so that one button turns on the outside lights, just replace your `regular' light switches with an X10 `Wall Switch' module, and a second button would turn on selected inside lights, either replace their switches with X10 `Wall Switch' modules or use either `Lamp' or `Appliance' modules for plug in lights or other devices. (An `interesting effect' that I've observed is that quite often just the mere fact that *suddenly* every light outside comes on `full tilt' will deter all but the most `determined?' `vandal(s)' and set them `beatin' feet' away from the place. {BSE GRIN!} And combined with the sounds of a couple dogs in `full voice' it can actually make for some *interestingly* `humorous?' `displays'! {CHORTLE!} [I did it to some `taggers' from town a while back and the next morning besides finding things like their cans of spray paint and other `goodies' I also found the signs that at least one `lost all control' and `filled his pants'! {GUFFAW!} Guess the startlement of the lights coming on, attempting to flee through the field, and running into the electric fence on the way was just too much!? Anyway we haven't been bothered by `taggers' for quite a while.] And I never turn on the lights in the house unless it is *absolutely* necessary, like when it may appear that a bit more might be needed, since I don't think I really need to `advertise' just where *I* am at the time.)


Now... You might be wondering about the cos$t of all this stuff. First off... The co$t if one were to buy their stuff at Radio Shack:


Plug in `Lamp' module = $12.99, plug in `2 prong' `Appliance' module = $12.99, plug in `3 prong' `Appliance' module = $13.99, basic wired in `Wall Switch' module = $12.99. Plug in 8 `unit code', or `Mini Controller' `Controller' module = $14.99, `Keychain' 2 `unit code' `RF Controller' and `Transciever' = $24.99, `Wall Mounted' 3 `unit code' + Bright & Dim `RF Controller' and `Transciever' = $29.99, and `Handheld' 16 `unit code' `RF Controller' and `Transciever' = $39.99.


OK... Lessay you've got a front porch light on one switch, a couple 150W `security?' lights on another switch, a rear porch light on another switch, and finally a couple more 150W `security?' lights on a fourth switch. Let's also say that you want to be able to have control over them from your bedroom, maybe a second room like your livingroom or `rumpus?' room, and maybe from a remote on your keychain. So... To start off you'd buy four `Wall Switch' modules @ $12.99 then you'd get a `mini controller' to plug in in the bedroom @ $14.99 next you'd get a `Handheld' `RF Controller' & `Transciever' @ $39.99 and finally a `Keychain' `RF Controller' & `Transciever' @ $24.99. You would then procede to replace the existing wall switches with the X10 units (And would make certain that you set the `code wheels' to the appropriate `House' and `Unit' codes probably `House' code "A", to start with, and `Unit' code "1" for the front house lights and "2" for the back house lights, again to start with, and then you'd set the controller's, *and* the `Transciever's, `House' codes for "A", yet again to start with, and either plug in the plug in controller or put batteries into the RF units.) and then procede to check to make certain that when the button to turn on those units you've assigned `Unit' code "1" can be turned on and off and the same for `Unit' code "2" and you are pretty much all set up! Total cost less `tax' for the control of approximately 400W of lights in the front and approximately 400W of lights in the rear is $146.93. (Now there are a couple other things to be said... First off even though you will end up with a couple `Transciever' units you should only plug *one* in per `House' code or you *will* get what we call `collisions' and nothing but the plugged in controller will work! The `second' `Transciever' will come in hand as either a `backup' unit or to eventually expand things to another `House' code in the future. Second, and this sort of ties in with what I mentioned about the second `transciever' unit, you have the possiblities of being able to control up to 16 different units, in all sort of combinations, per `House' code and until you start getting fairly `fancy' about your controlling with the only exception of the `mini' controllers and the `keychain' controllers which can handle only 8 and 2 `unit' codes apiece are only going to have to buy *controlled* unit modules for expansion. The initial cost of the *controllers* will be spread out over quite a few of the *controlled* units and can be considered to be almost a `one time' `expense'. IE: That approximately $109.96 + `tax'worth of *controllers* can handle *many* times either $12.99 or $13.99 *controlled* units than your `original' expense of the $109.96! And you only need to buy the *controlled* units only as you may need them and either plug them in or wire them in.) You can also set up the interior of the house either on one of the same `unit' codes or on different one depending on whether or not you want them to come on with one set or the other of the outside lights or by themselves either together or in `zones'. Your `imagination?' is pretty much the limit.


Inside *our* house I have quite a few different lights set up on the system. There are a few that I've designated as being `security?' lights that are on their own `special' `unit' code(s) and are setup such that when they are turned on they are aimed such that they will shine into an intruder's eyes and allow me to be somewhere behind them pretty much in the shadows. (I've got a couple in the hallway back to our bedroom/`saferoom' that are *especially* bright and are also setup such that an intruder would be fairly hard pressed to figure out where anything actually could be or could be `coming from'. [I've also got electric `doorstrikes' setup on the children's rooms to effectively both lockout someone from the outside and lockin the children. Along with that the children have been taught that *if* a certain light is in a certain `state', either on or off depending upon the `situation' / `time of the day' and the strike is `set' they are supposed to `hit the deck' and `cover' until myself or my wife either `sound the all clear' or come and get them. *And* we have `drills' at least once a month to make certain we *all* remember!]) Living out here in the country where the response times are fairly long, almost extremely so, I'll take *every* `advantage' I can get. (And, Yep, we *do* have `backup' power for those things we feel need it such that pretty much any `goblin' cannot `kill' *all* our power. [They'll have to do grievious damage to the electrical boxes and the meters first to cut the power there, though. We've got the first `radio read' meters in our neighborhood and they'll have to almost rip the wiring out by it's `roots' to kill it as even they are `armoured'.] We didn't originally put in the `backup' for `protection' but instead just to get us through any `outages' we might have due to weather or something else that may disrupt the power. The `armouring' actually is more of a `side effect' than anything else.)


Anyway... Just something else thrown `into the pot' to think about. {BSE GRIN!}

[Double Naught Spy]

House clearing in my house? Usually I just reach around the door jamb and flip on the lights as I enter each room. Clearing your home using a flashlight can make you feel like a SWAT team member, but on your own home where you know where all the switches are and hiding places, using a flashlight really doesn't seem that prudent.

Some people have suggested that if you have one of the fancy, high powered lights such as a Scorpion, Sure-Fire, or a 5 D cell mag light that you may blind or temporarily stun the intruder with the brightness of the light. You may or may not blind them, but chances are they aren't going to react like a deer caught in headlights, so I would count out the stun factor.

Another point most miss because they probably don't consider it to be a frequent event is that if you can blind the intruder with a flashlight, the intruder can blind you with one as well. And POOF! No more tactical advantage. In a fully illuminated room using the ceiling lights, blinding isn't going to occur.

The electronics suggested above aren't a bad idea, but then again, neither is just flipping the switch

[M1911]

Personally I'd recommend a lower tech approach. "Dog, seek!"

M1911

[heisenberg]

The difference between X-10 and flipping on the light switch manually is that X-10 is a remote control system. Thus, you can control the lighting from anywhere in the house. You can turn on every light in the house at once, or just selected lights. In addition, X-10 motion detectors can trigger your lighting. X-10 can be programmed to turn your lights on and off at designated times, with a plus-minus randomization built in to simulate real occupancy. It is far more sophisticated than a typical $10 timer or mere motion control lighting.

Flipping a light switch manually requires that you be standing at the light switch. And you control only that light, nothing else. You certainly don't have the other capabilities that X-10 (and other home automation systems) provides.

And if I wanted to slow clear a room beyond, I'd much rather be able to turn on the lights in that room WITHOUT entering it first, especially since I haven't cleared it yet. Since many rooms have light switches just inside of the doorway, flipping the light switch requires a momentary dwell at the fatal funnel.

Also, your home's light switch layout may not be like someone else's. It is not a given that a light switch is located right next to each room entryway. Some rooms don't even have ceiling lights, nor even a light switch that controls a duplex outlet. Lighting might be supplied by a floor lamp inside of the room.

X-10 also has capabilities for wireless video/audio, which can help you avoid some of the search problems in the first place.

X-10 has its limitations, such as poor signal security, susceptibility to noise, and the like. Thus, I wouldn't use it to run a jewelry store alarm system or a home heating system. But lighting control is a good application for X-10.

WH

[voodoo]

Though my primary house gun has an attached light, I use a Leviton X-10 remote control on my nightstand to turn on the house lights when things go bump in the night. It works well. I have one light in every room of the house plugged into an X10 module, so I can light up the whole house from my bed. It was a relatively inexpensive project, too - spent less than $100 bucks for everything.

For me, it was a bit of overkill, considering I have a house alarm system and a big dog that sleeps in the house - but it was an interesting and inexpensive project.

[Mike in VA]

X-10 certainly has some appeal, especially if you can use it to distract an intruder. Basic weakness I see is that it assumes that the intruder didn't disable your power, yes? Sort of makes the case for a security system with battery back-up and a cell phone in the bed/safe room. But bang for the buck, it certainly has some appeal. Thx for the idea. M2

[Halfpint]

Ah, ha! So there *are* some X10 `fans' out there! {BSE GRIN!} And... Yeah... Power `outages' can be a bit of a `pain' but one thing I discovered fairly quickly was that having either a fairly good generator or inverter that produces a *quality* sinewave AC can work quite well with X10. (As part of our `backup' here I've got a `basic' X10 setup, above and beyond the `major' setup we `normally' use, on the same circuits that our `security' lights are one and which is backed up by a reasonbly large inverter on a very large battery bank. Plenty of time to handle having to check out the house and the surrounding yard area before I go out and start up the big generator if it's needed.)


For our `alarm system' we've got probably one of the best there is. Four reasonably large dogs! {GRIN!} (Two `Heinz 57' `Junkyard' `Cowdog' dogs, one Border Collie/Aussie/Dingo mix, and a Samoyed/Golden Retriever mix.) They are *very* `protective' of both us and our property and a very good at letting us know when there's someone who shouldn't be here is here. {CHORTLE!} No worries about `power failures' `interrupting' the alarm system.


About the supposed weak signal and noise `problems'... I dunno... I've got modules all over about 5 acres of land here and don't have any trouble controlling them. I *will* admit that I am using a `coupler/repeater' at the main circuitbreaker box to make certain that the signals get through to both sides but, that is pretty much a `given' anyway if you are anywhere serious about HA anyway. And even though I have just about everything one could pretty much consider controlling controlled I still don't have nearly as much tied up money wise as could be tied up by a `hardwired' system.


But! I am *not* going to say that using X10 is for *everyone*! That's basically why, when I described a `basic' setup, I tried to just keep it `simple' and only use it for the outside lights. (I could have just as easily said just inside lights but with the outside lights you've at least, sort of, got you walls and doors between you and whatever is going on as an `added layer'.) Only after one has tried it and made their decision as to it's usefulness would I recommend going ahead on the inside unless inside is all one has in the first place. It just seemed a bit strange that it didn't appear that anyone had suggested it before and I figured I'd bring it up.


I'm sort of interested in hearing about everyone else's use of the X10 system in regards to their `home security' systems. I fairly sure that *I* will learn something and hoping that there will be some `learning' on the rest of our parts, too. I am *not* against using flashlights, SWMBO would readily say that I've got one heck of a collection of them already, but would still rather not have to be right on top of my light source *if* I have to `go looking'. {GRIN!}

[Coronach]

Chopper! Seek balls!


Mike

[Double Naught Spy]

heisenberg, I have no doubt that the X-10 stuff is pretty cool. My response to Halfpint was in regard to the statement that no one had offered a better solution than flashlights. I was just pointing out that there is usually a very good and reliable alternative to flashlights that most everyone already has in their own homes. Just turn on the friggin' lights.

So, y'all think the X- system stuff is pretty cool? Do you have any links to websites where people can get more information on it?

[voodoo]

but here's my favorite site for X-10 shopping (as well as other home automation products).

http://www.smarthome.com

[heisenberg]

double naught,

usenet has a pretty good newsgroup called comp.home.automation which covers the topic very well.

Here are some web sites, in addition to the X10/home automation sites mentioned by others:

http://www.bass-home.com/
http://www.hometoys.com/htihome.htm
http://www.worthdist.com/
http://www.xanboo.com/content/
http://www.keware.com/
http://www.x10.com/

IIRC, the newsgroup also has a FAQ, which lists many more web sites.

I've set up X10 wall switches, modules, motion detectors, motion detector flood lighting, RF remotes, and wireless camera. The motion detector devices trigger certain designated X10 lights to illuminate various key areas. When triggered, the motion detectors also turn on the camera monitor. I have some other motion detectors that signal X10 chimes, which provide an audible signal that someone/something is near. The chimes come from the factory fixed for only one sound. Thus, there is no differentiation in terms of which detector is ringing which chime. However, there are easily done modifications that allow you to adjust the chimes to sound differently.

WH

[Halfpint]

Heisenberg, you sound almost as `demented?' as me! {SLIGHTLY TOOTHLESS GRIN!} I've got a HomeVision controller along with one of the port expansion boxes running just about everything I could get hooked up to here on our farm. Though I haven't really bothered with the `old fashioned' "motion detectors" like the old `Heathkit' style ones and instead used, at the begining, `dedicated' units wired through a powerflash module and now switching over to the hawkeye and eagleeye wireless ones. As for the `mods' to the chime modules... You can only change it so much and then you're pretty much `done'. I'm now toying with the idea of trying to make some sort of unit that'll play assorted .WAV or other sound type files of things like `Ma Duece', a bit of `field artillery' going off, or some other firearms sounds and even possibly pipeing a few of them outside a specific times of the day or during specific situations. {GRIN!}


While I had mentioned, originally, just grouping together sets of lights by unit codes since the advent of the CM11a, and now with the added ability to `conditionals' with the HomeVision unit, too, `macros' have become *my* prefered way of doing the assorted groupings. With a bit of `creativity?' one can get things to `cycle' in some pretty interesting ways. (EG: We actually have two seperate houses here on our property and while we do fairly much `live' between both of them all of the time we usually `retire' to one of them at `bedtime'. I've set it up such that if I have a `trigger', either via a PIR or from a remote controller, the outside lights will go on all around the yard and then one will see what looks like someone getting up at the other house and coming to `investigate'. Until *I* actually am fairly certain that things are `OK?' I *don't* have any lights beyond some pretty *faint* `night lights' come on in `our' house. [It works *real well*, too! {CHUCKLE!} This last Halloween we had some kids from town who were `TPing' places out in the country come by to `hit' our place and that along with my voice coming from out of the shadows from a direction they weren't expecting caused them all to skedaddle so fast that they left behind some *very interesting* `goodies' and `personal' items. When I was asked by the sheriff's officer that `had the case' just *why* our place had only gotten a tiny bit of `TP' and our neighbors' places were all covered I told him and gave him the `less?' `personal items' that had been left behind to `return' to their owners. He got a really good laugh out of it! And opined that we probably wouldn't see any of those kids out this way for quite some time. BTW, I *did* actually call 911 *before* I slipped outside to `confront' the kids. *That* is a part of the agreement SWMBO and I have concerning *any* `incident'! *If* `push ever came to shove' I *want* `the authorities' on *my* side! Even *if* it may take them a while to get here.])


For those that questioned just what would happen *if* our power was ever cut off... Well... It *just happened about 3 hours ago! We had a drunk decide that both he and his car were `better?' than a power pole down the road about a half mile away. The inverters kicked right in to supply backup power to the `security' circuit, the `blackout' lights we've got setup in various places came on, I heard the dispatcher make the call concerning the accident on my scanner radio a few minutes later, and I went out and stood outside with a spotting scope looking down the road towards the spot where the `scene' was supposed to be and waited to hear the sirens over the muted sound of the backup generator that was running having taken over from the BPSes and inverters while talking to the dispatcher of our REA telling her where to send the repair crews to get power back to us on my cell phone. {BSE GRIN!} [And the HomeVision controller had already gone through and reset those lights and other units that hadn't been on the BPSes and inverters back to their `proper' states and the place pretty much looked like there wasn't an `outage'. The only other person here that knew anything had happened was SWMBO. The children just slept right on through.] The REA crew showed up, cut out that short section of line at some `breakers', and then went over to both substations and reset the breakers there and we finally had power back in about 1 1/2 hours. [The *main* reason for the `delay' was that there was one heck of a mess over at the accident scene and before they could get over to the substations they had to `reassure' the `responders' that *all* the power was clear so that they could blot up the `ex drunk' and start hauling off the pieces! I *don't* blame *any of them *one bit*! This person managed to *totally* disintegrate the lower 8' - 10' of the power pole and leave everything just hanging by the wires from one direction and totally tie up the wreckage with the other wires!]) This it the *second* time we've had a drunk do this type of thing out here *this year*! AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! They come `screaming down the road', `top' the hill, and then totally `lose it'! And every time it has been someone who's not a `local' but instead someone who's moved `out to the country' because they `want to escape the city'! (And... *Yes*! I am getting a bit `hacked off' about and by `urban sprawl'!)

[Double Naught Spy]

Okay, so I have to admit my wife and I had actually talked about this type of electronics setup some time ago, but we didn't have any idea on the products or who made them. Thanks for the web sites.

[Halfpint]

Oh, BTW, thanks Heisenberg! You came up with some URLs that I don't have in my bookmarks! Consider them added. [BSE GRIN!}


Of all those you've listed *I* have found that the Worthington Distribution one is probably the best one for value. It may be a bit `sparse' in the looks department but their people more than make up for it.


OTOH, the `actual?' X10 web site is, or can be, a bit of a PITA. I've found that quite a few of their `so-called specials' really aren't all that `special'. (They *do* occasionally have some really good ones but, for the most part, unless one is *just starting out*, quite a few of them just end with one having a whole bunch of stuff that'll just end sitting around gathering dust.)