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Posted By: beaman 2+year lurker [nearly daily] has a question - 11/14/04 03:37 AM
I'm a little shy letting on that I've been lurking on this site for so long, but have really been wanting to take part in some of the threads. My name is Brad, and have been a pool contractor in So. Cal. for 16 years.

I have always done my own installations for my own projects and I do installations for others with regards to controls and pool installations' electrical needs.

I hope to see if maybe someone may have a solution for a control problem I've encountered several times and haven't had the time or interest until now to solve them.

Compool and Jandy are two of the more popular pool/spa control systems out there, and they are easy to use/install. They have a simple 24v coil relay with double pole contacts to control the pumps/lights/or whatever you can route the power through the relay contacts--therein lies my problem.

On several occations, people ask me to set up the pool control to control items that I have no access to run the circuit through the relay. What I'd like to offer them is to have the pool control operate a system that sends the signal through the house wiring to a module on the other end.

Can someone tell me how these systems work [like the X-10]? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Brad
Posted By: Tom Re: 2+year lurker [nearly daily] has a question - 11/14/04 09:43 PM
Here is a website that explains the basic system.
http://www.smarthome.com/about_x10.html

Don't wait so long to post your next question.

Tom
Welcome Brad, and all the other new people!

There's no reason to be shy here!

OK, The real truth. I understand what it feels like to be a newcomer. I was one. So was everybody else here. The first time I got the courage to hit the submit reply button, it was with near nausea that I saw my words come up on the screen.
I was readily accepted.
As I found out, There really is no reason to be shy here [Linked Image]

We'll be looking forward to hearing from you again soon.

Lurking?? Nothing wrong with that I hope.
Probably nobody lurks more than the Moderators and the Webmaster,

Just don't let some nutty inhibition like I had stop any of you from posting-Come on in, the waters fine.
[Linked Image]

There's only one way to make any question stupid, and that's by not asking it
Beaman, As Electure says,
Quote
OK, The real truth. I understand what it feels like to be a newcomer. I was one. So was everybody else here. The first time I got the courage to hit the submit reply button, it was with near nausea that I saw my words come up on the screen.
ain't that the truth, I certainly felt the same way.

Now I see there was no reason for it.

If I wouldn't have ever hit that first "submit" button I wouldn't have Electure and the thousands of people here as friends.

Roger
Thanks for the encouragement men, I have often seen the community here be gracious to new members. I actually dont even feel "new" since I've been visiting the site for so long. Anyway, I appreciate the link, Tom. The X-10 system is something I'm already somewhat familiar with as far as the components go--how they work together. I was hoping to get information on how the components work.
like: Does the handset send a pulse signal, or is it constant to keep the module "on" or "off"?
What is the signal, a specific radio frequency?
Can the signal be generated with a component part that I can use the pool control system's relay to send "on" or "off" signals?

Any help would be great. Thanks Brad
great question, no perfect answer.

1. a pulse

2. depends

3. no off the shelf component that i know of, and i haven't checked into all the home automation lines.


one solution is a brand that has a pool automation kit with valve actuators and seperate receiving modules that mount anywhere.

x-10
intermatic

jacuzzi (maybe, sort of)

drawbacks include: no display on the controller, no integral thermostats.
I think I'll just take apart the handset that is existing and see if there is a way to interface the Jandy with the X-10 handset. On another installation I needed to convert the Jandy continuous relay to a pulse, I used a timed relay set for 2 seconds to send a pulse signal for "on" and another one for the "off" signal. It's a long row to hoe, but it will at least solve the problem if I can mcgiver the handset.

Thanks, Brad
The transmitter sends a command to put the receiver modules into a certain state.

It sends the commands serially on the AC waveform, using 125 Khz carriers just past the zero crossing.

There are "dry contact" receivers which provide contacts for LV control.
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