What is HomeWizard / Smartwares automation?

HomeWizard from Smartwares is a new, wireless home automation system which has been designed to provide excellent home automation capabilities at an affordable cost.

The system works using wireless communications between the modules. You can program a remote control or sensor to switch a single receiver or multiple receivers together.

Using the HomeWizard controller, you can make the system much smarter. The controller will allow you to create lighting scenes, automate devices based on logic conditions, switch devices and lights on remotely via the web or a smartphone app and much more. Continue reading “What is HomeWizard / Smartwares automation?”

Using X10 for lighting control

Update - Sept 2015: When we wrote this blog post a few years ago, X10 was still the simplest and cheapest way to control your home lighting. If you’re looking for a reliable entry-level control of home lighting, we recommend SmartWares for a basic single room control, or Z-Wave for multi-room/whole house control. However, X10 is still useful and has a place - plus is widely installed, so we’ve kept this article live for your benefit!

Using X10 for lighting control

X10 is a very simple way to add advanced automation to your home lighting.

There are numerous modules and products available to control different types of lighting, and the X10 system gives you the ability to control these lights via a computer, a remote control, another X10 module/sensor or a switch.

To get started, you need to understand how X10 works - with regards to the way it switches devices by encoding a signal into your home powerline. If you don’t know about that, please see our starter article here:
Using X10 for Home Automation

To add X10 control to your lights, you need to look at what type of lights you have and buy the appropriate modules.

For plug-in desk/table lamps & uplighters
With plug in lamps, you can control them with a plug-in lamp module!
We offer 2 varieties, the original X10 designed module and a 2nd generation module. The 2nd generation module offers better response to low X10 signals - so is ideal if you have a larger house or are having problems with your current X10 modules not always switching.

Links:
X10 Lamp module
X10 2G Lamp module

For ceiling lamps or wired-in lighting
For ceiling lamps, you have the choice of either changing the wall switch itself, using a hidden ‘micro module’ behind the existing switch, or using a wired-in lamp module.

For wall switches, you can use a dimming wall switch to give you dimming & X10 control of any connected lights.
See:
X10 2 button wall dimmer switch

Note: if you have a non-dimmable lamp, such as a standard energy saving bulb then you can’t use a dimmer switch.

To use a micro-module, or a wired in module, please see our range of modules here:
X10 lighting control - micro/inline modules

For a comparison table that explains what type of loads each module can switch, plus whether they can switch dimmable lamps or not, please see:
Marmitek X10 micro module compatibility

Of course, if you have any questions on X10 lighting control then please call us on 0845 094 0089 or drop us an email via the contact page.

How to control X10 with an iPhone, iPod, iPad or Android device

What is X10?

X10 home automation can be used to control basically any electrical equipment you have in your home. From creating lighting scenes to switching on your coffee machine in the morning before you get up, the possibilities are limitless. Continue reading “How to control X10 with an iPhone, iPod, iPad or Android device”

Using X10 for Home Automation

Disclaimer

This article has been modified from it’s original form by UK Automation with permission from Kevin Boone. We have provided links to relevant products in our shop where they are mentioned by Kevin Boone.
Kevin Boone does not in any way endorse or recommend our products.
To view the article in it’s original form, please visit: http://www.kevinboone.com/x10.html

The article was originally modified in 2009, and since then there have been changes in the X10 range, with new products and products removed from sale. As such, this is still a useful reference guide but you may find some of the items mentioned below are no longer available. For the latest X10 products, please visit: http://www.uk-automation.co.uk/x10-home-automation/

Continue reading “Using X10 for Home Automation”