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!}
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!}