Re: X10 stuff Re: Safety of Running Coil in Garage

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>

Some X10 stuff, particularly the less expensive end of the line, is
notoriously sensitive to RFI and transients, as well as aging and heat.  As
you move up from the $10 switches and modules towards the $30 units, the
performance and reliability increases.

Essentially these units couple a 120 kHz, low level RF voltages ridin on the
AC line through a capacitor to a sensistive receiver, and then to a PIC type
decoder.  The selectivity of the receiver isn't all that great (particularly
for lower cost units), so a TC running in the general frequency range is
likely to couple significant power into the receiver.
 >
 > --------- Forwarded message ----------
 > From: K. C. Herrick <kchdlh-at-juno-dot-com>
 > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
 > Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 17:12:08 -0800
 > Subject: Re: Safety of Running Coil in Garage
 >
 > Watch it!  As I'd reported some time back, I've damaged numerous of my
 > "X10" light-control units by allowing sparks to hit house wiring.  They
 > now variously half-work, turn on by themselves, etc.  I'll not trouble to
 > replace them until/unless I quit the inside coiling.
 >
 > I didn't have the trouble until the sparks-in-air actually hit the
 > wiring.  X10 units distant about 30 ft. did not suffer--but then, I don't
 > have a humungeous coil.
 >
 > Ken Herrick
 >
 >
 > On Sun, 02 Feb 2003 16:45:36 -0700 "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > writes:
 >  > Original poster: "Alan by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
 >  > <centauri010-at-attbi-dot-com>
 >  >
 >  > Hey,
 >  >
 >  > I've finished my first coil and the sparks are adequate at best. I
 >  > would
 >  > like to experiment with it more, but currently I can only do it at
 >  > night
 >  > because I can't see the sparks during the day. I would like to run
 >  > it in my
 >  > garage but am worried about damaging the electronics in the house.
 >  > What can
 >  > I do to be safe in the garage or should I just not run it there?
 >  > There is a
 >  > garage door unit and a light close to where it would be running.
 >  > Also, the
 >  > family computer is directly behind the garage wall. So, there's not
 >  > much
 >  > physical distance between it and the coil(about 10-15ft). My second
 >  >
 >  > question is: how big should the sparks be from a coil powered by 2
 >  > 15kv/30ma transformers(15kv/60ma total)?
 >  > There are 11 primary turns, about 1400 secondary turns if i remember
 >  > on a
 >  > 4.25" x 23" pvc secondary with 27awg wire with a .03 uf 35kv maxwell
 >  > cap.
 >  >
 >  > Thanks,
 >  > Alan
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >
 >
 >