Geek of the Week

[ckadiddle]

I finally took some time to futz with programming the Homelink buttons. Toughest was trying to get the garage door opener programmed. I managed to screw the opener up so badly I had to reprogram both clip-on openers and the pushbutton combination doohickey opener. I learned that the hard part is finding the model number on the opener so I could find the correct manual on the web. Some of the important numbers were on one end of the friggin machine, the one I needed, was of course on the other end where I didn't think to look for the first 45 minutes. Dohh. :mad2:

I programmed the left button for the door opener and programmed the right button to turn on a couple lamps in the front of the house via X-10 gizmos. Neato. Proof of concept works, I may do some more X-10 stuff now.

[Eric91Z]

What is the X-10 stuff? I would like to get motion activated lights for the front of the house or even something I could use another HomeLink button for would be cool.

Just need something for those times when we leave when it is light and don't think of turning the outside lights on and return after dark.

[ckadiddle]

www.x10.com (http://www.x10.com) has all kinds of cool gizmos. The Homelink button in the car sitting in the driveway sends a radio signal to a transceiver that is plugged into one of the electrical outlets near my front door. The transceiver sends a "turn on" signal over the electrical wiring in the house to two doohickeys that I have incandescent lamps plugged into. I did it for the reason you suggest - so that we don't walk into a completely dark house late at night when we forget to leave a light on. In addition to the two lamp modules and transceiver I purchased a Palmpad (which'll control something like 16 devices) so that I had something to take into the car to "teach" Homelink button the signal. Oh yeah, I also purchased a wall switch module, but haven't installed it yet. Total cost from an Ebay vendor was about 60 bucksish I think. If you want to get fancy, there is wireless alarm and surveillance that can be all tied in together.

[Bluerauder]

I finally took some time to futz with programming the Homelink buttons.
That's techno talk right? :rofl: