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From: Dick@cup.portal.com (dick a wotiz)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Garage Door Opener light control accessory.
Message-ID: <25673@cup.portal.com>
Date: 6 Jan 90 18:46:11 GMT
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  <12417@cbnewse.ATT.COM>
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
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>> I just purchased one of those "Light Control" units from sears so I
>> could control my garage lights from the 3 button garage door transmitter.
>> Once I got it home, I discovered that it is for "Incandescent Lights ONLY"
>> up to 500 watts. I have florescent lights in my garage. I would still like
>> to use this thing, therefore, what are the recommendations from the net? 

> Assuming that the Sears lighting controls are X-10 compatible

The Sears unit is definitely NOT X-10 compatible!  The light modules
receive the UHF signal directly from the 3-button transmitter, using
a short wire antenna hidden inside the lamp module.  It transmits
somewhere around the 220 MHz range.. that's kinda far away from the
X-10 system's 120 KHz!

A while back, I peeked inside one of the round screw-in light controller,
and it uses a relay to control the lamp.  Normally, relays will be
able to supply only about 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of power to an
inductive load than to an incandescent load.  So if it is rated for
500 watts, you would only be able to control about 100-200 watts
of fluorescent lighting.

But the worst that might happen is the relay contacts will eventually
weld themselves together, and the light won't turn off.
Just to be sure, try connecting up an incandescent lamp, and turn
it on and off.  You should hear a distinct click each time, from
the relay turning on and off.  If not, then they've changed the
design, and you won't be able to use it at all for fluorescent lights.


Dick Wotiz                         dick@portal.com
                           {sun|uunet}!portal!dick