Haunting With X10

X10 is a remote-control technology that shows a lot of haunt potential.

Background
What Are the Tradeoffs?
X10 bits useful in a haunt.
Environmental Factors
So, How Do I Haunt With X10?

Background

X10 is a remote control system that uses your existing power wiring to send control signals from one location to another. If you are unfamiliar with X10, we have an introduction to X10.

As soon as people learn what X10 can do, they are naturally drawn to the question: can I use this stuff to control effects in my haunt? The answer is a clear and certain "maybe"!

What Are the Tradeoffs?

In order to consider X10 for haunt purposes, you must weigh the tradeoffs offered by this technology.

The following are factors in favor of X10 as a remote control system:

X10 equipment is inexpensive.
It requires no special wiring.
It is easy to set up and use.
Systems can be small or large - you can start with just a couple of pieces and grow if you like it.
X10 is easily placed under computer control.
A radio-controlled version is available and very compatible with the rest of the system.

These favorable factors are considerable. Let's say you decide, on the spur of the moment, to put a fog machine there. You plug the machine into the power line, add an X10 module to control it, and you're ready to haunt! Want to trigger it from here? Plop down a mini control panel. Want the zombie in the graveyard to fog on demand? Give him a wireless controller.

You can't beat this stuff ... when it works.

The following are drawbacks of X10 as a remote control system:

X10 communication can be thwarted by other carrier-current devices, including wireless intercoms.
X10 signals can be degraded, damped, or stopped by power-conditioning equipment, including inexpensive "noise-supressing" power strips, certain brands of computer power supplies, and my DAK bread maker. [There is a solution for this - a "choke".]
There is no guarantee that an X10 command will get to its destination. If you send a command to turn off the heater, the command might get zapped by line noise and never have a chance to turn off the heater.
The limitation of 16 house codes and 16 unit codes makes the address space a bit tight - there is no way to grow above 256 devices.
Most houses are wired with two separate 110 circuits. X10 signals sent from a control panel plugged into one outlet might not get to the lamp module plugged into the outlet across the room - if it is on the other "leg" of the 110. [There is a solution of this - a "signal bridge".]
It takes about a second to send an X10 command. While that command is being sent, you can't send another, or both commands will be lost.

X10 bits useful in a haunt.

The following X10 bits and pieces are handy for haunting:

Appliance modules - Turn on and off 110 VAC on command. Use to control solenoid valves (for pneumatic props), strobes, and other 110 VAC gadgets.

Radio control panel - Allows haunt operator to move around while still having complete control of X10 exxects.
Computer interface - Send timed sequences of X10 commands. If your computer has multimedia capability, it can play the sound track, while triggering a series of effects synchronized to the sound.
Lamp modules - Turning incandescent lamps on and off.
Sounder/actuator module - Control of any device that is triggered by dry contacts, including modified fog machine remote controls.

Lamp modules might be used to turn on and dim lights before the haunt starts, to establish a setting. Lights should not be dimmed or brightened during the haunt. Sending dim and brighten commands takes a lot of time.

Haunt Requirements

Ask yourself what you intend to automate via X10.

Will you ever have to send more than one signal at once? If so, forget X10. Two signals sent at the same time "collide" with each other. Neither command takes effect. So if you have a PIR person-detector sending signals from the foot of the driveway to the fog machine, and an X10 transmitter from the doorbell to a scream box, you are at risk: if somebody enters the driveway at the same moment that somebody rings the doorbell, you get neither fog nor scream.
Is split-second accuracy necessary? It takes a second or more to send an X10 command.
Will the haunt suffer if the unit fails to turn on or off? If an X10 command collides with another command, or is wiped out by electrical noise, that command doesn't happen. If hooked up to an effect, the unit will not trigger. Or, if already triggered, will not turn off when so commanded. Just to be sure that the command gets through, you might want to press the button twice. But that's still not a guarantee.

Environmental Factors

If you have decided that X10 is right for your haunt, you must then clean up the environment so that X10 will provide reliable service for you.

Go out to the power pole and look for the big step-down transformer. Look at the wires coming from there and going to houses. Any house that shares a "pole pig" with you also shares X10 signals. Drop in and visit. Explain X10, and if they are using it, agree between you on who gets which house codes.
Install a "signal bridge" between legs of the 110 electical power.
Examine all the power strips in your house. The ultra-cheapies are OK. The ones that claim to have "noise protection" usually interfere with X10 signals. This can happen even if nothing is plugged in to the power strip - if the strip is plugged in to the wall, it can cause trouble. Test it.
Get an audible X10 module and a transmitter. Move them around the house, sending signals. Make sure the signals get through.
If the signals don't get thorough, unplug power strips, appliances, and computers, one by one. Turning them off is not enough - they must be unplugged. Leave them unplugged. When things work again, plug the things back, one at a time. When the signals stop, the thing you just plugged in is the trouble-maker.
Isolate troublemakers with chokes.
During haunt-critical times, don't run appliances with heavy electric motors, like washers and driers. They can put electrical noise into the power lines, interfering with X10. Don't use "wired wireless" intercoms.

The most important factor in using X10 in a haunt is that you can have numerous props triggered by X10, but should have few transmitters sending X10 signals. This reduces the chance of signals interfering with each other.

So, How Do I Haunt With X10?

In 1999, we had the following effects running off X10 control:

Fog machine.
Giant roof-spider animation.
Scream box.
Spider's rooftop shaving-cream squirter.
Spider's ground-based shaving-cream squirter.

These were controlled via a pair of hand-held radio remotes. One remote was given to the person handing out candy. If a kid was friendly, the candy lady could make the giant spider rear up and wave. Surly kids could be given a scream. The other controller was carried by somebody who sat out near the street, having a good view of the people coming and going. Since the folks inside were having a party, they didn't monitor their controls all the time. The outside person had first dibbs on the Trick Or Treaters!

The porch lights were also on X10. We set them to a reasonable dim level and left them there all night.

We actually had arguments over who got to go outside with the radio remote and control the spider as kids went up to the door!

[photo] We used this PalmPad in 2001, with a masking tape label for each effect.

Thank you for visiting. Your comments are welcome.
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