I made it to the 21st Century...

Amazon Echo Dot -- with Alexa

Automation…welcome to the 21^st century, as I listen to Amazon Alexa play soothing electronic music in the background. I can’t say that I am late to the game, I have had automation, with my lights, and only lights since the late 1970s. When I moved into my first house, in 1984, I took all of the switches and transceivers with me and automated the house.

I then purchased additional transceivers and wall switches so that I had the control to turn on all the lights in the house and a few other things I can’t remember, now. During that time, you could only control your lights by clicking the corresponding number on the transceivers the switches were assigned to. The system was called X10 Powerhouse, sold by Radio Shack, at the time. I still have all of my switches and transceivers.

However, three or so years ago my computer running XP, I purchased back in 2003, died and the X10 software was on that computer. The lights were programed to turn on at up to 255 times a day, if need be. Last year I found, at a local computer store, a hard drive enclosure. I put the old hard drive into the enclosure and sure enough, the drive wasn’t damaged and worked fine.

I hooked the drive to my main computer and all of the software was still intact. The only problem, Windows 10 isn’t backward compatible. I went online to find if X10.com had the software for Windows 10. For some reason, the site doesn’t look the same. I am guessing that some entity has taken the company over. They say there is software to control the switches, but I couldn’t download it. I was just SOL.

(I’ve gotta take another break – this break is brought to you by, Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and Kroger Eggnog, this Writer’s favorite winter and writing drink!)

 In the meantime, I just purchased timers for the main lights, the modern kind where you can have them come on at various times of the day or week. That worked well, to a point. I just had to deal with it and be complacent. Then I heard about Amazon Echo. I wanted it, needed it, but, at $199.00 (back when it first came into existence), it was a little too pricey for me, so I put in my Amazon wish list and just waited.

Out of the blue came, Amazon Dot. At first, I didn’t understand it. Why was it so small? Of course, I got the details later. I added that to my wish list and waited. Since I have been doing those online surveys I had been able to save about $20 a month, which doesn’t sound like much, but it helps where you want to get a few things on Amazon.

Lo and behold, Amazon lowered the price of the Amazon Dot to $39 in November! You will never guess how much I had saved. I knew exactly what I wanted and (before Amazon Prime) a week later I got my Amazon Dot. And so it began. I had to figure out what I could do with it, though. Now, actually a few weeks ago until yesterday, I just played music and asked Alexa dumb questions.

After many hours, (actually, many hours of YouTube and automation webpages), I figured out what to get first…Lightbulbs! However, I didn’t realize that connected lightbulbs were that expensive $15, up to $50 for one bulb. I thought only one type would fit and work, style A19 light bulbs. I purchased a four-pack for $20 only to find out you have to have connected lightbulbs. I had to return the four-pack.

I found some, near inexpensive, connected bulbs, only to find that the Home Depot, close to my home, had just two of the bulbs I wanted left. I decided to get a third bulb, a Phillips Hue bulb. I took the set home and put the Phillips Hue bulb in first. I had read that you needed a Phillips Hue hub to work with this particular bulb. Before all of that, I had purchased a Wink2 hub, reading that I have to have a hub to control of my automated toys and stuff.

I couldn’t get the Hue bulb to work. I checked the site and found out that the Hue bulb will only work with a Phillips Hue Bridge (hub). I started to think to myself, why in the world would I buy a Phillip’s Hue Hub when I already have a hub. The Wink hub said that it works with the Phillips Hue bulb. But, two hubs to work one bulb?

So I had to go back to the Home Depot and get a Cree connected bulb, they had one but it was slightly more than the two I purchased previously. Today, after all the work was done, I can now say, “Alexa, turn on all the lights…” and like magic, the lights come on. Now, I just have to figure out how to put the lights on a schedule.

I just realized that I only have five lamps in my house and only need to three of them on, at night. All the other lights are on switches, 24 bulbs, not including the garage and back porch, in all. So, I checked the prices of the switches, they start at about $30 and up for one switch. The fan, in my living room, for instance, is a dual switch and they cost about $70. I am guessing it is expensive to automate one’s home.

Some of the things, next on the list, a Nest Thermostat, automated front door lock, and a garage door opener. I am guessing if it will take a year to get my house automated, but it will be well worth it.

I wonder what else the future will bring – hopefully replicators, transporters, phasers, robots and other toys to play with, or do I have to wait until the 22^nd century?

Now that I think about it…what do I do with all of my X10 transceivers?