| ECS-L Home Automation and Security Archives |
| Subject: From: Date: | Re: [ECS] Re: Yet another 'newbie'! Dan Carrington Wed, 13 Jan 1999 12:19:24 -0800 |
sorry, did not realize that ECS would not go "down under" the equator. Other than that, it would probably work... Dan "Kelly, Graham" wrote: > > Dan > > This is OK while you're in the northern hemisphere. But down under here in > New Zealand (and Australia, South Africa and South America) our seasons are > reversed. So using ECS, we get dawn at 8am and dusk at 5pm in the middle of > summer (which is now!) and 5am dawn and 8pm dusk in the middle of winter > which is useless. > > > ---------- > > From: Dan Carrington[SMTP:dc_grafx@microworks.net] > > Reply To: ecs-list@netbloc.com > > Sent: Thursday, 14 January 1999 08:23 > > To: ecs-list@netbloc.com > > Subject: Re: [ECS] Re: Yet another 'newbie'! > > > > Can't you just use a lat/long that is acceptable to ECS and calculate > > the difference by adding or subtracting a certain amount of minutes or > > hours a needed? As long as you use the same distance from the equator, > > the yearly change should be the same, just add/subtract to move the time > > around the globe. You could watch the local news to find the local > > sunrise/sunset to calculate the difference you need. The yearly > > variations would only be different if the distance from the equator is > > changed, correct? > > > > $.02 > > Dan Carrington > > > > > > > > "Kelly, Graham" wrote: > > > > > > Tony > > > > > > You're right about the latitude and longitude. Mark has set it up so it > > only > > > works from Greenwich to North America, because he only allows 2 digits > > to be > > > entered. My longitude in New Zealand is -171. There is no way I can > > enter > > > minus or 3 digits. Solution is to use an small X10 infra red detector > > (the > > > one that sends a signal at dusk and another and dawn) or the X10 > > Sundowner > > > and create a True/False daylight item which it controls. ECS will then > > know > > > whether it is daylight or dark. > > > > > > BTW Mark, if you want a worldwide latitude & longitude utility, there is > > an > > > excellent one in a Dos shareware program called Earthwatch, although the > > > optional method in it of clicking your mouse on your spot on a map of > > the > > > world is a little too elaborate! However, it does allow you enter > > positive > > > and negative latitudes and longitudes plus 3 digits. It then calculates > > dawn > > > & dusk correctly anywhere in the world. > > > > > > > ---------- > > > > From: Mark Gilmore[SMTP:omnip@usit.net] > > > > Reply To: ecs-list@netbloc.com > > > > Sent: Thursday, 14 January 1999 09:04 > > > > To: Tony James > > > > Cc: ecs-list@netbloc.com > > > > Subject: [ECS] Re: Yet another 'newbie'! > > > > > > > > Tony, My answers are inserted below. > > > > > > > > ECS-USERS: Any answers for the latitude/longitude > > > > questions a few paragraphs down ? tanx > > > > > > > > Please send subsequent questions to ecs-list > > > > (ecs-list@netbloc.com), so everyone can have > > > > a shot at helping out. > > > > > > > > Tony James wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Mark > > > > > > > > > > I have an HomeVision-PC which I bought a year ago with visions of > > > > writing my > > > > > own Visual Basic programmes and communicating with HV via DDE. Well > > to > > > > cut a > > > > > short story long I am not as clever as I thought I was! I did copy > > ECS > > > > > across 10 months ago but couldn't make head nor tail of it. Having > > seen > > > > your > > > > > announcement of the Windows version to the HV group I decided to try > > > > again. > > > > > Using the quick start instructions I found that I could do things at > > > > last. > > > > > However having joined the ECS mail group I realise I am not alone in > > > > having > > > > > trouble getting to grips with the ECS language. > > > > > Could you perhaps help with a couple of examples of how to do things > > so > > > > that > > > > > my brain can get into gear? > > > > > > > > > > First a question on Sunrise/Sunset. I am in the UK, will this work > > here > > > > (it > > > > > doesn't seem to) as we have no time zones and how do you > > differentiate > > > > > between Longitude North and South or Latitude E and W. I put in 50 > > and 0 > > > > and > > > > > the times were not even close. > > > > > > > > I will need to add another time-zone for the UK - > > > > What would your zone(s) be called ? > > > > I would need to know your latitude/longitude/sunrise-time > > > > to do so, but I must plead ignorance on the 2nd question. > > > > I will forward to ecs-list in hopes of an answer. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Down to my scenarios. I have a lamp that I want to come on at 0630 > > > > weekdays. > > > > > No problem there, I can make ECS do this for me. However what I want > > is > > > > for > > > > > the lamp to come on at 10% and increase by 10% every 40 seconds > > until at > > > > > 100%. Obviously a counter and timer job, but how? > > > > > > > > This would be the simplest approach: > > > > If time is 6:30 am > > > > and second is now 0 > > > > then light set 12% > > > > else if time is 6:30 am > > > > and second is now 40 > > > > then light set 24% > > > > ... > > > > ... > > > > > > > > Note that most X-10 interfaces do not support even 10% > > > > dimming increments, which is why I chose the above %'s. > > > > WARNING: If the light is initially OFF, it will 1st come > > > > %100 ON and then dim-down. If it is initially set to 0%, > > > > you want have this problem. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Next one. How do I capture any infra red commands that HV picks up > > from > > > > my > > > > > remote and then 'do' something? I've read the IR-signal-J bit but > > there > > > > are > > > > > gaps. > > > > > > > > If IR-Signal-J Is 1 > > > > Then ... > > > > > > > > where "1" would be the ID of a particular signal, > > > > as learned via the HV software. Note that instead of "1", > > > > you could define a number Item whose name is say "TV:ON", > > > > and whose initial state would be 1. > > > > Your event-line would then read: > > > > If IR-Signal-J Is TV:ON > > > > This would make your events easier to follow. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Like your last 'newbie' I am overwhelmed by the things that can be > > done > > > > with > > > > > ECS. My feedback on the help/documentation would be that more > > examples > > > > of > > > > > how things could be done would help. I tried to look at past > > postings > > > > but > > > > > they have been removed because of concerns about privacy. > > > > > > > > Mucho examples are in EXAMPLE.CFG. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sorry for the length of this. I feel that ECS is going to be worth > > > > spending > > > > > my hard earned pounds (or will it be Euros) once I have go the hang > > of > > > > it. > > > > > However I guess that to make the best use of my HV-PC I will need > > the > > > > full > > > > > version? > > > > > > > > ECS-Lite will support record/playback (via any wave card), and > > > > any/all x-10 capabilities, regardless of the hardware used. > > > > It's enough to keep you busy for a while :-). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Regards > > > > > Tony > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Mark Gilmore > > > > Omnipotence (ECS home automation software) > > > > omnip@usit.net > > > > http://www.usit.com/omnip > > > > > >