This turns the display on, by using just one appliance module
to switch a 4 pole relay, it has made it possible to turn on and off
4 separate 20 amps circuits for total of 80 amps available to power the display.
If I were to turn everything on, the total current draw would be 126 amps,
the trick here is not to turn all the lights on at one time. I made sure when programming
the songs, not all the lights come on at a time, because the system is only set-up to use 80 amps.
The X10 module puts power to a 24vac transformer, which pulls in a 24vac power relay
that supplies power for four separate 20 amp circuits to power the entire display.
The reason a 24vac coil 4 pole 40 amp contact relay was used, was because it can be bought
cheaply on e-bay. These power relays are used to run big A/C units and have a 24vac coil,
all that was then needed, was a 24vac transformer to power the 24vac coil on the relay.
X 10 INTERFACE
appliance module
Radio Shack sells these
Appliance Module is designed to control loads with the following ratings: Resistive load: 15A
Motor load: 1/3 HP
Incandescent load: 500W
X10 is only used to turn the display on and does not run the display
the X10 modules will not respond fast enough to be used in that way.
PLEASE READ
If you use X10, you will inevitably experience some of the problems described here.
X10 filtering is needed to filter out noise - this is a must
Use of filters at the noise producing source is essential for a reliable X10.
Filters isolate noise from electrical appliances and lighting (Compact Fluorescent Light) from the house wiring.
My haunted house works great now. No more mysterious light happenings and things work when they should.
After many hours of filtering reseach, my biggest line noise maker was from the computer battery backup system.
I filtered all of the computer components and it now works like magic.
I do miss the appearance of a ghost or two from those mysterious lights going off, and always in the middle of the night!
Software you can use to run X10
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