**Introduction to LGR and the X10 System**

Greetings and welcome to an LGR follow-up episode of sorts. This will be a continuation of both my episode on the X10 system, an LGROddware episode, as well as LGR Thrifts Episode 39 where I picked up this lovely little thing right here: the BSR System X10 “The Timer.” And this looked like a pretty standard clock radio when I first saw it but then I realized it was an X10 device and was instantly intrigued.

**Fascination with X10 Systems**

Both because of the woodgrain and I just think the X10 systems are fascinating. And then I saw that it has all of this right here. This is not a radio — it is a clock, though, as well as a control system for your X10 devices. In my Oddware episode, I showed how you could control these devices through software in MS-DOS and Windows 95, and there were all sorts of ways to do it. And some of them were more hardware-oriented, no software required.

**Understanding the BSR System X10 “The Timer”**

But I did think that it would be a little fascinating to see how this works in conjunction with the software and the computer interface — which is this right here. Again, I'd refer you to my LGR Oddware episode where I talked about the history of this, what it can do, and all the functionality of the MS-DOS and Windows 9x versions of this thing. I think it's super fascinating but the gist of it is that these are devices that allow you to control lights and appliances and all sorts of devices around your house through these interfaces.

**The BSR System X10 “The Timer” Functionality**

And it goes through your power lines in your house — just the wiring that you already have, no need to really do much setup at all, really. Yeah, this device in particular is what we're going to be checking out today: The Timer by BSR. It seems there were a whole lot of these made by different companies and in different iterations over the years. Some of them were much more modern than this, some were older. And some didn't have this clock display, some had a different kind of display.

**The Control Interface of the BSR System X10 “The Timer”**

But either way, the thing that they all have in common is this interface right here and the ability to program your X10 system without having to go over to the wall, your control box, or whatever. You can just put this beside your bed and control and program your devices that way. So yeah, smart home of the 1980s, pretty friggin sweet.

**Using the BSR System X10 “The Timer” Control Interface**

So what all of this stuff does here on the control interface of The Timer? It's pretty straightforward if you're familiar with the X10 system, but we'll just go over it really quickly. So you have this switch right here which is where you start, and you kind of see these instructions there, as well as a place to label your different units.

**Programming the BSR System X10 “The Timer”**

Let me go ahead and plug this in so we can see what we're doing. Okay, so yeah, first thing to do here is set the time of day and you can set it at either fast or slow ways of configuring here and these little buttons. And we'll just get it up to the current time, which is 1:40 PM.

**Controlling X10 Devices with the BSR System X10 “The Timer”**

Okay, the time of day is set and then at this point you can program it to do various things around your house. A little tough to switch. But yeah, so you can do your unit code right here, so this would be the first lamp and this lamp it's on over here is actually plugged into an X10 device.

**Testing the BSR System X10 “The Timer”**

So let's just see if it works. Unit code number one, which is what the lamp is set as, our house code is over here. My house is \\

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enGreetings and welcome to an LGR follow-upepisode of sorts. This will be a continuationof both my episode on the X10 system, an LGROddware episode, as well as LGR Thrifts Episode39 where I picked up this lovely little thingright here: the BSR System X10 “The Timer.”And this looked like a pretty standard clockradio when I first saw it but then I realizedit was an X10 device and was instantly intrigued.Both because of the woodgrain and I just thinkthe X10 systems are fascinating. And thenI saw that it has all of this right here.This is not a radio — it is a clock though,as well as a control system for your X10 devices.Now in my Oddware episode I showed how youcould control these devices through softwarein MS-DOS and Windows 95, and there were allsorts of ways to do it. And some of them weremore hardware-oriented, no software required.But I did think that it would be a littlefascinating to see how this works in conjunctionwith the software and the computer interface— which is this right here. Again, I'd referyou to my LGR Oddware episode where I talkedabout the history of this, what it can do,and all the functionality of the MS-DOS andWindows 9x versions of this thing. I thinkit's super fascinating but the gist of itis that these are devices that allow you tocontrol lights and appliances and all sortsof devices around your house through theseinterfaces. And it goes through your powerlines in your house — just the wiring thatyou already have, no need to really do muchsetup at all, really. Yeah, this device inparticular is what we're going to be checkingout today: The Timer™ by BSR. It seems therewere a whole lot of these made by differentcompanies and in different iterations overthe years. Some of them were much more modernthan this, some were older. And some didn'thave this clock display, some have a differentkind of display. But either way the thingthat they all have in common is this interfaceright here and the ability to program yourX10 system without having to go over to thewall, your control box, or whatever. You canjust put this beside your bed and controland program your devices that way. So yeah,smart home of the 1980s, pretty friggin sweet.As to what all of this stuff does here onthe control interface of The Timer it's prettystraightforward if you're familiar with theX10 system, but we'll just go over it reallyquickly. So you have this switch right herewhich where you start, and you kind of seethese instructions there, as well as a placeto label your different units. Let me go aheadand plug this in so we can see what we'redoing.Okay, so yeah first thing todo here is set the time of day and you canset it at either fast or slow ways of configuringhere and these little buttons. And we'll justget it up to the current time, which is 1:40PM. Okay, the time of day is set and thenat this point you can program it to do variousthings around your house. A little tough toswitch. But yeah, so you can do your unitcode right here, so this would be the firstlamp and this lamp it's on over here is actuallyplugged into an X10 device. So let's justsee if it works. Unit code number one, whichis what the lamp is set as, our house codeis over here. My house is \"A\" so I'm not hookedup to anything else, no other houses, no apartments.And then we can either turn the unit on oroff. It's on right now so let's switch itoff and hit \"all lights\" or \"now.\" Which Ijust hit now, which means it's going to turnthe light off right now or on now. There yougo. So yeah. That's how that works. And youcan control it directly like that or we canturn all the lights on. Which is turning everythingon but I only have the one hooked up rightnow. So that's how to do that. And since it'son unit code one still we can change someof these things. So if we want the light tocome on every single day at... 2:43 PM. Wecould set that and click this. Or you cando the \"once\" button and that's going to dojust the one time. So say you have to wakeup in the morning and you want the lightsto come on just the one time. There you go.Security mode is kind of interesting, thatactually enables the timer to come up withits own time based on what you give it andit'll vary it every single day. So say you'reaway for a week. It's gonna turn on the lightson and off at slightly different times ofaround the same time of day to sort of makeit look like there's somebody home and it'snot a timer doing exactly on the dot everysingle time the lights come on. And then thesleep mode, uh. I don’t know what that doesOh hey it’s future LGR here whileI’m editing this video. Turns out the sleepmode, that works a lot like the sleep optionseen on so many TVs back then. So if you enablethat you can set a timer and it'll turn offyour lights after that runs out and you'vepresumably fallen asleep, no need to alteryour other daily lighting routines. And yeahback to me because there’s more stuff tosee, aw yee.The only other option we haven't talked aboutis this right here, which just makes the lightthe display dimmer, which is kind of niceif you're in a dark room. Oh yeah, it alsohas a battery over here, I thought that waskind of neat. There's a tray there we canput four double A batteries in and then it'sjust going to make sure that it keeps yoursettings even if their power goes out. Let'sgo ahead and test this thing out with t X10Powerhouse computer hardware and we'll seewhat that does because I'm curious if there'sany conflicts. And I'm going to be using thislovely IBM Personal Computer AT here withMS-DOS and the X10 software loaded from ourOddware episode a while back. The x10 Powerhousecomputer interface is hooked up over therevia serial, that is plugged into the wall,this is plugged into the wall, this is pluggedinto the wall. Everything's plugged into thewall. And then of course the lamp is pluggedinto an X10 Powerhouse lamp module which interfacesthrough everything else through the wiringin my house. And now let's go ahead and get started.[PC whirring to life, disk and harddrive noises dominating the soundscape]The time is a little off on my computer I wonderif that'll make a difference if I set thetimer here and -- I don't know! [typity typetype] All right here well it looks like wecan just set the time on here as well. I'mgonna set this to the same as this clock downhere. Neat. So this is the X10 Powerhouseinterface, the 1986 version for DOS. And wecan control the light through the computerinterface as well. There we go, and that madethat do its thing. We've got the dimmer ifwe want to do the dimmer. Yeerrrerrroump.Our light is now dim. I mean that -- it'skind of redundant to use both the programand The Timer because the program is doingall the stuff that The Timer could do justthrough software. So that's why I'm kind ofcurious if it will conflict or if it'll justwork together and whichever one comes secondwill do its thing. I'm assuming it'll justwork together just fine, I don't see why not.So let me go ahead and set a timer over here.So I'm gonna tell it to have this light turnoff at 1:59. And I'm gonnado the same thing on here, I don't know we'lljust see which one does first maybe or willset the dimmer. I'll set the dimmer at 60%,today, at 1:59. All right, well we'll seeif that does that because this one is a littlebit faster than this one is set at the moment.See that just now turned to 1:58, that wasalready there. Okay! So that just turned offthe light from the clock's point of view overhere. We'll see if this turns the light backon with the dimmer at 1:59 when the computerreaches it. All right it passed 1:59 and itdid not turn the light back on and dim, whichit really does just work in a first come first-- Wait, what? Well, it just took a while.Ah-hah! All right. Not sure what the delaywas for but yeah as I was gonna say! It seemsto just work on very basic logic, like firstcome, first serve. That makes sense, all ofthese X10 devices were designed to be compatiblewith each other and communicate, they justsend out like one signal at a time. But Iwas simply curious as to whether or not thesoftware and the hardware would have any kindof conflict at all, and apparently not! It’ssuch a simple and really kind of elegant solution,these X10 systems. And the way it all workstogether, back then with all kinds of hardware.And now, you can still get X10 stuff and itstill all works and communicates. Maybe Ishouldn’t be so impressed but I can’thelp it, I am amused. So yeah, that's prettymuch it for this little thing. Just a simplervideo today because, I don't know, I figuredwhy not? As soon as I saw the The Timer atGoodwill, I just had to have it. Not onlywas it woodgrain-clad but it was an X10 devicethat does X10 device things and I just likethese. And I hope that you enjoyed watchingme mess around with this stuff. And if youdid like this then I very much recommend myPowerhouse X10 Oddware episode that is muchmore involved as far as showing what all ofthese kind of devices came with, more of whatthey could do, a voice-controlled interfacecalled HAL. It's just a lot of fun I thinkso check that out if you were Intrigued bywhat you saw here. And as always thank youvery much for watching!\n"