Best way to integrate Insteon with X10

[Jay M]

I have 7 Smarthome X10 dimmers that I really like. I still have about 10 X10 brand dimmers that I want to throw awy and replace with something better. X10 is ok in my house, but some areas are not reliable. My plan is to keep the 7 expensive Smarthome dimmers I already have and add Insteon in the bad places.

I have the Smarthome 1132CU (I think) USB/PC controller. I use the Smarthome software that downloads into the controller. I use it for macros and timers.

I also have an X10 ir reciever to send codes to run macros and turn lights on and off.

One problen area is a lamplink that is intermittent. If I use the ir or the PC it always works, but the keypadlink won't always control it. For example I was thinking about replacing that with an Insteon lamplink. But I would need a translator.

Any thought os how to control things?

Even if I could afford to replace everything with Insteon, I would still need to use X10 for IR.

Once I have all Smarthome devices I won't need macros, I can just use the scenes.

Is it possible to have the keypadlink send an X10 command, and all X10 switches respond to that, and then the when the translator receives that X10 code have it convert to Insteon and send it to any Insteon devices?

I'm open to any suggestions now

thanks,
~Jay

 

[AccessX10]

Is it possible to have the keypadlink send an X10 command, and all X10 switches respond to that, and then the when the translator receives that X10 code have it convert to Insteon and send it to any Insteon devices?

Hi Jay!

Yes, you can do exactly that. You would just need this:

http://www.smarthome.com/2414x.html

Your Smarthome Manager software would have to be setup to execute an 'all lights on' when the specified X10 command was initiated.

 

[Jay M]

Hi Jay!

Yes, you can do exactly that. You would just need this:

http://www.smarthome.com/2414x.html

Your Smarthome Manager software would have to be setup to execute an 'all lights on' when the specified X10 command was initiated.

thanks for the reply

I don't understand why I would want to send an all lights on command. Can you explain what you mean?

thanks,
~Jay

 

[AccessX10]

Is it possible to have the keypadlink send an X10 command, and all X10 switches respond to that

Jay,

Maybe you could elaborate on your question so I understand exactly what you are trying to achieve. For example, when you press button A on the KeypadLinc you would like the following events to happen…

A) Turn on all lamp modules with an X10 house/unit code of B1.

or

B) Turn on all X10 switches with a house/unit code of B1 through B6.

 

[eufreka]

I don't understand why I would want to send an all lights on command. Can you explain what you mean?

thanks,
~Jay

I *think* he means that he wants one button to send BOTH x10 commands to x10 devices AND Insteon commands to Insteon devices (without programming x10 addresses into the Insteon devices.

So can an Insteon switch be programmed to turn on BOTH x10 and Insteon devices simultaneously?

 

[upstatemike]

I am not sure I understand the question but I can confirm that I have Insteon keypad buttons that are linked to Insteon devices that do not have X-10 addresses AND also send X-10 commands to X-10 only modules. One button can have many Insteon links PLUS an X-10 address.

Using a translator and an X-10 keypad you can have an Insteon device respond to an X-10 command without programming an X-10 address into the Insteon device being controlled. You can do this to avoid replacing X-10 keypads with Insteon ones right away. (Dimming is currently an issue with this configuration.)

Alternatively you could skip the translator and program the target Insteon switches with X-10 addresses so they will work with the older X-10 keypads. If you do this there is no Insteon involved and you are just using X-10 still.

Will any of these scenarios help Jay?

 

[Jay M]

I'll give an example:

Using my MX-500 learning remote to an IR to X10 converter (IR 543) I want this to happen when I send one X10 command-
-(X10) track light above the sofa goes to 40%
-(X10)track light above the fireplace goes to 60%
-(Insteon) accent light behind the sofa goes on [this location has poor X10 reception so I want to use an Insteon command]

Is it better to integrate Insteon or try to use filters and boosters to get X10 to work better?

thanks,
~Jay