X10 Replacement Modules

rroehnelt

New Member
For years I've used X10 modules and have found them to fail frequently. Is there a better solution? The modules I need are for lamps and appliances to be controlled by the PowerLinc Controller 1132CU.

Thanks for any help.
 
I am controlling Insteon 2456S3 ApplianceLinc V2 Modules and 2476S SwitchLinc relay switches with an 1132CU. The modules are using an X10 Primary or Scenes Address for now. My unofficial obesrvations. Most Smarthome Modules are less forgiving with low signal levels. I have a few that where picky where good old X10s never flinched. Also I personally have blown out two ApplianceLinc V2s with a 15 watt under counter flourescent light. They don't like older type inductive ballasts and other have said new high effency ones also blow them out.
I was told by Smarthome they are working on a fix for the noise and spike problems. I also crashed the 2814U Timer Module. Just stopped sending any times for a day. Used the SDK SaladIDE program and the clock looked weird then corrected itself. Now it send again.
 
BLH said:
Also I personally have blown out two ApplianceLinc V2s with a 15 watt under counter flourescent light. They don't like older type inductive ballasts and other have said new high effency ones also blow them out.
I heard there was a hack to fix this by snipping a resistor or something. Have you heard anything about this?
 
No I have not seen any direct data on that mod. I know there is two different problems with mine. One is the two capacitors in series [higher voltage breakdown but half total capacity] C17 and C18 across the relay contacts shorted. Keeping a low current device on. A large current device would most likely blow them off the board.
The other is noise getting back into the electronics; that makes the relay click on off and buzz along with the LED flashing in a random pattern.

Smarthome John said they had found a light that did what I reported so maybe in the future they will have this fixed. Strange thing is my older ApplianceLinc model 2001SHL with the same light worked no problems for greater than a year.

Local current is also about 3 times a great from a V2 than the older model.
 
upstatemike said:
Are you looking for better quality X-10 compatible modules or an alternative to the X-10 protocol?
At this point I'm thinking of better quality x10 protocol units. Unless there is a better way to go that isn't significantly more costly.
 
rroehnelt said:
At this point I'm thinking of better quality x10 protocol units. Unless there is a better way to go that isn't significantly more costly.
I would suggest looking into Insteon-enabled devices. They are 25 times faster than x10 and backwards compatible with X10 so they can be assigned X10 addresses. And, they can be controlled via your existing 1132cu. Sounds like it would make your upgrade a little smoother so you would not have to replace all of your X10 modules at once.
 
SmartLabsMike, there is one bug that we have come across in regards to X10 compatibility with Insteon switches: If you try to use the well known X10 "shortcut" of addressing several X10 modules before sending a command, an Insteon switch will ignore the command if any other addresses are sent after its own address but before the command. For example, say that you have an Insteon switch at address A/1 and two X10 brand switches at addresses A/2 and A/3. If you send A/1, A/2, A/3, A/ON the two X10 switches will turn on but the Insteon one won't. If however the Insteon switch was the one at address A/3 and the other two were X10 brand, then the command would work ok because A/3 was the last address sent before the A/ON command was issued.
 
Yes I also have seen the last address thing with my ApplianceLinc V2s and SwitchLinc v2 Relay modules.
 
SmartLabsMike said:
rroehnelt said:
At this point I'm thinking of better quality x10 protocol units. Unless there is a better way to go that isn't significantly more costly.
I would suggest looking into Insteon-enabled devices. They are 25 times faster than x10 and backwards compatible with X10 so they can be assigned X10 addresses. And, they can be controlled via your existing 1132cu. Sounds like it would make your upgrade a little smoother so you would not have to replace all of your X10 modules at once.


Thanks, that is the informaion I need.
 
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