Problem with setting up X-10 devices

[sparkman]

Which plugin do you use with the WGL?

This WGL800 is serial. I'd prefer the USB one if it's reliable but it doesn't seem to be available yet. USB works better than serial in the virtualised machine I use.

Like Mike, I use the RFXCom plugin with my WGL800 receivers. There are two other plugins that work with it: BLRF and SimpleRF.

Cheers
Al

[Thickman]

X10 running in HS3, TI-103 with W800 and BLRF, rock solid. It's running alongside with Zwave stick.

[zguy]

Like Mike, I use the RFXCom plugin with my WGL800 receivers. There are two other plugins that work with it: BLRF and SimpleRF.

Cheers
Al

So 85$ for the receiver + 40$ for the plugin = 125$ US = approx 185$ CA + customs fess and taxes, I'll be closing somewhere around 250$

That looks expensive to replace something that should be working.

Is the BLRF (20$ US) as good? What about the free SimpleRF? If find the price difference (0 - 20 - 40) a bit odd for achieving the same purpose.

[zguy]

X10 running in HS3, TI-103 with W800 and BLRF, rock solid. It's running alongside with Zwave stick.

What is the TI-103?

[langenet]

It's a serial to powerline X-10 interface with gain control etc... I've been using one for about 8 years with HS2.
I'm just in process of moving to HS3. I too have the WLG800, RFXCOM receiver and now using the RFXCOM plugin. Much to my surprise (this might sound bad... ) from what I'm experiencing, the X-10 is working without a hitch. Very pleased in fact .

The disadvantage of being Canadian in the case of HS, is the cost of the shipping, dollar exchange rate and import duties. This drives up the cost quite a bit. For myself, being 45 minutes from Ogdensburg NY, I'm finding it easier to ship to the UPS store and pick up and bring it into Canada myself. The daily minimum is like $200. Which helps. I've seen import charges approach 50% of the cost of the product.

Robert

[TeleFragger]

i had to think what was added since going to HS3 and the only thing I can think is LED lights in 90% of the house... im wondering if that is why I am having so many issues with x10.. not sure but eventually I will get back to testing...

[WfromL]

i had to think what was added since going to HS3 and the only thing I can think is LED lights in 90% of the house... im wondering if that is why I am having so many issues with x10.. not sure but eventually I will get back to testing...

My experience with LED lighting is:
- I was somewhat of a pioneer with installing LEDs from undefined manufacturers about 10 years ago: these LEDs gave tons of noise interfering with X10 on (then) HS2. I have a three phase power line, so I moved all LED to one phase and continued to use X10 on the two others (no phase couplers, no filters).
- the LEDs I bought recently (Philips and Osram) are clearly much quieter and they don't interfere with X10.

[sparkman]

So 85$ for the receiver + 40$ for the plugin = 125$ US = approx 185$ CA + customs fess and taxes, I'll be closing somewhere around 250$

That looks expensive to replace something that should be working.

Is the BLRF (20$ US) as good? What about the free SimpleRF? If find the price difference (0 - 20 - 40) a bit odd for achieving the same purpose.

RFXCom supports additional hardware interfaces and protocols so can be used for other purposes (I use it with another hardware interface for Oregon Scientific weather sensors, soil moisture sensors, ATI RF Remotes and controlling RGB LED lights). From what I understand, SimpleRF only supports a few interfaces and BLRF is somewhere between the two. No customs fees and taxes on the plugin (as you just get a license key) and order the receiver from someone that ships via USPS and it's unlikely that you will pay any fees and taxes. Make sure you don't ship with Fedex or UPS from the US to Canada.

Cheers
Al

[druys]

Hi,

Did you ever get this resolved??

I'm having the same/similar issues with this CM15A / X10 in HS3

Thx

[Pete]

Here utilize the W800 (for X10 only) / CM11A / TW-523 / XTB Amp / dual phased TW-523 for my X10 stuff which is rock solid today using HS3 Linux / USB to Serial stuff.

Jeff Volp re architectured X10 (PLC not Wireless) automation while not changing it.

USB stuff way back that was proprietary caused me grief whatever it was (IE: CM15A, SA USB UPB stuff).

What always worked for me (USB wise) was a Digi USB hub and Digi USB to multiple serial boxes. (Wintel or Linux).

USB stuff that used internal USB to serial firmware never really caused me grief relating to automation controllers. (a plane/jet / automobile today is still using a primitive serial bus for communications (now way over 50 years of the same technology mostly cuz it just works)).

Pure proprietary USB did cause me grief with first multiple VM boxes I played with commercially many many years ago.

Simple suggestion would be to go to a serial interface device like the CM11A and the W800 (which really was an upgrade to the old X10 MR26A).

Here I am using UPB for my wall switches (and Z-Wave and Zigbee) and continue to utilize X10 / Palm pads / et al with my stuff and it just works.

BIG in the EU was wireless from a long time ago (before Zigbee and Z-Wave) and that is mostly where you see the RFxCom device (controller) come in to play and a multiple doo what RF everything controller. (comparing the W800 to the RFXCom device is an apples and oranges comparison). WfromL is a fixture here and relating to wireless automation from across that big pond. He has been around forever (literally).

Getting LED (3-5VDC) lighting to work with 120VAC electricity (most homes in the US still utilize this) is very unique and not easy peasy stuff still today. It is only recent that they are trying to figure out how to dim an LED light using 120VAC voltage. As with much newer technology everybody wants to be first and nobody is on the same page yet (kind of like the reinvention of automation today).

[sphiend]

Let's refocus a bit.

In this post: http://forums.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=179522, we can clearly see a select box under the device type header which, I presume, will allow me to select which device I'm configuring.

However, in my HomeSeer, I do not have that select box. I only have the house and unit codes and the 'Done' button:

I am seeing the exact same problem. (no type selection box) Brand new S6 appliance with a CM15a. Installed the AHP from the link off the homeseer store. Everything has been rebooted and plugin seems to initialize fine. Just no place to select the device type. This is certainly not a spot I imagined I'd have any issues with (X10). I never used a CM15a but no plugin has been produced for the smarthome powerlync that I was using. So I'm downgrading to a CM15a that I had laying around.

I've been away from the forums for many years. My HS2 system has been pretty solid and I've never had any issues with my X10 components. I've put off upgrading to HS3 in part due to the amount of work that I know its going to take to get my system back to a happy place. It's very disheartening to read that the Homeseer crew has decided not to support X10 as many of their long time and loyal customers are still heavily invested in that technology. It is making me question my decision to stay with HS and the $1k+ I've recently invested in their technologies.. In many ways, I'm losing good functionality in this migration (e.g. 2 x BC4's that are now completely handicapped)

Hopefully the UPB and ElkM1 support is solid. Have not looked at those yet.

-sphiend

[Uncle Michael]

X10 in HS3 is definitely an exercise plan for your patience. Once I got it configured, though, it has worked very well for me.
I assume you are using the CM15 plug-in. My experience, and the example posted by Mark is the X10 plug-in.
From what I've read on the board, there are some limitations and even problems with the CM15 plug-in. It would probably be worth the cost of a new PIM to switch. If you do, I would definitely recommend the XTB 232, which emulates the CM11A, but with much more power. It definitely improves performance.

FWIW, I'm not sure the drop down adds all that much unless you are using PreSet or Extended dimming, which I don't think the CM15 plug-in supports.
Just for clarity, can you post a screen shot of what you are seeing?

Regarding UPB, Spud's plug-in is excellent and it's where I'm migrating with my lighting control.

[sphiend]

Just for clarity, can you post a screen shot of what you are seeing?

Yup. Looks the same as one of the other screenshots in this thread.



I installed two old x10 packages per recommendations. One was active home which appears to have included the drivers. (looks okay in device manager) The other was the SDK.

Basically, there is no pull-down to select the X10 device. Pressing the done button on the CM15a tab creates the device but it does absolutely nothing to turn the light switch module on or off.

All that said, not sure what part (if any) of the activehome application itself is being used. Its been over a decade since I owned activehome and I don't have a registration key for it. The lights are not working in activehome either but I can't really tell if that is for lack of registration or if maybe the cm15a itself is bad. Activehome doesn't seem to really have any diagnostics or troubleshooting in it..

I'm going to check the version of activehome that was installed. It was pulled down from whatever link homeseer has on their store page. Seems for a while it wasn't even possible to register it. Not sure what the current state of the x10 company is..

Thanks for the advice on the PIM. Will look into it.

-sphiend

[druys]

I am seeing the exact same problem. (no type selection box) Brand new S6 appliance with a CM15a. Installed the AHP from the link off the homeseer store. Everything has been rebooted and plugin seems to initialize fine. Just no place to select the device type. This is certainly not a spot I imagined I'd have any issues with (X10). I never used a CM15a but no plugin has been produced for the smarthome powerlync that I was using. So I'm downgrading to a CM15a that I had laying around.
-sphiend

I gave up on HS3, I switched back to HS2 were everything (z-wave and X10) is working fine. If I'm going to switch to something newer, it probably ain't going to be homeseer anymore ..

Even the upgrade is a painful process. I expected it would be a fairly straightforward exercise to move from HS2 to HS3, but I was missing devices (Z-wave), I had to remake all events, ..

I don't understand why they didn't put in more effort to make this upgrade smooth.

[outbackrob]

[QUOTE=Uncle Michael;1248876]X10 in HS3 is definitely an exercise plan for your patience. Once I got it configured, though....../QUOTE]

UNCLE!!!! (No wait. That was not directed at you, Uncle Michael. That was me about 3AM this morning when I had had enough of HS3's X10 capabilities...or lack there of...)

What is the trick? I can't seem to figure out how to get an X10 device to configure properly. Some of them work. Some don't. It's not the devices themselves, it is HS3. If I run HS2, they work. If I run HS3 the same devices and device codes don't work. It is very arbitrary as to which devices will work and which ones won't. For instance, L6 works fine. L7 does not. Switch the code on device L7 to L6 and it works. Its as if the HS3 CM11A plug-in isn't transmitting the code L7. I followed the post on how to create an X10 device, but that only worked arbitrarily.