X10 Upgrade

[rekees4300]

X10 is an electrical protocol that's been around for 40 years. Previous owner of our property installed it to control (on/off) 4 flood lights on a shed 150 feet from house. Lately those lights have been randomly turning themselves on. Cause is unknown. Have decided to investigate newer, more reliable technologies to replace the X10. Contacted Smarthome - Home Automation Systems, Products, Kits, Hubs & Ideas and they recommend their "Insteon" protocol.

Would appreciate recommendations on "Insteon" or other methods to replace X10 ... TIA

 

[dog13]

I had a few X10 devices, now relegated to a drawer, and now have 30+ insteon devices. I'm running an ISY994i controller with my setup. The ISY has been rock solid and the insteon devices are night and day better than the X10s, at least in our house. I've also integrated it with the Alexa skill and use that to control scenes outside the normal time based on/off. Our favorite is at Christmas time, we set up a scene so we can tell the Echo "turn on Christmas lights" and all the lights come on without having to plug them in, flip a switch etc.

 

[Sigarms]

I had a few X10 devices, now relegated to a drawer, and now have 30+ insteon devices. I'm running an ISY994i controller with my setup. The ISY has been rock solid and the insteon devices are night and day better than the X10s, at least in our house. I've also integrated it with the Alexa skill and use that to control scenes outside the normal time based on/off. Our favorite is at Christmas time, we set up a scene so we can tell the Echo "turn on Christmas lights" and all the lights come on without having to plug them in, flip a switch etc.

FYI

EVERYTHING you say is being recorded in your own home. No thanks...

 

[rekees4300]

I had a few X10 devices, now relegated to a drawer, and now have 30+ insteon devices. I'm running an ISY994i controller with my setup. The ISY has been rock solid and the insteon devices are night and day better than the X10s, at least in our house. I've also integrated it with the Alexa skill and use that to control scenes outside the normal time based on/off. Our favorite is at Christmas time, we set up a scene so we can tell the Echo "turn on Christmas lights" and all the lights come on without having to plug them in, flip a switch etc.

Sounds like "insteon" might be a good solution. All I want to do is turn those 4 flood lights on/off from a switch in the house AND from a switch in the shed like a standard 3-way wired setup. The challenge is that the house and shed have separate power systems (each has its own electric company power meter and circuit breaker panel). I assume that's why the previous owner installed the X10? :confused3: The X10 in the house is the transmitter (aka controller) that sends an on/off signal to the shed switch (aka responder) that actually turns the 4 flood lights on/off. I also assume the on/off signal travels from the house transmitter/controller -> house circuit breaker panel -> power company's transformer -> shed circuit breaker panel -> shed switch/responder which turns the lights on/off. :confused2:

Smarthome.com sent an email recommending a device called SwitchLinc Relay 2477S Remote Control On Off Switch White | Smarthome but, since I'm not a licensed electrician, its owner's manual is virtually incomprehensible to me http://cache-m2.smarthome.com/manuals/2477s.pdf. Would I need to purchase two of the 2477S devices?

FYI

EVERYTHING you say is being recorded in your own home. No thanks...

Ditto that ... I like Amazon but like my privacy much more. Alexa will NEVER be invited into our home! :thumbdown:

 

[Diggin It]

Sounds like "insteon" might be a good solution. All I want to do is turn those 4 flood lights on/off from a switch in the house AND from a switch in the shed like a standard 3-way wired setup. The challenge is that the house and shed have separate power systems (each has its own electric company power meter and circuit breaker panel). I assume that's why the previous owner installed the X10? :confused3: The X10 in the house is the transmitter (aka controller) that sends an on/off signal to the shed switch (aka responder) that actually turns the 4 flood lights on/off. I also assume the on/off signal travels from the house transmitter/controller -> house circuit breaker panel -> power company's transformer -> shed circuit breaker panel -> shed switch/responder which turns the lights on/off. :confused2:

I don't see how that would have ever worked with X-10. The system uses a very low amplitude Power Line Control signal that is easily disrupted by interference. Users typically have to install signal amplifiers or repeaters, phase couplers and filters to get it to work well with a single household.

There is a device that sends an RF (radio) signal which may have helped. There has to be a controller somewhere in the system since none of the switch or outlets units have any sort of memory.

 

[Diggin It]

There is an X10 users forum out there, but I don't know how they feel about posting those kinds of links here.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I still have a pile of X-10 stuff. It's been turning on 10 or so outside lights via a sundowner now for decades. At bedtime, I give a command to shut them down.

I would go with a Z-Wave system. I have not so far on account of cost and I don't understand that gateway stuff.

 

[ultrarunner]

Still have a couple of X10 stuff... never a problem.

At one time I would watch neighbors homes... I could turn key lights from my vantage point in two homes... never an issue...

Another neighbor wanted to try the same but was on a different transformer and no luck...

 

[Industrial Toys]

There actually was an X-10 two way version, that failed in the marketplace. Whenever I promoted or suggested X-10 to customers or friends, it never worked, so I quickly stopped doing that.

 

[Diggin It]

^^ They've just come out with a Hub version you can trigger from a cell phone but the reviews are mixed even from long time, experienced X-10 users.

The original company went belly up and everything stopped for a while. Another company bought it but some things were lost in the deal and it isn't quite the same. Some of what used to work doesn't any more.