I'm writing an IR -> X10 FAQ and wanted to get everyone's input on what questions should be addressed. Let me know what areas caused you confusion when you first looked into adding IR control to your X10 system.

I want to address the common misconceptions that newbies often have as well as covering the various transceiver options.

Thanks...

note if there are any IR products that can output X-10 codes on more than "A" house codes, this would tell us where to look for a teaching remote for teaching our IR learning remotes.

Also hit upon the HAN-01, as well as how leviton's switches have to use extended codes for scenes that are tricky to come by.

A couple of thoughts;

A note on the Ocelot and it ablility to recognize RCA IR would be welcomed.

A section on the different types of IR used in the industry, what devices, what works with what.

A compairson of the IR-->X10 devices.

Dave,

Ben,

Thanks...

David,

I have neither an Ocelot nor an RCA device so I'm unfamilair with that issue. What is it that I need to address?

Thanks...

Larry,

1. The el-cheapo X-10 brand remotes cannot output unit codes 11-16 (in IR mode), nor can those codes be learned by the X-10 UR24 8-in-1 learning remote.

2. The mapping of the unit codes 11-16, on non-X10 brand remotes.

3. The IR543 outputs discrete unit and command codes. That is, pressing "2", with the IR543 set to housecode "A", will send an "A2", without an explicit command following it. Similarly, pressing "ON" (channel up), will send an "AON", without an explicit unit address preceding it. This behavior can be both a blessing and a curse.

4. The X-10 UR47a Super Remote can be setup to do both IR and RF X-10 on different buttons.

5. A standard IR543 gets it's one and only housecode from the rotary switch on the top of the unit. References to housecode setup in the manuals for X-10 brand remotes, applies to RF mode only.

6. The all housecode IR543AH and the soon to be released .....

John Galvin

Take a look at my post on Ocelot IR Learning RCA. It might have you. Story still unfolding.

Dave.

Perhaps an explaination of how X-10 signals are transferred. I was initially confused and when I bought my first grouping of X-10 items I threw in there a Transciever Module when I was intending on operating everything through my Pronto Remote. Ended up giving the Transciever, a lamp module and a slim keychain remote to a friend because the Transciever was useless to me.

A checklist of products necessaray for automating different situations.

How to stop the clicking noise caused by the Transciever when using a Lamp Module in A1 mode.

Forget that last comment. I forgot that the FAQ was for IR -> X-10 Commands.

--Alexis

In the UK I got an all house code IR -> X10 transceiver (think the product code was 7523 but I'm not sure) from Let's Automate (www.letsautomate.co.uk).

It's a mangled single house code box, don't know what was done to it the switches still work as before.

it came with a disk with the ccf for all 256 codes and cost about £25.

(I wouldn't have known that Tn was Tenessee - do now but probably spelt it wrong, sorry.)

Larry, When and where can we find your FAQ?

I've started compiling my home automation stuff already, a Leviton 6294-W, a 6293, 2 - 6383-WI, a 6343-WI, and a MS00R-1.

I need to return the two 6383's and get two 16383's cause the first two didn't have scene capability.

I'm looking forward to setting up an Ocelot/PSC-05 to do the start of my home automation chrores.

Just for reference sake, the six switches (2 were slaves for 3-way ccts.) cost approx 500 CDN. I hope this is going to be a worthwhile hobby!!!

Ben,

I'm currently keeping the FAQ on my computer's hard drive. :) I'll let everyone know when it's available on-line.

Everyone,

Thanks for the ideas and keep them coming!

OK, I have the beginnings of the FAQ available online at the following URL: [Link: members.home.net]

There's still a lot to go but I think there's enough to start asking for comments. I'm particularly interested in what everyone thinks of the transceiver comparison table. Does it need any additional data? Does it print out on a single page for everyone?

Thanks...

Larry, I once had a X10 system I tried to control my lights in my house. I had nothing but all kind of problems with it. I must have spent 100 hours on the phone to tech support and thay could not answer any of my questions. They even sent a tech free of charge to my house to see what was going on. My house is 35 years old. I grew up in it, and then bought it from my mom and dad. The X10 guy said all my electrical in the house was F'ed up. I paid an electrican to see if he can correct the problem and his answer was the electric wires in the house were in perfect working order despite all of the X10 products I had installed. The X10 tech said that their products seldom work if work at all the way they were designed to. I want to know since you seem like an expert on the subject is X10 really the cool stuff to have or is their any thing that is better. I hate the fact of sending C-bus technologhy down electrical wires to turn stuff on and off. I have spent around $1500.00 for every thing and have had a buch of friends try and make it work. Friends that understand electrical wires, remote controls, stereo's, and TV's but I am just anable to get the X10 to do what I wanted it to do. So I came to the conclusion that X10 is for the Xtrash can. I had it all removed and standared wall outlets replaced and now my life is back insain. I hated the fack that stuff would turn on and off for no reason. I would hit a button and I would not work. I am in the market of getting a real Home Automaton Controller system that my Local Stero Store will come to my house and Install and retro-fit wires up and down the inside of my walls and tell me I can control everything from a wired 15" touch screen. I saw this system working in their sound room and I must admit it was slick. The cost is about 1000% more than the X10 but I think I will have to take a 2nd out on the house to buy it. They also told me that the X10 system I am replacing will only do about 1/100th of what this system will do. I hope you can make a diffrence with this X10 fourm you are starting up here. If only I knew of remote central a few month ago, I might have keep the X10. But as of know the installation of my new system is almost done and the guy programming it is making it do all kinds of stuff I never though it could do. I will check back often to see how the X10 forum is comming. I might buy a little X10 system for my son for Christmas, so he can turn his mirror balls off in his bedroom that are hanging.
Good luck to you Larry

from Joe.

I can tell you that as a "newbie" I was most confused about how X-10 modules could be controlled by an IR remote. I think the confusion comes from the X-10 remote and keychain transmitter that made me think any remote would control any X-10 module. It took some reading to understand that it is more complicated than it first appears.

My two cents is to put together a detailed list of items to purchase to control a basic home theater using an IR remote such as the Pronto. The list should include the cat.no. and an explanation of what the item does.

Must of us just want a few simple controls over our home theater such as lights, dimmers, turning on some equipment (e.g., the DVDO Iscan line doubler doesn't have a power switch -- you must unplug it to turn it off), etc.

Once you understand the basics, it is easy to move on to more complicated set ups.

Kevin,

Have you looked at what I have so far at [Link: members.home.net] ? How well does that do (so far) at addressing the issues which you first found confusing?