X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: tsanpakit on January 20, 2010, 12:29:01 PM

Title: X10 Virgin - Did I Do This Right?
Post by: tsanpakit on January 20, 2010, 12:29:01 PM

Hello all,

I'm brand, spanking new to X10 and my goal is to control two home light switches and my home thermostat from my iPhone.

From the recommendations I've received from X10 customer service, these are the items I've ordered to make this happen:

1 - X10 Universal TV Remote Lighting Kit (UR73 - Includes lamp module, universal remote and wireless transceiver)
2 - Dimmer switches (XPD3)
1 - Thermostat Set-Back Controller (TH2807)

Are these items enough? How does the transceiver talk to my iPhone?

Thank you for any help anyone can provide.

Title: Re: X10 Virgin - Did I Do This Right?
Post by: Brian H on January 20, 2010, 12:42:38 PM

I don't see anything that can talk to a iPhone in your list.

The setback thermostat module.
Basically all it does when turned on is heat the thermostat and it thinks the house is warmer than it is.
http://www.x10.com/products/x10_th2807.htm

Title: Re: X10 Virgin - Did I Do This Right?
Post by: tsanpakit on January 20, 2010, 12:46:58 PM

Thank you Brian, I was wondering the same thing and had assumed the transceiver was the device that would talk to the iPhone. Do you know what I would need to add?

Same question for the thermostat (how do I control this from my iPhone)?

Thanks.

Title: Re: X10 Virgin - Did I Do This Right?
Post by: Brian H on January 20, 2010, 01:00:35 PM

It was not too easy but I did locate the TH2807 Users Manual. It may give you some added information on how it works.
ftp://ftp.x10.com/pub/manuals/TH2807.pdf

From what I can see.
You have to mount it under the thermostat and it has a small power supply that you have to turn on and off with an appliance type X10 module. It then warms the thermostat and it thinks the home is warmer and does not turn on as often. It has three switch settings that setback around 5F; 10F and 15F.

From your list of items. The only module I see with a relay output is the TM751 Tranceiver. Running the power supply for the TH2807 on a lamp module is not be a good idea. So if you can't plug the TH2807 power supply into it. An appliance module maybe needed.

I know others here have used interfaces from phones to X10 [not sure if iPhone was mantioned] and will chime in with help. I have not done this myself.

Title: Re: X10 Virgin - Did I Do This Right?
Post by: HA Dave on January 20, 2010, 01:23:13 PM

Quote from: tsanpakit on January 20, 2010, 12:29:01 PM

I'm brand, spanking new to X10 and my goal is to control two home light switches and my home thermostat from my iPhone.

From what I've read... the iphone app uses WiFi to talk over your wireless network.. to a computer running both the proper app software and a X10 interface [like the CM15A]. The guy that wrote the (now famous Mellowware) iphone app posts here at the forum (http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=16616.msg91571#msg91571).

Title: Re: X10 Virgin - Did I Do This Right?
Post by: tsanpakit on January 20, 2010, 04:09:05 PM

Thank you all. I'll post success/failures after I've attempted the install.

Title: Re: X10 Virgin - Did I Do This Right?
Post by: Brian H on January 20, 2010, 06:02:00 PM

OK but questions during an install are fine also.