X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: lwmillholland on October 28, 2009, 05:14:08 PM

Title: RF Range Extender
Post by: lwmillholland on October 28, 2009, 05:14:08 PM
I have 5 buildings that are within 150 feet of my PS561 controller.  When I purchased all of my X-10 parts (about $700.00) I did not know that the repeater had been discontinued.  I am considering adding an antenna cut to the 310 MHZ frequency.  Has anyone tried this approach?  Does anyone know why the SR731 repeater was discontinued?  Does any one have a working repeater that is for sale?  I am open to any suggestion on how to increase the RF range.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: ay on January 01, 2010, 07:45:57 PM
I have this same exact problem. Bought a full unit for my home, $300, and now I need an extender, they don't sell them anymore, nor have anything to replace it. The alarm systems crap without the extender getting the signal where it needs to go.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Brian H on January 02, 2010, 06:25:38 AM
You may want to do a Goggle search for the SR731 or the X10Pro version PSX01.
I found most came back as Discontinued.
One place that didn't indicate stock status was.
http://www.basshome.com/product_148924_detailed.htm
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Duck69 on January 02, 2010, 11:02:20 AM
Sorry, Brian H. is correct. The PSX01 is also discontinued.
  The SR731 Repeater has been discontinued. However you can still get the Pro version PSX01 here:
http://www.x10-store.com/x10prosmrfre.html
for $48.99.


BUT ! Allis not lost. You can get a XPCR Coupler Repeater. Installation is  a breeze.
Turn off the Main breaker at your breaker panel.
Follow included instructions.
Here is a simple diagram of a breaker panel.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Brian H on January 02, 2010, 11:04:38 AM
Yes the X10Pro PSX01 and the X10 SR731 are basically the same.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Mellowmark on January 02, 2010, 12:19:00 PM
FYI

The XPCR does not repeat RF, only plc. 
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Charles Sullivan on January 02, 2010, 01:05:17 PM

I was disappointed in the performance of the SR731.  As far as I could tell it added only about 25 feet to the range.

Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Walt2 on March 23, 2010, 07:39:07 AM
I have two SR731 repeaters, and I thought I would just add that the "transceiver" function built into the CM15A does not support them.  Yea, I complained about this during beta-test.  It was verified to be true, but never fixed.  Maybe because they knew the SR731 was going obsolete and didn't think supporting it was worth any effort?

There are also two different versions of the SR731 repeaters.  One supports a daisy change configuration and the other supports a star configuration.  If I am remembering correctly, you can tell the difference by on one version the "test" button sends out A1 'on' and the other version sends out M1 'on'.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: james000222 on April 13, 2010, 11:18:51 PM
OK, the SR731 and the PSX01 are both discontinued.

And even if they were still extant, do not work with the CM15A.

Splendid! Hmm. So, what good, exactly, is the CM15A for say, motion detection? The Eagle Eye motion detectors will not work as advertised unless close. Very close.

Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: dave w on April 14, 2010, 08:02:55 AM
Splendid! Hmm. So, what good, exactly, is the CM15A for say, motion detection? The Eagle Eye motion detectors will not work as advertised unless close. Very close.
Yeah, all the wonderful claims on the X10 site is for absolutely ideal conditions. There are mods for increasing CM15A receive sensitivity by extending the external antenna length or completely replaceing the antenna. Same is true for the xxxxEye motion detectors,  by adding an external passive antenna the transmit range can be increased. I think all you need to do is search "antenna" for the numerous mods.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: HA Dave on April 14, 2010, 08:28:03 AM
I thought the standard work-around for this [the one I used since my CM15A is hidden away in my basement] was stick a TM751 near the outside, and use a seperate UN-transceived code for the motion sensors.

Put the motion sensors on some UN-used code (that is NOT transceived by the CM15A) and then get a TM751 near the sensor(s)... on an outside wall. Then the sensors send RF signals to the TM751, and the TM751 in turn sends a PLC signal that reaches the CM15A. I know... it sounds like in a perfect world... RF range would be greater. But longer/stronger RF range has problems of its own.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: pconroy on April 14, 2010, 07:34:32 PM
Put the motion sensors on some UN-used code (that is NOT transceived by the CM15A) and then get a TM751 near the sensor(s)... on an outside wall. Then the sensors send RF signals to the TM751, and the TM751 in turn sends a PLC signal that reaches the CM15A. I know... it sounds like in a perfect world... RF range would be greater. But longer/stronger RF range has problems of its own.

As a CM11A user, I have no choice but to do this -- but... :)
That's kind'a what I'm finding out may be the only way I'll get the coverage I need in my modest sized house.

It's looking like I need 4 RR501's, one on each N/S/E/W wall to reliably get RF signals from the motion sensors.
Sure - I can get dup (or triplicate) events, but they don't bother me.


I was thinking that it would have to be RR501s, since multiple TM751s don't play well together, right?
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Dan Lawrence on April 14, 2010, 09:02:39 PM
That's correct. TM751's are not "polite" they will step on each other.  The RR501 is polite, it waits until the line is clear to send a signal.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: HA Dave on April 14, 2010, 10:25:28 PM
....  It's looking like I need 4 RR501's, one on each N/S/E/W wall to reliably get RF signals from the motion sensors.

FOUR? I didn't realize that the motion sensors range was that poor. I mostly use the Floodlight (PR511) sensors.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Charles Sullivan on April 14, 2010, 10:46:54 PM
Put the motion sensors on some UN-used code (that is NOT transceived by the CM15A) and then get a TM751 near the sensor(s)... on an outside wall. Then the sensors send RF signals to the TM751, and the TM751 in turn sends a PLC signal that reaches the CM15A. I know... it sounds like in a perfect world... RF range would be greater. But longer/stronger RF range has problems of its own.

As a CM11A user, I have no choice but to do this -- but... :)
That's kind'a what I'm finding out may be the only way I'll get the coverage I need in my modest sized house.

It's looking like I need 4 RR501's, one on each N/S/E/W wall to reliably get RF signals from the motion sensors.
Sure - I can get dup (or triplicate) events, but they don't bother me.


I was thinking that it would have to be RR501s, since multiple TM751s don't play well together, right?


Try putting just one in your attic, roughly over the center of your house.  Then pull the antenna out to only 9 inches and try different antenna orientations for the best reception.

Instead of multiple RR501's, you might take a look at a WGL V572A all-housecode transceiver (http://www.wgldesigns.com) which has a much better range than the RR501.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: Brian H on April 15, 2010, 06:22:30 AM
The extra cost of the V572 maybe lower than the cost of so many individual RR501s and you then would have all sixteen House Codes covered.
I would try the centrally located RR501 first.
Title: Re: RF Range Extender
Post by: HA Dave on April 15, 2010, 07:59:33 AM
Instead of multiple RR501's, you might take a look at a WGL V572A all-housecode transceiver (http://www.wgldesigns.com) which has a much better range than the RR501.

The extra cost of the V572 maybe lower than the cost of so many individual RR501s and you then would have all sixteen House Codes covered.
I would try the centrally located RR501 first.

I agree with Charles Sullivan and Brian H. The WGL V572A would be a MUCH better solution (actually from what I've read... they're pretty awesome).