X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: techy613 on February 27, 2006, 12:34:28 PM

Title: smarthome 1132CU reliability issues?
Post by: techy613 on February 27, 2006, 12:34:28 PM

My trusty cp290 finally broke!
1. Is it still available?

2. If I were to buy the smarthome 1132CU, are there any known reliability issues?
Thanks

Title: Re: smarthome 1132CU reliability issues?
Post by: Dan Lawrence on February 27, 2006, 05:39:28 PM

The CP 290 is no longer made, and AH and the serial connected 290 have issues under Windows XP.

If you want to stay with X10 USA products you have to go to Active Home Pro. The CM15A is a USB device.

You can import your .x10 files (where AH stored it's modules and timers) into AHP and it will convert them.

If you go to a Smarthome 1132CU you will have to rebuild every module and timer in your X10 system.

Title: Re: smarthome 1132CU reliability issues?
Post by: techy613 on February 28, 2006, 08:23:18 AM

I would have my revisions with the cm15a. I attempted to use the cm11a units, ( I tried 2 units) each one stopped working after a day or or two. So right now they are useless to me. So if the smarthome unit is known to function well, I would prefer to go with that one. (Unless someone has a fix for my cm11a)
Thanks

Title: Re: smarthome 1132CU reliability issues?
Post by: Tuicemen on February 28, 2006, 09:20:42 AM

Smarthome has there issues as well!
They've kept a lid on it by not having an open forum like X10. There are users that have switched to it from AHP and have had very good success with it right out of the box while others still strugle with it.
If You would like to read more about what smarthome Users are saying try the forums at AccessHA (http://www.accessha.com) The board has many smarthome users many that have switched from AHP. the board has become a very popular site for topics on the new insteon devices from Smarthome.

Title: Re: smarthome 1132CU reliability issues?
Post by: Dan Lawrence on February 28, 2006, 09:29:13 AM

The CM11A is the serial interface used with Active Home. It has known problems running under Windows XP due to serial port problems.

What program did you use to control your 290?  Whatever you used, if it used a serial connection, XP has problems with it.  A freind of mine is still using 290 under XP. His old Windows program runs, but the com 2 port drops out a lot. He can control his modules with desktop controllers, but much of his X10 functions don't work.

Here at the X10 Community Forums don't deal with Smarthome products.  You will have do your own research on the 1132U's reliabilty.

Try Active Home Pro. It's just $49.95 on the X10 Site.  Try it.  You will probably like it.  If you do have problems, this community is here to help you.

Title: Re: smarthome 1132CU reliability issues?
Post by: techy613 on February 28, 2006, 10:37:01 AM

I have always used my 290 in a dos window under xp. I assume after running for 25 years, that it finally broke. If it has socketed components I would just change the likely components. The 290 was very reliable for me and I would like to get another unit that I know I can rely on!
Any ideas?
Thanks

Title: Re: smarthome 1132CU reliability issues?
Post by: Charles Sullivan on February 28, 2006, 10:55:29 AM

Used CP290s show up occasionally on eBay.