X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: pfelsted on April 25, 2006, 12:21:12 PM

Title: MX-950 and MRF-300 X-10 compatibility
Post by: pfelsted on April 25, 2006, 12:21:12 PM

I am considering using the universal remotes MX-950 and MRF-300 to control my X-10 lights.  First of all has anyone done this?  I have contacted X-10 and they say as long as the MX-950 and MRF-300 supports the X-10 protocol it will work.  I contacted universalremotes and they said they support X-10 protocol over IR.

The scenario is:
I want to have the X-10 IR module in my media room.  The MX-950 will send RF signals to the MRF-300.  The MRF-300 will emmitt IR to the X-10 IR module to control lights and other devices. 

Before I get to deep into this does anyone know if this will work?  Seems like it will.

Thanks.
Pat

Title: Re: MX-950 and MRF-300 X-10 compatibility
Post by: X10 Pro on April 25, 2006, 12:27:33 PM

Should work fine. You'll need an IR543 Infrared Mini-Controller to receiver the output from MRF-300.

Title: Re: MX-950 and MRF-300 X-10 compatibility
Post by: ericb on April 25, 2006, 03:40:25 PM

Remember, each IR543 can only send commands on one house (letter) code, and many IR remotes can only send commands to units 1-10 on that code. You may want more than one IR543 if you want to send a great number of different X10 commands from your remote.

Title: Re: MX-950 and MRF-300 X-10 compatibility
Post by: Brian H on April 25, 2006, 04:09:17 PM

I have seen a third party modified IR543 that does multiple House Codes.

Title: Re: MX-950 and MRF-300 X-10 compatibility
Post by: roger1818 on April 25, 2006, 04:49:40 PM

Quote from: Brian H on April 25, 2006, 04:09:17 PM

I have seen a third party modified IR543 that does multiple House Codes.

It is called the IR543AH (for All Housecode) and it is made by Laser Business Systems (http://www.laser.com/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=114&category_id=&) in the UK.  Their American distributer is Automation & Security Technologies (http://www.homeautomationnet.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=243) who currently are selling it for $94.50, though you might be able to get it cheaper elsewhere.  You can also buy a kit to modify your existing IR543, but I am not sure if it is available in North America.  The House Code IR commands are specific to the IR543AH and not all universal remotes can generate these commands, so double check with your remote manufacturer first.

Title: Re: MX-950 and MRF-300 X-10 compatibility
Post by: pfelsted on April 25, 2006, 07:14:38 PM

Thanks for the information.  I think at this point only one module will be sufficient.  If I do expand (seriously considering it, since it is so easy) I can use multiple modules for different house codes.

Thanks again.

Title: Re: MX-950 and MRF-300 X-10 compatibility
Post by: roger1818 on April 26, 2006, 10:46:35 AM

Quote from: pfelsted on April 25, 2006, 07:14:38 PM

If I do expand (seriously considering it, since it is so easy) I can use multiple modules for different house codes.

That isn't as easy as it sounds since you would have no way of telling the remote which IR543 to use.  I guess you could plug each IR543 into an appliance module and create "switch house code" macros that will turn off the current IR543 and turn on another IR543.  It might be cheaper (and easier) to buy the IR543AH, especially if you are wanting to use 3 or more housecodes.

Having said all that, if you currently only need one house code, by all means buy the IR543 for now.  At $19.79 from Automated Outlet (http://www.automatedoutlet.com/product.php?productid=41&cat=0&page=1) you aren't losing all that much if you later decide to upgrade to the IR543AH.