X10 Community Forum
💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: alegon on June 24, 2012, 08:07:30 AM
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Someone can explain why so many modules are no longer manufactured?
The X10 failed?
What do I do with my clients requesting X10?
B:(
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Someone can explain why so many modules are no longer manufactured?
The X10 failed?
What do I do with my clients requesting X10?
B:(
A search of the forum would have revealed this thread:
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=1258e6dvakia0hfav7m48qbpi0&topic=26297.0
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Somehow, the referenced post fails to convince me. First, it says the factory shutdown early last year and then says...
1) Home Automation: We intend to continue to supply the core components that we always have. We currently have many of these items in stock and many of the remaining items are in production. Our product line of HA products is limited for now, but the core items will remain available. Over the past 6 months, we have invested a significant amount of money to have the existing modules produced again. We fully intend to continue supporting the X10 protocol.
So it appears they've had more than 18 months to deal with this and, so far, the core Home Automation products continue to fade away.
Also, my memory may be faulty but I recall an article from 8-10 years back by Dave Rye which indicated X-10 owned or controlled their own factory in China. Thus, it should not have come as a surprise when the factory closed.
There are a number of companies in China that are producing X-10 protocol Home Automation products for 220V. It would have seemed a simple step to work with them to produce 120V products.
I hope I'm wrong but I doubt we'll ever see these core products again.
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I believe Marmitek posted they where going through one of the other Chinese Manufacturers for their devices.
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Somehow, the referenced post fails to convince me. First, it says the factory shutdown early last year and then says...
1) Home Automation: We intend to continue to supply the core components that we always have. We currently have many of these items in stock and many of the remaining items are in production. Our product line of HA products is limited for now, but the core items will remain available. Over the past 6 months, we have invested a significant amount of money to have the existing modules produced again. We fully intend to continue supporting the X10 protocol.
So it appears they've had more than 18 months to deal with this and, so far, the core Home Automation products continue to fade away.
I hope I'm wrong but I doubt we'll ever see these core products again.
The factory closed less than 1 year ago. We needed to rebuild the capacity from scratch, and this has taken a monumental amount of labor and expense to do. We did run out of stock of many items during this period. However, as of now, all core products (security systems and automation modules, switches, and outlets) are once again being produced. Every week, additional new items are arriving. The CM15A (or replacement) is the one item that has been delayed, but we still expect that it will be available around the holidays.
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The factory closed less than 1 year ago. We needed to rebuild the capacity from scratch, and this has taken a monumental amount of labor and expense to do. We did run out of stock of many items during this period. However, as of now, all core products (security systems and automation modules, switches, and outlets) are once again being produced. Every week, additional new items are arriving. The CM15A (or replacement) is the one item that has been delayed, but we still expect that it will be available around the holidays.
For you anxious ones, I doubt Mr. Depot is talking 4th of July. Otherwise is good news.
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...The CM15A (or replacement) is the one item that has been delayed, but we still expect that it will be available around the holidays.
The big question, when it comes to statements like this one from X10, is "WHICH holidays?" ;)
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...The CM15A (or replacement) is the one item that has been delayed, but we still expect that it will be available around the holidays.
The big question, when it comes to statements like this one from X10, is "WHICH holidays?" ;)
Getting a replacement for the CM15A has proven to be very difficult and costly due to the fact that it is a fairly complex item, but we do expect to have a replacement before the end of this year.
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Thanks for the update. Please continue to keep up posted on X10 items as they are upgraded. I have two CM15A's, my original in my X10 Spare box and a newer one in service, so I can wait for 2013 for the update unit.
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...The CM15A (or replacement) is the one item that has been delayed, but we still expect that it will be available around the holidays.
The big question, when it comes to statements like this one from X10, is "WHICH holidays?" ;)
Getting a replacement for the CM15A has proven to be very difficult and costly due to the fact that it is a fairly complex item, but we do expect to have a replacement before the end of this year.
Are you trying to find a factory to make more units using the same design, or are you trying to design a new device to replace the CM15A's functionality, and build upon it?
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...The CM15A (or replacement) is the one item that has been delayed, but we still expect that it will be available around the holidays.
The big question, when it comes to statements like this one from X10, is "WHICH holidays?" ;)
Getting a replacement for the CM15A has proven to be very difficult and costly due to the fact that it is a fairly complex item, but we do expect to have a replacement before the end of this year.
Are you trying to find a factory to make more units using the same design, or are you trying to design a new device to replace the CM15A's functionality, and build upon it?
We would have preferred to duplicate the CM15A. That would have allowed us to release the item much faster, but at least 1 component of the CM15A is no longer being made. I am not in the loop on this project, but I believe that the plan is to develop a new, but similar item to replace the CM15A.
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Are you trying to find a factory to make more units using the same design, or are you trying to design a new device to replace the CM15A's functionality, and build upon it?
We would have preferred to duplicate the CM15A. That would have allowed us to release the item much faster, but at least 1 component of the CM15A is no longer being made. I am not in the loop on this project, but I believe that the plan is to develop a new, but similar item to replace the CM15A.
Are the engineers taking into account all of the bugs with the current CM15A, and trying to fix them (clock drift, poor RF reception, random lock-ups, etc - I'm sure we can get a list together for you pretty quickly)?
How about adding a real-time clock chip? It doesn't add much to the manufacturing cost, but would make the unit a whole lot more reliable.
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Noam,
I am not in the loop of this project to know the capabilities of the new item, but I would certainly hope that all known bugs would be addressed.
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Noam,
I am not in the loop of this project to know the capabilities of the new item, but I would certainly hope that all known bugs would be addressed.
I would hope so, too.
However, that hasn't always been the case in the past. Let's hope they at least change the model number, which they forgot to do when they redesigned all the lamp modules a few years back. ;)
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Did not realize when "The factory closed less than 1 year ago", the design was also gone. Do you plan to make new product with open soruce firmware, so that a lot of people here will be really happy to tweak them?
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Just needed some modules and looks like almost all of their stuff are now discontinued. Is it time to move on to other tech? The inflated prices of these X10 modules seems to make it a no brainer to just leave these behind and move on to better tech at the same price point.
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Only you can answer that question. How large is you X10 investment? Most of the readers of the forum are still committed to X10, or X10/Insteon hybrid systems. Z-Wave appears to be the home automation winner, but it would require starting over from scratch. If interested "Homeseer" software can work with X10, Insteon, Z-Wave, and UPB with the proper interface.
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You might also want to check out iHouse. http://www.ihousehomeautomation.com (http://www.ihousehomeautomation.com)
It's free, and supports both x10 and zwave in a "mixed environment" where you can run both at the same time. Might be an ideal solution for those wishing to transition gradually to zwave.
ITguy
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You might also want to check out iHouse. http://www.ihousehomeautomation.com (http://www.ihousehomeautomation.com)
It's free, and supports both x10 and zwave in a "mixed environment" where you can run both at the same time. Might be an ideal solution for those wishing to transition gradually to zwave.
ITguy
I agree with ITguy 110% i am in the process of doing exactly that I have had an x10 setup for over 10years but started to look into zwave, with the new openzwave sdk supported in ihouse it makes it a very powerful zwave and x10 program
>! Ken
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I have another HA software I am using and most of my gears are X10, some Insteon and Z-wave. I am happy with the X10 stuff it since it's priced reasonably and happy to cotinue using them. I don't have spares, so when it's dead, guess I'll move over.
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Some of the X10 modules are actually reappearing.
The Lamp and Appliance Modules, Socket Rocket are now being sold again and I have see one X10 dealer saying they have a factory order of Powerflash modules due sometime in early 2013.
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The Lamp and Appliance Modules, Socket Rocket are now being sold again and I have see one X10 dealer saying they have a factory order of Powerflash modules due sometime in early 2013.
:)%
I have decade old Power Flashes, now failing...even the spares. I suspect something in the power supply, Dry electrolytics would make sense. I was going to pop open do some testing, but if X10 is cranking them up, I guess I will buy more, as the old geezer is getting lazy.