Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jhnidy]

I had an old computer in the basement running win95 and home automation software.
The computer finally gave up so I downloaded ahp to a vista machine and connected a cm15 to the serial port.
I had all my macros etc saved to a flop so I was able to bring over those files.
Now when I fire up ahp, I get the registration screen and of course I don't have an order number.

The program seems to run and it acts like it has downloaded the timers and programs to the cm15 but no lights or plugs turn on.

Do I have to buy a cm15a or new software or should I try to find some old home automation software.

Thanks

[Dan Lawrence]

The CM15A is USB, It WILL NOT work on a serial port.  Where did you get the CM15A from?  X10 will not sell them alone, only with Active Home Pro.   You will have to contact X10 to get just AHP and the license for it. 

[jhnidy]

I do not have a cm15a.  And I guess I don't know what mine is called.  I got this in a x10 active home 6 piece wireless home automation kit in 1986.  I might be a little old?  All the modules and micros worked until the windows 95 machine went under.  If I had not downloaded the new software and just left what I call the cm15 plugged into the wall, I could have just let the thing continue to do its thing.  I guess I will have to poke around the basement and see if I can still find the 3.5 flop that contained the software.  Then I will have to worry about that program running in vista.

[jhnidy]

I got off my butt and read the box.  What I have is a cm11a.  There is a small chance that x10 will remember my name since I bought a lot of parts in the 80's and 90's.  If I register the software does anybody know if I can then make the cm11a work with pro or should i fall back and hope that the old software will run in vista?

Sorry for the confusion thanks for the reply.

[Noam]

The latest versions of AHP do support using the CM11A. You will still need to get a license key from X10 to use the software.
I don't know how much they will charge you, but it may be cheaper to buy a new CM15A from them.
The CM15A has the added advantage of supporting two-way RF communication, as well as support for SmartMacros and a bunch of other fancy new plugins.

[jhnidy]

Thanks

So now the choices are:

Buy new cm15a or
Buy registration key or
Find old home automation software and hope vista cuts me some slack.

I would like to move up to the newest stuff but I will have to see what that really costs.

[Knightrider]

Does ActiveHome (the original, not the pro) even ask for a registration?  I had it once upon a time and don't remember registering it.  I'm pretty sure you can still download the original.

Just as a confusing side note:

USB = Universal Serial Buss

[Brian H]

No registration required for Active Home.
About half way down the web page.
It can be touchy with XP on some computers.
http://www.x10.com/support/support_soft1.htm

[jhnidy]

Yeah I did not look far enough down the website when I was seeking the software.  So now I have the old home automation software installed.  All is not roses however the cm11a insists that I have bad com ports.  Windows says they are working ok.  I will have to find something else to plug into the com port(s) to see who is right.  This is turning out to be a much bigger job than it used to be.

[Brian H]

XP and above. Sometimes had com problems.
You may want to try Compatibility Mode set to Windows 98/ME
Disable Visual Themes
Turn Off Advanced Text Services.

[dave w]

Do I have to buy a cm15a or new software or should I try to find some old home automation software.

$0.02
Over all the CM15A is a more feature loaded unit than the CM11A. The "Smart Macros" plug-in gives you conditional logic and the CM15A can act as a "all house codes" RF to PLC (powerline) transceiver so the CM15A is a great upgrade and is fairly cheap with software. It does have it's own set of problems (poor RF range being the biggest) but these are fixable. 

After following this thread, I think your CM11A is going to end up being migrain material.

[jhnidy]

You are correct there is always one thing that does not cooperate with this old cm11a.  So the plan is to buy a cm15a. 
In the 80's, I could not turn on my computer without getting SEVERAL messages about special sales at X10.  That is why my basement is full of modules and switches and some things I can't even use.  So I entered my email address on the X10 site 18 hours ago.  And I have not had ONE sales pitch.  Does anybody know if they ever put the cm15a on sale or will I have to pay list?
Thanks

[Brian H]

X10 is better now. Maybe one newsletter a day.
Check your Spam bucket as X10's messages seem to end up there in some ISP's sites by default.

There is usually one deal going with a CM15A in it. Though read the whats included carefully.
Lately AHP was modified to also run on the CM19A. That is RF only and has no storage area for timers and macros. That kit would also have a TM751 to translate the X10 RF command to the power lines.

List price. Well alone and packaged deals. Usually are the same $49.99
You may also find more than one deal and what's included is the differences between them.

http://www.x10.com/promotions/cm15a_ed_th2807_1022.html?BURST
http://www.x10.com/promotions/sw31a_activehome_push.html?EM