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[brobin]

...
It seems the desire these days is for a full blown Alexa hub with its own proprietary lighting, switching, sensors etc hardware. No doubt that’s in the pipeline but until it happens you’ll need a hub with a certified Amazon skill to ensure some form of ongoing reliability. Emulators just don’t cut it anymore unless you have the requisite programming skills to maintain them.

T's Alex10 and PiX10Hub projects were terrific in getting Alexa to control X10 but time marches on and the constant changes that break existing systems make a supported Alexa Skill de rigueur today.  Only a small number of people have the requisite interest and aptitude to
do any more than plug something in and be done with it.  I have a friend who's a brilliant doctor and can put seriously injured people back together but can't solder two wires together or even deal with the setup menu on his printer.  They moved into a new home a year ago and the thermostats are still flashing 12:00   

[petera]

Yes you have two groups these days, the “ plug'n'go ‘ and the “ solder’n’hope “. Personally I’ll build before I’d buy and that’s why X10 has always been so appealing. It basically fits into any setup. I really am amazed when I see people ripping out their setup in favour of the likes of Z Wave or similar knowing that with a little thought new life can be given to the old dog.

When it comes to the likes of Amazon Alexa of course it can be circumvented for local control only but you really have to understand the technology to achieve this and know that it is a constant game of catch-up, something that’s not appealing to the basic user. If you can buy a cheap hub with a registered Alexa skill that is the way to go. Leave all that catch-up activity to the supplier and not the end user. If on the other hand you fancy a challenge.......get the soldering iron out. 

[Tuicemen]

Skills definitely are the way to go for Alexa and Google for sure. Amazon and Google maintain the skills so they always work.
You don't need to buy a Hub to get a Google or Alexa Skill for Smarthome Voice control anyone can make them.
Alex10 was basically created to make programing HA-Bridge (json file creation) an easy process. It really doesn't give you Alexa control HA-Bridge does.
However the creator of HA-Bridge needs to keep on top of things or it becomes inoperable. (Which it has for many)

 I've recently been playing with a program that has a registered Google and Alexa Skill. Sadly when I first heard of this I was informed you needed to create batch files for this to work. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! This performs very much like HA-Bridge but it doesn't mimic a hue hub it has Skills.
Creating Batch files does expand this adding some logic but AHP as many home automations software already have this.
I no longer use AHP but not because it didn't work for me. I wanted a low power option that a PC couldn't provide.

I've read several articles of the newer PI 4 (4gig model) running Windows 11 very well. So I wonder if AHP could be ran on it
If so I probably would move back to AHP (at least for a short time) and update Alex10 to write a json file for TRIGGERcmd to allow voice control of X10.
It should be noted TRIGGERcmd already can work with AHP and give you both Alexa and Google voice control of X10. (it has been able to do this for years with no additional software)

[HA Dave]

I had come to believe that my X10 setup could be relegated to my Home Theater (it's original intent) and still remain as a part of my Home Automation. Keeping my X10 (via Homeseerer) running with Alexa voice control or other Pi software... required some time and effort.

But the other day my wife... who has become accustomed and comfortable with Alexa controlled automation. Asked that I setup the theater to be voice controlled.

So now the question has become... do I re-enter the effort to voice control X10? Replace X10 (maybe with Amazon brand devices)? Or fudge a solution somewhere in between (Like Alexa IR, X10 control). Being a fan of  Rube Goldberg... will likely influence my decision.

[Tuicemen]

If you already have Homeseerer controlling X10 adding the devices in your home theater should be a simple task.
I currently run the TRIGGERcmd software from my PI with HomeGenie but it could be run from any OS.
I believe Alex10 could also handle the Alexa or Google calls from it as is.
I may check this out if I can find a computer with AHP still installed on it.
It is to bad I had been informed TRIGGERcmd needed both batch files and an other thirdparty software or I may have looked at it sooner.

[SkipWX10]

I had come to believe that my X10 setup could be relegated to my Home Theater (it's original intent) and still remain as a part of my Home Automation. Keeping my X10 (via Homeseerer) running with Alexa voice control or other Pi software... required some time and effort.

But the other day my wife... who has become accustomed and comfortable with Alexa controlled automation. Asked that I setup the theater to be voice controlled.

So now the question has become... do I re-enter the effort to voice control X10? Replace X10 (maybe with Amazon brand devices)? Or fudge a solution somewhere in between (Like Alexa IR, X10 control). Being a fan of  Rube Goldberg... will likely influence my decision.

Don't know if you have already thought of this option, but I just added the Samrtenit Harmony P2 with X10 PLM and can control all of my X10 devices by voice through Alexa. It was a quite simple setup (basically connect to wifi, discover devices in Smartenit and Alexa and you're done)

I'm a very simple user, just for lighting, but I imagine home theater X10 devices would be just as easy

[HA Dave]

Don't know if you have already thought of this option, but I just added the Samrtenit Harmony P2 with X10 PLM and can control all of my X10 devices by voice through Alexa. It was a quite simple setup (basically connect to wifi, discover devices in Smartenit and Alexa and you're done)

Thanks! I am reviewing that option now. Also thinking of an IR device (I had tried that once in the past). So MANY great option now-a-days.

[Tuicemen]

Also thinking of an IR device (I had tried that once in the past). So MANY great option now-a-days.

I used the Broadlink RM for both RF and IR device control in the past. I still use it today but just to power on/off my large dumb TV via Alexa. I can't remember the last time I used the DVD player or stereo

[HA Dave]

I used the Broadlink RM for both RF and IR device control in the past. I still use it today but just to power on/off my large dumb TV via Alexa. I can't remember the last time I used the DVD player or stereo

Yes... I had used a battery power IR device at one time. I don't recall the brand name. But It's app/skill stopped working and it became useless. Broadlink may be more than enough.

I still have a BlueRay player as part of my theater equipment. But we only stream now-a-days. During the pandemic we even streamed movies that were playing in the public theaters at the same time.

Theaters.... have short lifespans... in terms of current technology. The only "original parts" of my theater are some of the speakers. I've been thinking about my next upgrade.... which could be more cosmetic than technological. I am thinking of moving the equipment rack and all the components out of the room as well as my DVD-BlueRay collection. And maybe adding a fireplace of some sort. 

But I still have a few more little projects for this years Home Automation Season. Along the same line and my leak detection setup.... I am thinking of water pump email alert, and freezer temperature monitoring. Meanwhile... I just replaced my WiFi router with one that should be able to handle my foreseeable future needs.
     

[Tuicemen]

I was looking at updating my wifi to wifi 6 but I now see wifi 7 is getting some attention. Tec is moving so fast, it is out dated before you get it home.😖

[HA Dave]

I was looking at updating my wifi to wifi 6 but I now see wifi 7 is getting some attention. Tec is moving so fast, it is out dated before you get it home.😖

So true..... but it's been that way for a long, long time. I was buying parts (at computer shows) and assembling my PC's pre-Win95.

I often ride my bike past the Wright Bros Original home (they lived nearby). They were the Bicycle makers who invented the airplane ~ 1903. Years later (66).... people walked on the moon. Things keep changing.

I plan on replacing my projector and screen (in my theater) with a paper thin 130" roll-out OLED. I just have to wait.... until it's invented.   

 I look forward to many of the changes we're SUPPOSED to see.... like flying cars. Or robots that do more than zig zag around vacuuming or clipping the lawn.

[HA Dave]

Talk about change.....

I had updated my laptop to Windows 11........ and it became so slow. And so many updates.

I decided to make the switch to an Apple (ipad pro 12.9). I really like it. But I can't seem to get myself logged on here (on the old laptop now). It's been FUN. Big time, huge part of my life fun. Thank you all.

[alzy]

I am using Alex10 ver. 1.5.4.0 with bridge version 3.5.1 on port 80 on Win10 PC and all has been going well until today. My echo dots respond to my verbal commands and Alex10 receives them as shown on its interface but the devices do not respond. I can control the devices directly from the HABridge web page via the test buttons for the devices. It looks like Alex10 isn't communicating with the bridge. Any idea what the problem is? BTW, I have the Alexa win10 app on my desktop pc and it controls the devices ok.