I bought hundreds of dollars of X-10 products

[bgarrett]

I hope this information helps others who consider buying X-10s chinese junk.
After spending hundreds of dollars on X-10 products,
I learned that some of it NEVER worked (even after sending it back, the replacements didn't work either)
Some of it didnt work well
and some of it only worked for a short time.
Conclusion?
Dont buy X-10 !!

[eagle]

Sorry to hear that.

This is a user community of x10 owners who've successfully installed x10 products.

Did you post here to convince members with working systems that their systems don't work?



r,
eagle

[HA Dave]

I hope this information helps others who consider buying X-10s chinese junk.

I buy X10 products regularly... I often wonder when I will have all I need. I've been buying X10 for nearly a decade and posting here at the forum since 2006. I am sure I own more than a few hundreds of dollars of X10... stuff.

I know many of X10 products require a serious reading (and maybe a re-reading) of the directions. I have even had to use the X10 wiki to read alternate instructions and directions. But the products I've tried (which is just about all of them) seem pretty reliable to me. Home Automation is a cross technologies discipline (it involves the use more than one technology). The manufacturing of X10 products is done in China. The software and customer service however... can be blamed on good ole Americans.

My conclusion? X10 can be useful.. and is even a heck of a lot of fun to use. But you may need to visit the community forum once or twice to find helpful information and advice. If you give up and just send your order back... you only cheat yourself out of a great experience. It is very disappointing to read that your first and only post is a gripe saying you sent it all back.

[Mel99]

I'm also sorry you've had an unfortunate experience so far with X-10.  I've not been using it for as long as some of the others on this forum, but I'm still having fun with it. 

My suggestions -

-Start with something very simple. For example, put your outside lights on timers.
-Read these forums for ideas on how others use the stuff.
-If what you try to do doesn't work, ask for help in the forums - you'll be suprised at how willing others will be to put in their 2 cents worth of expertise.

If you're convinced that you need to unload all the 'junk', list it on eBay or Amazon.com or even post a list here.  You will probably find buyers.

Mel

[dave w]

I hope this information helps others who consider buying X-10s chinese junk.
After spending hundreds of dollars on X-10 products,
I learned that some of it NEVER worked (even after sending it back, the replacements didn't work either)
Some of it didnt work well
and some of it only worked for a short time.

I you have read a few of the "problem" posts here on the forum you would realize there are a lot of things in a home which can cause an X10 system not to work. Everything from a flat screen TV to a cordless phone system can stop the various X10 signal in their tracks. The fact that you say: "I learned that some of it NEVER worked (even after sending it back, the replacements didn't work either)" make me think at least some of the problem is at your end (i.e. interfering signals in your home). These problems are are all fixable. If you are interested in tying to get your system working, come back and describe your problems. There is a lot of X10 experienced users participating in this forum.

[hawk1]

If we don't buy X10 what should we buy?  Got a little bit of news for you.  Any home automation product has its problems.  And really there not problems at all.  Its just a list of items and things YOU as the end user need to accomplish to have a reliable system.  I was probably just as frustrated as you were when you plugged everything in and IT didn't work.

But I didn't give up.  I looked for customer support and low and behold they have a knowledge base, a customer support number and this forum made up of satisfied users that are here just to help YOU!  I got the help I needed (and still getting help).

There is a lot of adds that home automation users need to do and accomplish before they have a reliable system.  Phase issues (phase couplers), noise issues (noise filters), signal range problems (amplifiers and maybe a better receiver).  But after all this, it is still the least expensive that I have found to automate your home.  Oh yea, and lets not forget about the 3rd party software you can find here to have what I think is a blast getting it all to work together!   Plus, you start to have a re-pore with everyone here and who knows, you might even find a few friends!

So in closing, if your not happy send the items back or sell them like the above post stated....OR......stick around since you already registered for this forum and keep your items and let the experience here help you!  I'm sure the users on this forum can get your system up and running but like I said IT will take a little more effort and maybe a few dollars more on YOUR part.  Either way you go, welcome to the forum and hope to hear from you again.

[Bill59]

Where can I get something that's not chinese junk? Really, where?

[Charles Sullivan]

These components are designed by X-10 in the USA or Europe.  If they are junk, it's usually not the fault of the Chinese, who are merely building them to X-10's specifications.

[JeffVolp]

Where can I get something that's not chinese junk? Really, where?

There is virtually no manufacturing capability for this type of equipment left in America because of the cost of labor.  You can buy non Chinese equivalents of some X10 products from major automation dealers for 5 to 10 times the cost of the Chinese X10 product.  However, most of the electronic components will still come from China or other countries with cheap labor.  The Leviton X10 switches we used here were assembled in Mexico.  Retail on them is about $80 each.

Jeff

[Brian H]

Same for the Home Settings ZWave stuff and Smarthome Insteon stuff. All made in China.

[dave w]

Where can I get something that's not chinese junk? Really, where?

Same place you can buy an American branded car that is wholly made in America.

[HA Dave]

There is virtually no manufacturing capability for this type of equipment left in America because of the cost of labor. 

American and Canadian labor is granted.. much higher than most Asian countries (most certainly China). But in that type of manufacturing.. labor has never been the driving force behind the cost of the products. The stories of dollar-a-day labor in China... are stories.. and not actually true. The cost of shipping from China to the Americas (and the then required warehousing)... however are enormous.

Back when I was a gullable long haired friend-of-Mother Earth. Those like me gathered signatures and protested and forced the passing of the "Clean Air Act" (of 1970 which actually passed in '71). The opponents of the Act had said at the time that it would: End manufacturing in America.

They were right. Pricing didn't kill manufacturing in America... Congress outlawed American manufacturing.

Or maybe more correctly stated... we as Americans have decided we don't want manufacturing in America anymore. We don't want science here ether.. we want to vote on science.. the heck with repeatable experiments performed in labs. Let us ask the popular stars of movies and television which light bulbs we can use. Or what power source would be exceptable.

I am sorry Jeff. I hope I don't sound like I am coming down on you... I am most certainly NOT. But whereas not every member of this forum is old enough to remember this recent history... you and I are. If we aren't open and honest... we can never UN-do what we've done wrong.

[Bill59]

"We got to make the shareholders happy."  Ever hear that one?