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What are your favorite X-10 (or related) Modules?

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glacier991:
Over the years I think I have experienced most of the available (even if no longer available) X-10 modules, including the Leviton ones and the Radio Shack ones. I have a number that I consider my favorites.

I really like virtually all of the X-10 remotes, keyfob, credit card, palmpad and one or 2 others I cannot think the name of. Admittedly my discovery of them was in the Pre Alexa and Google days when voice control was yet to be realized, but I still find them useful, for controlling any of my controllable devices, including Z-wave ones.

Admittedly, part of what they worked so well for me was due in large part to the WGL572, an all code receiver with the ability to hook to an external antenna. No more multiple 751 receivers strategically placed around the house! Sadly the 572 is no more, but if you ever run across one for sale, BUY it!

I will restrict my likes to one per post, and, I think it is appropriate to point out other competing items in other systems that are also available where I find them as good as or potentially better than the older X-10 offerrings.

In that vein, I have started experimenting with a new offering called Yolink. Their products are well constructed and very fairly priced, but what I find most interesting about them is that they communicate through low frequency long range radio signals. Their range is supposedly 1/4 mile in open air.

They make a series of 4 key controllers, akin to some of the X-10 offerings. Their range obviates the need for the 572, and using EISY, I believe I can effectively turn them into any kind of controller I like, including an X-10 controller. I say believe because I ordered one to try out, and it should arrive next week. Reading up on it I think it will do exactly as I stated, but I will report back once I have one in hand.

Stay tuned I have several more favorites, some of which I suspect a number of folks might not be familiar with.

Brian H:
Insteon 2456S3 Appliance Module. With an X10 address added to it.
In between X10 and Insteon. I also have Smarthome X10 compatible modules. Now in a big storage tub.
I could not stand the X10 Appliance Modules loud clunk when changing states. Though many say the clunk is a positive feedback the signal got through.

The Insteon and Smarthome X10 dimmers used a different dim command for setting levels directly but the old full on and dim down does work.
HR12A and UR19A remotes.

There where actually three V572 models. The V572A with no LED on the back used a data wired cable. The V572A/B and the one specially made for a Smarthome kit. Have the status LED on the back and use the phone style cable.
They all used the now discontinued X10 TW523 two way module, XTB523, TW523 emulation port on the side of the XTB-IIR.
The JV Digital XTB523 is still in stock and definitely is a much better interface then a TW523.

brobin:
I'm a fan of Yolink as well.  I currently have about 35 devices in use.  The longest distance I have is about 120 feet with the hub well inside my concrete block home and the sensor inside a metal mailbox at the curb.  Works perfectly!  They claim a battery life of 2 years on the sensors and I can attest that after just short of two years I haven't had to replace any.  I like that the app displays signal strength and battery level for each device.

I currently use about 10 leak detectors, a motion sensor, temp/humidity sensor, half a dozen door sensors and some appliance modules with 2 speaker hubs and one basic hub.  I'm told that a dimmable lamp module is due this year as well as a new hub with more features.  I like that only the hubs are connected to the web and actions can be paired directly between sensors and modules.  Alexa integration is excellent and everything works without even having to have Alexa 'discover devices' - they just work.

I had one surprising (in a good way) experience with Yolink that even their support people can't seem to explain.  After Hurricane Ian we were left without power and internet.  The whole house genset took care of power but Xfinity was offline for almost 2 weeks.  The router was running without internet and the Yolink hubs remained connected to it.  My phone, which hosts the Yolink app, had WiFi turned off so I could use 5G for internet.  Surprisingly, I was still getting notifications from the sensors!  I asked Yolink support how that could be and the only thing they said is that the hub will look for other networks to connect to.  The only "other network" was my phone but the hub didn't appear in the connected device list so I'm stumped on that one but consider it a plus.

Adding a device is simple as dirt. Every device has a QR code which you scan with the app. Click 'Bind' and you're done!  The automation programming is adequate for most but integrating with EISY or another compatible controller opens up unlimited options.  Being a former user of the ISY994i I can see an EISY in my future as I slowly migrate from X-10.

glacier991:
Brian - I have a Jeff Volp XTB523 hooked to my 572 - it blasts the X-10 output everywhere without issue.

brobin - have you used any of their  (new?) push button remotes?

glacier991:
Here is another of my favorites. I think this was a rare event where someone else (Leviton) built the product and X-10 branded it and sold it under the X-10 name - there are some things for this that X-10 never had but Leviton did. (see Pictures attached - I do not seem to be able to include them in my posts - user is an idiot.)

It was called a wall mounted controller. There was the typical switch type of unit that was box mounted like any other switch, except, it there was no switch! Instead there was a plug in connector that would accept different switches, single or multiples. Mix or match.

There was a single switch with a dimmer, 4 button switches, one with 3 buttons and a dimmer button.

Leviton went a step further and offered faceplates with on/off LED's beside them. The only drawback using them in an X-10 setup was that the switches were sequentially numbered...A1, A2 etc.

In retrospect I suspect these were an answer to the Insteon keypad controllers.

With EISY that is no problem, I can make then anything I want in programming.

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