Print

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

[Jason B]

I currently have a CM15a, which is required for the X10 commander program to work. There is an x10 commander app your install on your pc, and then the Iphone X10 commander app you install for your phone. It lets you control all you x10 devices from anywhere there is an internet connection, and away from home also.  I've been doing that for over 10 years now, Super cool.

I reached out to the developer who originally made the program and he doesn't have any interest in putting in back into the app store. He says it would take hours and hours to do. I could probably ask him for the source code, would that be of any interest???

The app created a log file every time you open it on your pc also.  I really wanted to use this app that I paid for years ago  from the app store, and now something I cannot use on this new iphone, which sucks. It ones of the reasons I kept my iphone XS this long, BUT, more and more apps started breaking on the old firmware I was on and I couldn't update them on that old ios. The phone ran great but I didn't want to slow it down with updating the ios on such an old phone. I was scared to update that old phone XS as I was told ios 17 would cripple it.  I finally broke down and got a Iphone 15 pro with 17.4 ios on it. And as expected, x10 commander, even though its on my home screen on the new phone from the backup, it tried to connect to apple to verify or whatever and I can't run the app! Yes, I still have my old phone which runs the app perfectly, but can't use it on the go as it no longer has cellular service only wifi. The cool thing with the x10 commander was, it works from any 3g, 5g lte, connection. I want it back on my new device. Any ideas? OR is there something else that works well?

[brobin]

Since you already have a CM15a, I think your easiest and least expensive solution ($40) would be to add a Broadlink RM4 Pro, specifically this one that handles the 310MHz that x10 uses: https://amzn.to/3Pv3Xwl  The description says 315MHz but it handles 310 as well. I have one and it works perfectly.

The Broadlink will learn all the X10 codes and commands you need by programming it with a Palm Pad.  The CM15a will respond to the commands turning things on and off or triggering schedules.  As a bonus, you can use Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control. 

Other options are the Smartenit P2/G2 but they're out of stock and more expensive.  X10 offers the WM100 WiFi controller but it will not work with Alexa/GA, is limited to 32 devices and is more expensive.

If you want to delve deeper and roll your own, there's the Home Genie program which runs on a Raspberry Pi if you want to pursue that path.

[Tuicemen]

I use the broadlink RM as well as the WM100 for internet control.
There are several HomeAutomation programs out there that allow internet control of X10 and will install on your computer. Even HomeGenie will install on a computer.

There are also programs made to mesh with Alexa and or Google Home like TriggerCMD or HA-Bridge which you could either use their interface or the Alexa app with your phone. Thought you'd have to do a bit of coding to make them talk to x10.
The X10 commander simply used the Activehome SDK so those apps could do the same.
I had created  several applications that ran on a PC and used the SDK which were accessible from a phone.

Although the X10commander app is nolonger available you may still be able to send commands to the pc application.
If the pc application has a UI you could log into in from the internet and turn things on/off.

[bkenobi]

If you want to change your HA software, you could look at HomeGenie and use the mobile app.  If you are happy with your setup, I would skip that option though as the developement was stagnant for several years and, even with the renewed updates, the community is dead.  I still use it for my setup but I can't currently recommend it to new users.  It's great, but there are other great options that have a user base that has a way to communicate to the developers as well as to other users.

[Jason B]

Since you already have a CM15a, I think your easiest and least expensive solution ($40) would be to add a Broadlink RM4 Pro, specifically this one that handles the 310MHz that x10 uses: https://amzn.to/3Pv3Xwl  The description says 315MHz but it handles 310 as well. I have one and it works perfectly.

The Broadlink will learn all the X10 codes and commands you need by programming it with a Palm Pad.  The CM15a will respond to the commands turning things on and off or triggering schedules.  As a bonus, you can use Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control. 

Other options are the Smartenit P2/G2 but they're out of stock and more expensive.  X10 offers the WM100 WiFi controller but it will not work with Alexa/GA, is limited to 32 devices and is more expensive.

If you want to delve deeper and roll your own, there's the Home Genie program which runs on a Raspberry Pi if you want to pursue that path.

Thank you. WIll this let you control the devices with an internet connection, wifi and cellular? Any screen shots?

http://www.usabilityinstitute.com/articles/images/x10commandersetup.gif

[Jason B]

I use the broadlink RM as well as the WM100 for internet control.
There are several HomeAutomation programs out there that allow internet control of X10 and will install on your computer. Even HomeGenie will install on a computer.

There are also programs made to mesh with Alexa and or Google Home like TriggerCMD or HA-Bridge which you could either use their interface or the Alexa app with your phone. Thought you'd have to do a bit of coding to make them talk to x10.
The X10 commander simply used the Activehome SDK so those apps could do the same.
I had created  several applications that ran on a PC and used the SDK which were accessible from a phone.

Although the X10commander app is nolonger available you may still be able to send commands to the pc application.
If the pc application has a UI you could log into in from the internet and turn things on/off.

Thanks. Do you have any current apps which would take the place of Commander. What if the developer says he'd give the source code?

[brobin]

Thank you. WIll this let you control the devices with an internet connection, wifi and cellular? Any screen shots?
[/quote]

Here's a screenshot. Note that while I learned a number of devices I only set up one scene called "World" for testing as shown at the top (it turns the globe on & off). All of the devices (shown as J1, J2, etc.) can be renamed to whatever you like.  I bought the RM4 Pro for testing and as a backup for the Smartenit P2.

[Tuicemen]

Thanks. Do you have any current apps which would take the place of Commander. What if the developer says he'd give the source code?

I've gotten away from coding since retiring. So I no longer support any applications I created in the past. However links to download them in the SDK section here may still work. These were mostly accessible though a browser not a phone app except for TAC which was an android app.
 You maybe able to access X10commander from your new phone using the browser and the ip and port X10commander is using.as the url. The developer may give you some more info on how to do this.

[Jason B]

I want to thank you guys for keeping me motivated and to keep trying. GOOD NEWS! I now have the app working on my 15 pro on ios 17.4! Backstory. When you get a new iphone and an app you had on your old phone isn't available in the app store anymore, you're screwed.... So I thought... I found the original IPA file for the program and first tried to email it to myself. Gmail won't allow you attach an .ipa file! So crazy. They must have some deal with apple here, but I've never seen something like this happen. I tried to even rename the file as .jpg and gmail still won't let you email it as an attachment. I did save it on a memory card just to have a backup. The version of the app from my old backup was an older version of the app than on my new phone that had the cloud icon next to it, (1.91, vs 1.94) and I first tried to copy the old file onto the new phone (since the app on the new phone had the cloud icon on it, that means it tries to DL the app from apple, but it can't since the app is no longer on the app store) After dragging the older ipa version of the app onto the new phone with imazing, I could see both listed, 1.91 and 1.94. When I tried to click "install" for the older file with Imazing, I kept getting this error "the code signature version is no longer supported" Yea, I was pissed when I saw this! I don't know what that means.
Next for the hell of it, I clicked on the 1.94 version (remember it shows this because it's on the home screen on the new phone, but has that cloud icon next it). I right clicked and hit "install" and instantly the cloud goes away! I'm thinking, hmm, how the heck what this so easy? and no way it's going to work when I click it. I click the app on the phone and it opens!!!! It's working! I don't know how or why but this fixed it. After many days and nights trying everything and posting about this everywhere, contacting the app developer, etc. Imazing fixed it!

[brobin]

Glad to hear you found - or at least stumbled upon - a solution.  Thanks for posting the resolution as I'm sure someone else will be looking for this too.

[gadgetboy]

Been using HomeGenie on Raspberry Pi, windows 10, Android 13 and android 5. Any difficulties have been cassed by my own ham handedness. Wonderful control options that fit this old mechanics abilities. And now The Wife has developed armour to my word choices.

[Tuicemen]

Nice to see you have things working the way you like and posted your fix for everyone else.
It is difficult when your favorite way to control things stops working. This has happened to me a few times over the years. This is why I always to have a backup option in place. I try to use my back up periodically so if I have to fall back on it I'm not loss. Some times it is possible to fix the main control option other times we must move on.