Print

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

[ken]

I think it would help the customer and X10's
reputation if they included filters in their
daily sales often.  Six filters for $24.95 or
whatever might be well received, and would
improve the customer experience from what I
read here.  I don't recall seeing filters at
(a decent) sale price.

[bronco]

I agree

[JeffVolp]

eBay...

Jeff

[luke03]

Filter and active phase bridge together can make X10 very reliable.

[Brian H]

I second Jeff's suggestion.
Many of the relable independent X10 dealers have very good EBay prices on items X10 never bundles in deals.

[bronco]

does anybody have a recommendation for an acive phase coupler by brand, model,etc.
Also, for ebay dealers that are reliable?

[dave w]

In order:

1. XTBIIR - JV Digital Engineering  http://jvde.us/xtb_index.htm
2. ACT CR234 - http://www.smarthome.com/4821AC/HomePro-CR234-Amplified-X10-Coupler-Repeater-w-Repeated-Signal-Detection/p.aspx
3. XPCR - X10  Ebay is cheapest source. Usually < $25.

[Brian H]

My list would also be the same as dave w's is.
I did some signal tests with all three on the list and found the XTB-IIR the best.

I got my test XPCR from an EBay dealer and it was new and a recent date code.

[Noam]

My list would also be the same as dave w's is.

My list would be similar, but I would place the XTB-IIR in all three spots!

Why bother with the others, when the XTB-IIR is the best solution out there?

[Brian H]

Some may want to try a <$20.00 XPCR first. 

[Noam]

Some may want to try a <$20.00 XPCR first. 

Very good point, and I'm sure plenty of people had decent results with the XPCR. However, I've seen plenty of people have problems with them, or have them not work well enough. I can't recall reading about anyone who got an XTB-IIR NOT being happy with it ;-)

[Brian H]

I have seen reports of signal firestorms with the XPCR CM15A combination.
My XTB-IIR doesn't even mess up Insteon communications. I can't say that for other model coupler repeaters.

[dave w]

Davew "musings"

Yeah I agree with the XTBIIR assessment.

If I followed my "judgement" I would not even mention a XPCR. I have had three of them (2 -X10 and 1- Leviton units ) and had similar problems with all.

However it will be hard to persuade a new user having what we suspect as coupling or noise problems, to spend +$100 for an ACT or even more the JVDE unit. My hope is they will migrate to a XTBIIR when they recognize how well a repeater function solves most of their problems, but get tired of constantly power cycling the XPCR when it locks up.

I think a repeater is the only thing that will keep X10 PLC around for a foreseeable future. Usually I try and convey the message that the XPCR is cheap, but has problems. I skipped that tidbit in this thread, I need to get back to it as I really hate to recommend the XPCR. I wonder if the new units are any better? My last Leviton unit was back in the late 90's.

[luke03]

I am sure XTBIIR is the best. When I had my X10 installation over 10 years ago, I did not know much about it. I just picked up Leviton active phase coupler and installed on my power main.

I never had a problem for over 10 years.  Some other technology claimed X10 was not reliable. I think if they had ever install a good active phase coupler, most of their problems would be gone.

[dave w]

Some other technology claimed X10 was not reliable. I think if they had ever install a good active phase coupler, most of their problems would be gone.

I agree. My X10 repeaters were 1990's vintage, so perhaps X10 has made firmware changes that addresses the lockup problems. Having said that, my ACT CR234 outperforms the X10 repeater by a factor of 10 (not empirical, just a judgement call), and the XTBIIR will, performance wise, leave the CR234 in the dust.