Re: X-10 commands via Harmony remote?

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

Z-Wave is RF only so the 890 must use RF to communicate with it. Z-Wave uses
FSK modulation at 908.42MHz. No other HA RF system uses that. X-10 uses ASK
modulation at 310MHz in N. America and 433.92MHz elsewhere.

Most of the RF capable remotes in N. America use ASK at 418MHz. Elsewhere
they use ASK at 433.92MHz. In Europe many lighting systems also use ASK at
433.92MHz so direct control is possible there.

"CeeDub" <craigmw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>What I meant was that the 890 has an optional RF->IR base station. This is
>used to enable the transmission of control signals via RF (i.e. through
>walls) to your home entertainment system. The RF base station then transmits
>IR signals to the various AV components. Since the IR543 is an IR component,
>then it should be possible to transmit X10 codes over the RF and have these
>converted to IR via the base station, which then outputs to the IR543. I did
>not mean to imply that the 890 could directly transmit X10 controls to an
>X10 RF receiver (though it'd be really cool if it could do this). I don't
>know anything about Z-WAVE, or if the 890 directly communicates with ZWAVE
>over RF, or if that would similarly need an IR receiver in front of the
>890's RF base station.
>
>Does anyone make an RF-capable remote that can transmit RF signals to an
>X10-compatible receiver/powerline converter?
>
>Craig
>
>
>"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>news:4398101b.98354755@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> No! If the RF is for Z-Wave it will be useless for any other RF based HA
>> application. You need the same frequency and same type of modulation.
>>
>> "CeeDub" <craigmw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>>Well, the RF compatibility of the 890 certainly makes it optimal for HA
>>>applications. If they do provide for some way to set it up with the IR543,
>>>then maybe I'll take the plunge.
>>>
>>>Thanks for your help.
>>>
>>>Craig
>>>
>>>
>>>"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>news:4396c377.78731542@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> In the past they could only be programmed by downloading from their
>>>> online
>>>> database. Perhaps that has changed. I haven't paid much attention to it
>>>> in
>>>> the past few years.
>>>>
>>>> If you can find one, a refurbished Pronto TSU3000 (not color) costs less
>>>> than $200. It's far more programmable.
>>>>
>>>> There's also software (Remote Control II) that runs on many Windows
>>>> PDAs.
>>>>
>>>> "CeeDub" <craigmw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Dave:
>>>>>
>>>>>A closer read of their website reveals that the 890 supports Z-WAVE.
>>>>>They
>>>>>suggest that, in the future, they will also support other HA protocols.
>>>>>But,
>>>>>if you can get a remote to control X10 via an IR543, couldn't you just
>>>>>use
>>>>>that remote to program the 890? It is, afterall, a learning remote. My
>>>>>understanding is that you can use the learn function to capture the IR
>>>>>signals coming out of a separate remote with the Harmony remotes for
>>>>>devices
>>>>>not supported on their website.
>>>>>
>>>>>In any event, this unit is pretty expensive and doesn't appear to even
>>>>>be
>>>>>on
>>>>>the market yet. They want $399 for the remote and $99 for the receiver.
>>>>>That's a little step. There must be a cheaper but equally elegant way to
>>>>>do
>>>>>this!
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks once again for your help.
>>>>>
>>>>>Craig
>>>>>
>>>>>"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>>news:4395d044.16679209@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>> In particular I would ask Logitech what they mean by, "...for quick
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> easy
>>>>>> command of home-entertainment equipment and household appliances that
>>>>>> may
>>>>>> be
>>>>>> out of range for a traditional infrared remote."
>>>>>>
>>>>>> nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston) wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Craig,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Do you know what RF frequency the 890 uses?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>If Logitech has the X-10 IR codes in its library, you can use it with
>>>>>>>an
>>>>>>>IR543. The IR543 is limited to a single housecode. I would investigate
>>>>>>>this
>>>>>>>before spending this much money on the remote.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>"CeeDub" <craigmw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Dave:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Thanks for the info.  You are correct. The 880 does not have RF, but
>>>>>>>>the
>>>>>>>>890
>>>>>>>>does:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/detailsharmony/US/EN,CRID=2084,CONTENTID=10930
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>So, I guess what I'd need for this is a single IR->Powerline
>>>>>>>>converter,
>>>>>>>>right? Then, I'd aim the IR output of the 890's RF receiver at the
>>>>>>>>IR->powerline converter (and all of my audio/video gear) to be able
>>>>>>>>to
>>>>>>>>control my X10 stuff as well as my home entertainment center?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Thanks again...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Craig
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>"Dave Houston" <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>news:43957318.207643262@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>>> From the limited specs I can find on the web the 880 seems to be IR
>>>>>>>>> only.
>>>>>>>>> Even if it has RF, it won't work with North American X-10 unless it
>>>>>>>>> uses
>>>>>>>>> 310MHz and ASK modulation. And, the only way to program codes into
>>>>>>>>> any
>>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>>> the Harmony remotes is by downloading them from Logitech.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Insteon uses 902-924MHz with FSK modulation so unless a remote has
>>>>>>>>> been
>>>>>>>>> designed specifically for Insteon it's unlikely to support it.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Most programmable remotes that have RF use 418MHz (N. America) or
>>>>>>>>> 433.92MHz
>>>>>>>>> (Europe) and ASK modulation.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "CeeDub" <craigmw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I'd like to get a Harmony remote to reduce "remote clutter." But,
>>>>>>>>>>is
>>>>>>>>>>there
>>>>>>>>>>an economical way to control an RF receiver? I like the way you can
>>>>>>>>>>use
>>>>>>>>>>the
>>>>>>>>>>6-in-1 RF/IR remote (though I've never used it as a universal
>>>>>>>>>>remote).
>>>>>>>>>>I
>>>>>>>>>>know one of the Harmony remotes (the 880) has RF/IR functions. But,
>>>>>>>>>>I
>>>>>>>>>>don't
>>>>>>>>>>know if it will interface with an X10-protocol receiver to convert
>>>>>>>>>>the
>>>>>>>>>>remote RF controls to powerline controls. Also, what about Insteon?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Thanks much...
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Craig
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>