ResIpsa Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 An older LampLinc and a new Outletlinc in the same two-gang outlet box respond inconsistently or not at all to on/off commands. Considering they are on the same circuit as my home office (including two PCs, two LCD monitors, several halogen lamps, . . . you get the picture), I think I may be having noise issues. I am considering trying either Smarthome's FilterLinc or the 1/3 less expensive Corinex Powerline Noise Filter. I'd like to hear what your real-world experiences have been with noise filters such as these. If anyone has used the Corinex product, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion of its performance. Thanks!
IndyMike Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 Hello Tim, I believe the Filterlinc that you referred to is actually a "X10 Bandstop" filter. I have a 5 amp version (model 1626) that I opened up and investigated. This unit is basically a copy of the Leviton 6287 filter shown here : http://idobartana.com/hakb/6287_Schematic_vA.pdf Both of these units block (trap) noise centered around the X10 frequency of 120Khz. Said differently, they are optimized for blocking noise at X10 frequencies, not Insteon (131.65 Khz). Whether or not they will be effective depends on the width of the bandstop and the noise that you are trying to block. I do have a couple of these and they are effective in blocking certain noise sources. There are other filters available that are "low pass". These filters reduce noise above a certain frequency (not just a narrow window). They are typically larger units and more expensive. The Leviton 6288 and X10 XPPF are examples of low pass filters. These units begin rolling off signals above ~13 Khz: http://idobartana.com/hakb/6288_Schematic_vA.pdf A couple of points about the Corinex filter - 1) It doesn't specify a max load (current rating). If this is fact a 5A filter, it's about the same price as a 5A filterlinc. 2) It doesn't specify a frequency range. I looked at the Corinex website and there weren't anymore details available there. Bottom line - send Corinex an email and request the load capability, and filter type (X10 bandstop or lowpass). If you pursue this, please let us know the results. IM
gregoryx Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 I have used a lot of the Smartome and Leviton filters - not Corinex - and had no problems with them. I'm sometimes unsure if they're as useful as they promise - especially with Insteon.
ResIpsa Posted January 4, 2009 Author Posted January 4, 2009 Hi, Mike. I don't have any electronics training/experience, but I think I understand what you're saying. Thanks for the detailed explanation. I think you overlooked the product data sheet at the Corinex website: http://www.corinex.com/product/100.html. According to the data sheet (if I'm reading it right), the Corinex filter operates at a load rating of 10 amps (and thus the 1/3 savings over the $29.99 10-amp FilterLinc). It also looks like the filter operates at a frequency range, rather than just a fixed level like FilterLinc. Would you take a minute to read over the data sheet and then give me some more of your expert feedback? Your input would be greatly appreciated. Hello Tim, I believe the Filterlinc that you referred to is actually a "X10 Bandstop" filter. I have a 5 amp version (model 1626) that I opened up and investigated. This unit is basically a copy of the Leviton 6287 filter shown here : http://idobartana.com/hakb/6287_Schematic_vA.pdf Both of these units block (trap) noise centered around the X10 frequency of 120Khz. Said differently, they are optimized for blocking noise at X10 frequencies, not Insteon (131.65 Khz). Whether or not they will be effective depends on the width of the bandstop and the noise that you are trying to block. I do have a couple of these and they are effective in blocking certain noise sources. There are other filters available that are "low pass". These filters reduce noise above a certain frequency (not just a narrow window). They are typically larger units and more expensive. The Leviton 6288 and X10 XPPF are examples of low pass filters. These units begin rolling off signals above ~13 Khz: http://idobartana.com/hakb/6288_Schematic_vA.pdf A couple of points about the Corinex filter - 1) It doesn't specify a max load (current rating). If this is fact a 5A filter, it's about the same price as a 5A filterlinc. 2) It doesn't specify a frequency range. I looked at the Corinex website and there weren't anymore details available there. Bottom line - send Corinex an email and request the load capability, and filter type (X10 bandstop or lowpass). If you pursue this, please let us know the results. IM
IndyMike Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 Tim, You're correct, I completely missed the spec sheet. The good news is that this does appear to be a low pass filter. The bad news is that it's designed for Homeplug powerline communications that operate from 4.5MHz to 21Mhz (variable frequency). That's a far above the Insteon frequency of 130Khz. The manufacturer quotes a filter range from 100Khz to 100MHz with a Maximum filter effectiveness of 50 db. Unfortunately they don't tell you what the effectiveness is at 120/130 Khz where the X10/Insteon systems operate. The filter performance at the low end of the frequency range may be good or marginal - can't tell from the specification. Typical free expert advice - lot's of observations, no conclusions. Worth every penny, IM
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