I see SignaLinc's are discontinued. I suppose AccessLinc's replace them.
Are the SignaLincs worth installing - Do they even work? I have a pair that I bought years ago with anticipation of the Insteon rage. Of course it never happened any time soon (years later, they finally got their SHHH together and produced a reliable product and finally developed wireless Insteon. Of course we were told that the AccessLincs were needed to transmit wireless Insteon. SignalLincs were outdated before they ever had a chance to do anything.
Now thatI have an Insteon installation (with accessLincs) Is it worth plugging in the SignalLincs?
Will they help with RF range? Or are they just dead components?
I had/have 2 SignaLincs for phase coupling for several years, worked fine. Added 2 Access Points when I eventually added RF devices. Purchased one the kits which included the two Access Points. The Access Points operate on a different RF frequency so they do not interfere with the SignaLincs. I saw no reason to throw the SignaLincs away so they are on the powerline along with 2 Access Points. There is no reason to add the SignaLincs once you have Access Points installed and working.
The 2442 SignaLinc RF was the first module that was used to bridge the phases in most homes. This unit was before the added Wireless RF Insteon devices. It has been replaced by the 2443 Access Points and uses a different frequency as mentioned. Access Points also bridge the phases in a home in addition to receiving the Insteon RF signals from wireless modules.
When Insteon started, SignaLincs were used to couple the two house phases together using an RF signal. There were no Access Points and no RF based Insteon wireless devices such as the RemoteLinc or Motion Sensor. When wireless RF devices came along it was found (so the rumor goes) that the RF frequency used by the existing SignaLincs did not work well for wireless devices so a replacement SignaLinc was developed and it was called an Access Point. The name reflects its dual purpose as both an RF based phase coupler and the receiver/transmitter link to the new RF based wireless devices.
To ease the transition to Access Points Smarthome had a program where the SignaLincs could be traded in for the new Access Points at a very reduced cost. With the ever expanding list of Insteon wireless RF devices, it makes sense to start with Access Points even if there are no immediate plans to use wireless devices. Now, years later, I think the RF SignaLincs have been withdrawn.
Yes the SignaLinc RF devices are gone. I tried a search for the 2442 and got the web page for discontinued module instructions and software if applicable.
SingaLinc RF #2442 (Remember)
Posted - 11/07/2009 : 11:17:49 AM
