Serial to IP recommended device

Yep another vote for Moxa (albeit used from a different control system from AMX).

vining wrote: »

Digi is also nice, bullet proof but a bit pricey. Maybe $180.00US? for the 1 port.

$130 from Amazon, as low as $120 a number of places. We've recommended them because we've never yet heard about a failure in the field. Once you set them to auto-reconnect. Probably close to 100 of them on our systems across the country.

+ 1

Andrew G Welker wrote: »

For a much easier solution, look at the ICSLan boxes from AMX. They were recently released and show up in the AMX system as a native Netlinx device, so sending a serial string to them is the same as any other Netlinx device.

ICSLan EXB-COM2

Thanks for the plug, Andrew. These products starting shipping 2-months ahead of schedule.

Please continue to promote AMX products...we all have families to feed too!

Of course you know your comparison is unfair. The 2 port ICSlan Serial is msrp over $500, but you don't pay that. The $100 unit you are comparing it to, you pay $100 for. Do you charge your customer $500+ for the AMX version, and $100 for the other? If so, you put the sizable difference for the AMX one right in your own pocket. If you mark each up $50, the difference is clearly less... and the convenience of the AMX setup is worth something in your time at least. Still not cheap, and that's your real point, and I agree.

John Nagy wrote: »

Of course you know your comparison is unfair. The 2 port ICSlan Serial is msrp over $500, but you don't pay that. The $100 unit you are comparing it to, you pay $100 for. Do you charge your customer $500+ for the AMX version, and $100 for the other? If so, you put the sizable difference for the AMX one right in your own pocket. If you mark each up $50, the difference is clearly less... and the convenience of the AMX setup is worth something in your time at least. Still not cheap, and that's your real point, and I agree.

I also have some tech savvy customers who will price check every freaking line item. Not usually the customer I want but I need to take what I can get and they'll look at comparable prices of alternative item and actual ask me why I don't use use a $100 serial server that they can find googling instead of a $500 item from AMX. Of course if I word my line item description a little better so it doesn't sound like just a serial server they won't think of a simple serial server as an alternative. I still need to consider the bottom line though so I can't keep adding items I'd prefer to work with. Sometimes I need to consider the lowest costing item that will do the job, keeping in mind the setup time obviously.

Back on Point:
Anyway if AMX had a single port option the cost difference would be close enough all things considered to warrant the aded expense if and when only a single port is needed. Behind a TV for instnace where dealer cost + 50 would still keep it out of contention.

John Nagy wrote: »

My guess is that AMX knew they could not be cost competitive on a single port solution (way less volume than a multibrand solution, higher bar on build materials for commercial use - note the metal box). So they went multiport to be useful at the price point they could make. They can't cut the price in half by removing 1 port, any more than Jaguar can make a 50% price cut on that new XK I want by removing two wheels. A single port AMX might only cut their costs by $10, and adding another catalog skew costs them more than that. Oh well, good to have options.

I don't know where I got that price from I posted before but it looks like the list price is closer to $800.00 which really makes it a "no sale" item when you can find alternatives for 25% the cost.

As far as creating a single port device at half the price it should be trivial since the R&D is already done and that's where the cost comes from not the materials used to make it. If a jaguar was actually 2 cars joined together they should easily be able to create a single car version for 1/2 the cost.

Knowing the actual cost I don't see myself specifying them in any jobs. I'll specify SitePlayers at $80.00 per extra or remote port needed which will make it more likely that I get the job. It's more important that I'm able to eat before I help to feed anyone else.

shr00m-dew wrote: »

I looked at the prices of the new pieces and was going to ask why not use an NI-700 or 900 at those prices.... But it appears the COST on those two items have gone up 50% in the past year

Wow. I didn't notice the price hike on the NI-700. I think it's relatively recent.

B_Clements wrote: »

There have not been any price increases. There was an error on the AMX web site that has been corrected.

Thanks for the clarification Brian.