Prev: Trash on Global Warming, by Sara Palin ?
Next: Proview 900W LCD Monitor
From: nesesu on 10 Dec 2009 10:11
On Dec 9, 2:26 pm, "(PeteCresswell)" <x...(a)y.Invalid> wrote:
> About 20  years ago I had the brilliant idea of installing
> X10-controlled floodlights under the eves of the house and
> putting the X10 modules that control same up in what passes for
> an attic.
>
> Now something's getting flaky.   There's this one set of lights
> where I can hit "All On" on a controller and the lights come on,
> but "All Off" will not turn them off - even though other lights
> do get turned off.
>
> We've been through a couple of other similar happening.  In one
> case, another controller would turn all lights on via "All On",
> but no lights responded to "All Off".
>
> The obvious is that the modules up there are at the end of their
> lives and need tb replaced.
>
> But I'm fishing for some other explanation before I crawl up
> there and start ripping things out - and running Romex down the
> soil stack to someplace more accessible to locate the new modules
> in.
>
> Controller "volume"?   Some interaction with other devices on the
> same circuit?   Something with different circuits in the house
> blocking some X10 commands?
>
> Anybody have experience?
> --
> PeteCresswell

FWIW, Pete, I have had several old X-10 modules that have gone flakey
like you describe. It happens to both lamp controllers as well as
appliance modules. The problem that I found in all the flakey ones was
failed main power supply filter caps. Unfortunately they are tiny
electrolytics of various ratings depending on the module, and somewhat
difficult to find. In every case the replacement of the filter cap
corrected the problems and they have been working well since. Some of
them are now up to about 30 years old.

Neil S.
From: William R. Walsh on 10 Dec 2009 10:28
Hi!

> I am flattered... but no, I don't know any of that....  I had
> heard somewhere about the surge protector thing.

You should definitely consider all of it. If you could arrange a test
to see if the problem is distance or signal strength related, it would
tell you a lot.

(An outlet strip can be used temporarily to do this, as can multiple
outlets on the same circuit. At least that's how I've done it.)

> Would PC power supplies be "switchmode"?

Yes, they are. The power demands practically require it--otherwise
their power supplies would be heavy, hot running and inefficient.

> Did you find an alternative?   When I was trying to get mControl
> working on my server, I dabbled briefly with Insteon units.

No, it really wasn't that high of a priority. The X-10 stuff wasn't
really doing anything that I couldn't live without or do in some other
way. And I could have installed a filter at the service panel to block
the interference out totally.

I really do wonder if it was all caused by someone with nothing better
to do than to goof around with stuff that wasn't theirs. Last year I
operated the holiday decorations in the yard with a lamp module and
X-10 timer clock. It ran this stuff for over a month and never missed
a beat.

William
First  |  Prev  | 
Pages: 1 2
Prev: Trash on Global Warming, by Sara Palin ?
Next: Proview 900W LCD Monitor