Old X10 Modules Failing?
in [Repair]
|
From: (PeteCresswell) on 9 Dec 2009 17:26 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
From: Tim on 9 Dec 2009 17:37 If you are using CFL bulbs, try turning them off. I have noticed they seem to cause flaky operation in a usually stable setup at my house. Prolly due to the line noise they generate, especially if they are on the same line as the RF receiver / line transmitter unit. - Tim - In article <em80i5luf0t9nbo63fai8onn6oe5f7llkk(a)4ax.com>, x(a)y.Invalid says... > 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? >
From: William R. Walsh on 9 Dec 2009 17:56 Hi! > The obvious is that the modules up there are at the end of their > lives and need tb replaced. They are so simple that a failure like that would surprise me. I had a CM11A controller plugged in under my desk for the longest time, doing absolutely nothing. It wasn't even plugged into a computer. I'm sure it had been plugged in since the late 90s, and disconnected from power only when it went out. I took it over to my other house to use it as a lighting controller for some of the halloween stuff I had out and it worked just like new after putting new batteries in it and programming it with a computer. Anyway...back to your problem. Have you tried putting the controller and offending modules on the same circuit to see if the bad behavior persists? If you are in the US and therefore have two "legs" of 120 volt power coming in, X10 modules can have a great deal of difficulty with this. If there isn't some kind of "bridge", the signal has to run all the way back out to the transformer to cross over to the other "leg". It may get very distorted in the process or be too weak to do this. I've seen this cause a module to respond to one command without responding to another. Maybe you know all that. I mention it just because it's so easy to forget about it...or at least I have found that it's easy to forget. There are other things that can cause problems with X10 communications. Surge protectors (don't plug X10 modules into them) intercoms that communicate over the household wiring, CFL bulbs, and switchmode power supplies can all cause problems. I actually gave up on my X10 stuff at the one house because of interference. Modules would start coming on or going off--sometimes in rapid succession--all on their own! Ones that could dim would frequently do so. I could change the housecode when it started up, and that would solve it for a while, but whatever it was would eventually "follow" ... and there it went again! I never did figure it out. Maybe it was nothing more than someone being extremely juvenile? The other house (across the street, on a differen transformer) has never had that problem. William
From: (PeteCresswell) on 9 Dec 2009 19:33 Per William R. Walsh: >Maybe you know all that. I mention it just because it's so easy to >forget about it...or at least I have found that it's easy to forget. I am flattered... but no, I don't know any of that.... I had heard somewhere about the surge protector thing. >There are other things that can cause problems with X10 >communications. Surge protectors (don't plug X10 modules into them) >intercoms that communicate over the household wiring, CFL bulbs, and >switchmode power supplies can all cause problems. Would PC power supplies be "switchmode"? >- >I actually gave up on my X10 stuff at the one house because of >interference. Did you find an alternative? When I was trying to get mControl working on my server, I dabbled briefly with Insteon units. Got beau coups CFL bulbs... gonna try turning them all off as soon as I hit "Send" on this. -- PeteCresswell
From: (PeteCresswell) on 9 Dec 2009 21:34 Per (PeteCresswell): > >Got beau coups CFL bulbs... gonna try turning them all off as >soon as I hit "Send" on this. No go. Next, I'm re-installing mControl. If I can figure how to get the Insteon interface working, I'll point it at the offending X10 switch. -- PeteCresswell
|
Next
|
Last
Pages: 1 2 Prev: Trash on Global Warming, by Sara Palin ? Next: Proview 900W LCD Monitor |