X10 Community Forum
🛡Home Security => Problems and Troubleshooting => Topic started by: levineron on March 20, 2011, 10:28:18 AM
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New to X10. Had no problem setting door/window Sensor throughout house and all work properly. Can't seem to do the same for lights. Can anyone give me a step by step process to get the modules to talk to the SC1200. I have the House Code set A and the Light Code Set 1.
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Try the LM15A Socket Rocket. In a table lamp connected to the same outlet as the consoles power supply.
If it works there. You probably have a power line signal problem.
Many things can effect the signals. Power line devices making noise on the line or absorbing the signals.
Another problem is most homes are split single phase and the X10 signals have a hard time getting to the other phase. You can try a rough test. Turn on an electric stove, oven or dryer. Then see if things get better.
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=9899.msg57946
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm
http://www.act-remote.com/PCC/uncle.htm
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Main_Page
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Thanks for the info. Let me see if I understand. In order for my lights to work through the SC1200 and my Key Chain Remote, I must use A or B as the House Code and 1 or 2 as the light code. Then the lights must all be set A 1 or 2, or B 1 or 2? Is that correct?
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No in the setup menu. Choice #7 Options.
You can pick any House Code and Light Code {Unit Code} you want to use.
The second Light Code is one Unit Code higher.
See page 26 of the SC1200 Users Manual.
You just have to have the modules you want to control on the same House Code and Unit Codes you picked in the Options Menu.
If you have the KR32A Keyfob. The lights on and off buttons control the higher of the two Light Codes.
If you never changed the House Code and Light Codes from the factory default. It would be A1 and A2.
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Ok. So I have my House Code set A, and my Light Code set 1. I have three WS12A set as A1 that I want to flash with the Alarm and control via my KR10A. Still nothing? I've got to still be missing something in the puzzle?
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Ok. So I have my House Code set A, and my Light Code set 1. I have three WS12A set as A1 that I want to flash with the Alarm and control via my KR10A. Still nothing? I've got to still be missing something in the puzzle?
Yes.
Read Brian H's March 20, 2011, 07:11:08 AM comment again.
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Phase coupling; noise and signal suckers. Come to mind.
Try one of the Socket Rockets in a table lamp. Connected to the same outlet as the SC1200s power supply. If it works. You do have signal problems to the WS12s
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I tried the table lamp with the rocket socket on the same wall plug as the sc1200. no luck. i tried turning on the electric oven and dryer to test the phase for the wall light switches. no luck.
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With the table lamp on the same outlet.
Turn the lamps switch off.
Wait maybe thirty seconds.
Then turn the table lamps switch back on and with in thirty seconds. Use the SC1200 keyboard buttons. Push 1. Push On. Try this sequence three times. That should make sure the socket rocket is programmed and it should then go on.
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I'll give it a try this evening. Thanks!
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Did not work. Could part of the problem be that I have the sc1200 plugged into a gfci circuit?
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We have seen some gfci outlets reported as problems. Depended on model and sometimes age.
I would not think the lamp with LM15A and SC1200A in the same gfci outlet would be a problem.
Guess you could as a test. Temporarily move the SC1200 and lamp with LM15A to another location and try again. Then power on the lamp and send the 1 On sequence again.
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This did not work for me either. I'm getting a little frustrated. I can send and receive a signal from the mini transceiver anywhere in the house along with all door and window modules, but cannot get anything from the security lights which I can set the code on just like the mini transceiver. Am I down to the split single phase issue or does using the same plug in different locations with both the controller and the socket rocket indicate something else or is it just I have an Id10t error?
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If you can control the same devices with a transceiver and remote but the security console will not.
I am thinking the security console is defective and not sending any X10 power line signals.
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I think that's the case. If I change the sc1200 to house code c, light code 1 to match the set up for my transceiver and then push the 1 on sequence, I still get nothing. Put no matter what code I assign the transceiver through ActiveHome, it works.
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Tranceiver? Like in TM751?
A TM751 can not be controlled by any X10 power line signals.
It has no power line receiver in it and only responds to an RF signal from a remote.
AHP knows a TM751 is an RF only device and sends an RF signal not a power line signal to it.
If it is an RR501 that has a power line receiver in it. Then you should be able to control it.
I thought your console was not controlling LM15As and WS12As.
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Your right. I was lumping the two together. I'm am talking about a problem with just the wired stuff. I have requested an RMA for the sc1200
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Please keep us in the loop. On how the replacement worked.
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I hope this isn't a common problem. I bought 2 of these. Mine the LCD stop working and rma'd, my parents said their lights stopped responding to theirs. I have to get over to check it out. I hope it's just them or it means both I bought went bad withing 2 weeks of installation.
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$0.02
Unfortunately with X10, I think the "end of assembly line" quality inspector is the customer. One would think they would try and improve qualty to reduce all the extra shipping charges incurred in exchange process. However, to their benefit, they do have a liberal return policy anchored in customer satisfaction.
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Well mine has a higher than normal power line transmit frequency as measured by my XTBM.
Says 124KHz for the XM19A Power Supply/Power Line Transmitter wall wart and 120KHz if I substitute the one from my Radio Shack 49-1000 kit as the supplies are basically the same. 120KHz is the nominal X10 power line frequency.
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I've received the new SC1200 and unfortunately am still having the same problem. I still can't turn on the hard-wired wall switches by pressing 1 on, or by using the ActiveHome. Here is my latest possibly stupid question. I have the House Code A and the Light Code 1. I have nothing on the Zone 1 or Zone 2. I have the Security Light set A1. Am I supposed to be setting up Zone 1 or Zone 2 on the control panel somehow to the lights and if so how? How do I get a wall switch to send a signal to the control panel?
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No Zone 1 and Zone 2 are security sensors registered to that Zone number.
Like if you added one on the front door and it may register as Zone 1. Anytime you opened the front door. The console would say Zone 1 open and if the system was armed. It would indicate Zone 1 was the violated zone.
It still sounds like you have a power line signal problem from the console and AHP controllers locations and the switches positions. You do have the switches set to A1 on their dials? You may want to try rotating the dials on the switches to make sure they are not intermittent and the code is really A1.
I know you have a TM751. Did we try it in the same outlet as the SC1200 is connected to?
Did we try it in a different outlet? As you indicated it was in a GFCI one.
Also X10 wall switches are not two way. You turn them on and off with the local paddle. AHP will not know you changed its on off state.
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What is the best way to diagnos exactly what my power line signal problem is? Let's assume that I have split single phase. I have already tried the turn on major appliances to see if that helped and it did not. Is my next move to call an electrician? If so, what exactly do i tell him.
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If you have not looked at the links in an earlier post. They may help.
Moving the console to different locations an trying it may show some coverage data.
Testing by unplugging things like TVs and other electronics and seeing if things get better. May help.
Unless an electrician is familiar with home automation. They may not be able to troubleshoot effectively.
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What is the best way to diagnos exactly what my power line signal problem is? Let's assume that I have split single phase. I have already tried the turn on major appliances to see if that helped and it did not. Is my next move to call an electrician? If so, what exactly do i tell him.
Not yet. Most electricians are not familier with X10 and powerline communications, they will just scrunch up their face and get glassy eyed.
1. WS12A work only with incandescent bulbs. Do your lights work when you use the paddle on the switch?
2. Have you reprogrammed the LM15A or is it still set to the default of House Code A, Unit code 1? Is it working with AHP? Do you have the CM15A or the CM19A? You need to verify what HCUC the LM15A is programmed for before further testing.
3. When you moved the SC1200 to a non GFCI outlet and plugged the LM15A in to the same outlet and the LM15A did not work, did you retry this test with the new SC1200? If not, try it again and verify "Light One" on the SC1200 and the LM15A are set to the same HCUC. If it doesn't work in the same "plain jane" outlet then set aside the noise and coupling issues to get the SC1200 and the LM15A working togeather. After that you can move the LM15A around the house and help determine noise and coupling issues.
I think Brian and I are on the same trail, I am just way behind him :D
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I just purchased the SC1200 and AHP. My situation is exactly as was previously described. I was able to successfully set up security door\window sensors with the SC1200 console. I installed a wall switch and it will not operate with the SC1200. I installed the door\window switches and the wall switch in AHP and they all operate as designed.
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You may have power line signal issues.
If the AHP Interface and the SC1200A are not in the same outlet. Different locations may have dead or weak signals where the switches are.
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Ok. I made big progress. I had two issues. The big one was that the power cord for the first sc1200 must have a problem. I had used it when I installed the second sc1200. On a hunch, I gave the other cord a try and it worked with both sc1200's. There were interference issues with a nearby tv also. Thanks for your patience and advice.
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OK. That makes sense. The X10 powerline transmitter is built into the power supply. I found mine was tuned off frequency, but not enough to make things flaky. Maybe yours was not sending any signals or was so far off it was flaky.
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Brian - thanks for your answer.
My SC1200 and AHP computer are connected to the same outlet. Last night I armed the SC1200 unit for the first time and triggered an alarm. The alarm was sensed by the SC1200, it called my cell using a Vonage connection and unbelievably my wall switch powered lamp lit and started flashing. That proved that the SC1200 is connecting to the switch. Here's the problem - the Lights On and Lights Off functions of neither remote works. AHP displays that signals are being sent when the Loghts ON and Loghts off keys are being pressed. The arm and disarm functions are working properly.
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If you have the newer KR32A Keyfob. The Lights on and off buttons. Send commands to only the higher of the two light codes in the SC1200.
Like default House Code A and Light {Unit Dial on modules} Code 1. The console when armed or alarming sends a A1 A2 AOn. Then an A1 A2 AOff. The light buttons On and Off on the KR32, only send the A2 Aon and A2 AOff. So if the lights in question are on the House Code and Light Code and not Lights Code+1. They will not go on and off.