X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: southmike on April 24, 2006, 09:51:27 PM
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I installed several hardwired x10 receptacles and a central controller.
they control the TV, computer and radio.
when bedtime comes I turn off the modules.
but now my kid has figured out a way around this .
if you turn off the switch on the surge bar and turn it back on,
or unplug and replug the the cord in the outlet the x10 resets, and power is restored...
do all x10 modules do this? if not what brand does not and where can I find them...
any other ideas.......thanks for your help.
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Kids these days are just too smart! The feature he is taking advantage of is called local control and to the best of my knowledge all brands of x10 receptacles have this feature. I have seen articles on disabling it on plug-in appliance modules, but have never seen one for the wall receptacles. If you are technically savvy, you might be able to figure out how to do it though. For more information check out Defeating local current sensing (http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/Modifying_Appliance_module.htm#Defeating local current sensing). Good luck!
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southmike:
Local load sensing can be disabled without hardware modification on many of the Smarthome appliance modules, e.g., http://www.smarthome.com/2002SHL.HTML
I doubt this will stop your kid for very long, but the technical challenge may be a good thing for him in the long run. :-)
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Local load sensing can be disabled without hardware modification on many of the Smarthome appliance modules, e.g., http://www.smarthome.com/2002SHL.HTML
That is true, but unfortunately Smarthome doesn't make wall receptacle modules and it would be easy for him to unplug a plug-in module and plug the TV directly into the wall.
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Not sure what your using for a central control. But if it is somthing that can be programed like the CM15A (AHP) you could make a macro which sends the off command every (time interval you choose) and for how ever long you choose (allnight long?) kids will soon get frustrated having do there work arround every 5-10 mins and give up.
As roger1818 stated Kids these days are just too smart!
If they realy want to they'll find a way around most anything! ::)
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Not sure what your using for a central control. But if it is somthing that can be programed like the CM15A (AHP) you could make a macro which sends the off command every (time interval you choose) and for how ever long you choose (allnight long?) kids will soon get frustrated having do there work arround every 5-10 mins and give up.
That is a great idea. You could even have the macro run every minute or even more frequently if he wanted.
Alternately he could connect a switch to a POWERFLASH Burglar Alarm Interface (PF284) (http://www.x10.com/security/x10_pf284.htm) in Mode 2 and keep it beside his bed. When switched on it would send an AllUnitsOff command approximately every 2 seconds (interspersed with AllLightsOn commands). He would have to make sure there weren't any other modules on the same housecode (especially lamp or wall switch modules) and when it is switched on, the powerline would be flooded with X10 commands, preventing much else from working, but it would make it impossible for his son to watch TV. ;)
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You haven't told us how old your son is. It sounds like it's time to tell him the reason the X10 timers were set was to remind him of the times he was not to use those controled items. AHP will let you program an almost an endless number of OFF comands but short of putting a lock box around the X10 box he can still unplug the item and plug it in directly.
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thanks for the replies...
he is a stubborn 14 year old ..who got grounded for bad grades.
of course he had to show the younger kids how to get around it...
so far he just figured out the surge bar trick but the plugs are comming...
unfortunately the only thing i have is a basic alarm clock type controller i picked up on ebay.
what other controllers would you recommend?
like which ones can send off commands every few minutes.
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A CM15A would have enough memory to do that, but I think you're doomed to lose the battle with your approach. A 14 year-old kid with any smarts can rapidly educate himself via the Web about X10 and outwit you. Take the advice offered by steve r.
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...he is a stubborn 14 year old ..who got grounded for bad grades....
Is the TV in his room? If so it might be time to remove it.
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The question was brought up in another thread about whether the X10 SR227 Controlled Receptacle has local control - the prevailing opinion was that it did NOT. I just tried one myself, and can say that turning on the switch of a 200 Watt lamp didn't result in the receptacle turning on, although I can't state that a heavier load like PC and TV wouldn't do it. What's the manufacturer and model of your X10 receptacle?
The problem with this receptacle insofar as your situation is concerned is that only the upper socket is controlled - the lower socket is unswitched and always On. (I suppose you could fill the holes of the lower socket with epoxy glue.)
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The question was brought up in another thread about whether the X10 SR227 Controlled Receptacle has local control - the prevailing opinion was that it did NOT. I just tried one myself, and can say that turning on the switch of a 200 Watt lamp didn't result in the receptacle turning on, although I can't state that a heavier load like PC and TV wouldn't do it.
Judging by the method his son uses to turn the TV back on, it sounds like it does have local control.
The problem with this receptacle insofar as your situation is concerned is that only the upper socket is controlled - the lower socket is unswitched and always On.
I just checked and the Leviton 6280 switches both sockets and doesn't have local control so that might be a good solution. It also has a feedthrough wire which lets other outlets be controlled by this module so if all outlets in the room are on one breaker and are daisy chained together, you could install it in one location and have it turn off all outlets in the room.
You can get it from SmartHome (http://www.smarthome.com/2245w.html) for $26.99.
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THE NUCLEAR OPTION:
1. Give your son a battery powered alarm clock.
2. Find key for the lock on the circuit breaker box door (this would be the green moldy key Cutler Hammer key at the back of your work bench bottom drawer...the one you didn't have a clue what it was for, until now).
3. At the prescribed time; kill the breaker to your son's room.
4. Lock breaker box door.
5. Unlock box and reset breaker before going to work next morning.
6. Keep the key with you...your son is smart enough to figure out how you are doing this.
;-)
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You could always wire a standard outlet receptacle to an XPFM. The XPFM does not have local control; it can only be turned on or off by an X10 command.
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How bout just catching him EVERY Time he uses an X10 connection??
with the ActiveHome Pro software and CM15A interface you could program several off commands as stated above.
But, you could also monitor the plugs and lights (X10 controlled), when they are active (turned on) you can have a macro warn you by either turning your light on or by a sound module (however you choose) to let you know that his TV or light has been turned on.
might wake you up at night, but he will think you have ESP knowing every time hes using something he shouldn't. even after he checked to make sure you were sleeping, you still knew?? :)
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might wake you up at night, but he will think you have ESP knowing every time hes using something he shouldn't. even after he checked to make sure you were sleeping, you still knew?? :)
Unless he's also hacked dad's pc and read this entire post. Time to try it like in the old days. Take away everything in his room that he's not allowed to use while he's grounded.
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If he's hacked Dad's PC, time to take that and everything else electronic away.
Who's the Adult here, anyway?
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Skip X10 and use the Power Cop (http://www.smarthome.com/46900.html) from SmartHome. It locks around the plug and can be set for different times for each day. Unless your kid learns how to pick the lock, he won't be able to defeat it. Also its internal timer is powered with a battery that automatically recharges from AC. ie. The time table you set can't be shifted by unplugging it like an AC powered mechanical timer could.
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How about taking the TV out of his room for a few days and telling him it's because he was watching it after hours? And you catch him at it again you will take the TV away for a week!!!
Good luck
Ron
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The kids today... ;D
I have just posted an entry to my blog about this subject. I will try to add more of those often addressed questions into my "Marko's Tips" section.
I hope people will find this helpful.
http://www.x10community.com/marko/