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Author Topic: CFL INTERFERENCE  (Read 3773 times)

RAYMAN

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CFL INTERFERENCE
« on: March 23, 2016, 03:48:50 PM »

I'm probably the last person to figure this out but in case others have problems here it is.
Over several months I have noticed an increase of X10 device operation becoming sluggish and having reduced range. I was about to trash my CM15 because it got to where it would only respond to input from the computer. Then one day a I was testing all of my modules they were doing screwy things like taking repeated commands to work, and hit and miss operation. Then the light bulb came on literally. Over the past year I began replacing the light bulbs in my office where the x10 stuff is located with CFLs. Since I usually turn on lights anytime I'm in the office, the problem got progressively worse. It dawned on me a few months ago and so I turned off all of the CFL lights. Like magic, all of my x10 stuff went back to normal operation. I ran several tests and a little as one 13 watt light will produce enough interference to cause x10 stuff to do odd things. All of the disturbance appears to be only on circuits fed from the same panelboard. CFLs on remote panelboards didn't appear to have much of an effect unless there was an RR501 or TM 751 on it.
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dave w

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Re: CFL INTERFERENCE
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2016, 03:59:03 PM »

Yep, CFLs are a known problem, as is some LED bulbs. In both cases some brands and wattages work fine and others do not. Are all your CFLs the same brand?
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RAYMAN

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Re: CFL INTERFERENCE
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2016, 04:13:38 PM »

They are all of two brands, Utilitech, and Greenlite. I didn't do anymore testing because I was really tired of all of the problems and my wife was giving me a load as she always does when my hairbrained stuff doesn't work right. She won't touch an x10 device. Calls it VODO magic.
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Tuicemen

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Re: CFL INTERFERENCE
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2016, 04:27:19 PM »

She won't touch an x10 device. Calls it VODO magic.
It Is! rofl
Unless you have all the bugs worked out(noise and signal suckers)
I also discovered a incandescent bulb causing extreme noise but those are rare.
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