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Author Topic: Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor  (Read 9201 times)

stolzb

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Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor
« on: February 27, 2006, 04:15:36 PM »

I have motion sensor set up in my master bath on a
macro that is supposed to turn the light on and dim
between 11pm and 5:30am.

I have the motion sensor on A2 and the light switch on
A4.  When I use a remote to turn the light on or just use the switch (not during
the the time when the macro is supposed to run), the light starts
blinking on and off every couple of seconds.  I noticed that every time
the light cycles on and off, the motion sensor flashes. 
I saw someone on a different thread had a similar problem and it
was suggested that the TM751 was to blame. As I said before, the
light is directly related to the motion sensor getting stuck in some weird loop.

Has this been happening to anyone else?  Any suggestions?
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Mystyx

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Re: Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2006, 01:26:50 AM »

I have no real clue based on info given for your setup....  but one thing to check maybe, is the setup of the motion sensor in analog mode or delay mode? delay turned right down (MS16).

Try a simpler macro and see if the same problem occures? or if distance is a problem?
Try the motion sensor closer to the CM15a (do you have this?) remove repeaters?

probably totally off on this, but try.
someone might jump in with another solution.
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Chris S.

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Re: Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2006, 02:03:21 AM »

Are you using the TM751 to control HC A ?
IN AHP, under "Tools / Hardware Configuration"
what is the "Transceived House Codes" set to ?
None
Specific or
Auto

??
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emil

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Re: Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2006, 08:11:17 AM »

Is it possible that the sensor is on A3 and not A2 or the light is on A3 not A4? If this was the case then it would act as you described. The sensor channel + 1 is used as a day/night detector. When the light is turned on, the sensor would think it's daylight and then turn it off. When it turned of the sensor would think it's nighttime and turn it back on, etc...

Just a thought.
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Tuicemen

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Re: Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor
« Reply #4 on: February 28, 2006, 09:03:06 AM »

Not sure how old the batteries are in the motion sensor but if they're older then 10 months change them. I've had sensors do all kinds of wierd stuff (jump to other numbers same house code/different housecode and back) if this is the case the mosion sensor may have canged its code to 4 which I have posted about http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=36.0here
I suspect that this is the case with yours but havn't had this occure to me on house code A in any case try a new set of batteries. ;)
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WinS

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Re: Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor
« Reply #5 on: February 28, 2006, 11:57:30 AM »

I think the answer is in the activity log.  During the on/off loop, what's it telling you?
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stolzb

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Re: Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor
« Reply #6 on: February 28, 2006, 08:54:07 PM »

Thanks for the responses.

I had the motion sensor set on A3 and the wall switch set on A4.

The Macro was as follows:

Conditions: Between 11:00pm and 5:30am

Trigger A3
Turn on A4 and dim to 50%.
Delay 3 min
Turn off A4

Download to interface is checked. I download to the interface and tested.

Thats about as simple as I know how to do it.   Thanks Mystyx

When I use a palm remote or turn the switch on manually, In 3 seconds it the motion sensor light would flash and turn the light off, about 3 seconds later the motion sensor would flash again and the light would turn on.  It will loop like this until I either pushed the unit off button on the motion sensor or I would turn the wall switch off.  I stood in the other room and observed this happening.  It just tweeked out.   I changed the unit code for the MS to A2 and this stopped happening.  I don't have it set up as a day night detector.  (thanks emil)

I didn't take the batteries out but about 2 weeks ago, I took it straight from the packaging, put batteries in it, change the house code and set it on the counter for testing.   At first I just I set the MS and WS to the same house code and let it turn the light on and off by itself. Worked okay like that. (Thanks Tuicemen)

I double checked the house/unit code several times, it was A3.  No prob there (thanks again Emil)

The transceived house codes is set to none.  (thanks Chris S.) 

I didn't check the Activity monitor before I switched the unit code to A2 on the MS and I didn't think to check for it before I cleared it.  (Thanks WinS)

As you can tell, I am very new to this.  I got excited about home automation from this guy but don't have his budget.

  Check this out.  http://james.lipsit.com/home.htm  This guy has it figured out.

I obviously don't expect to get these kind of results from AHP.  I thought setting up some cool modules and routines would be fun and educational.

 I'm getting an education alright!  Anyway, like I said, I changed the unit code and this seemed to work. 

New problem....   

I have a X10 switched light outside that is set up on a motion sensor, both set up to A1, no macro, MS is delayed 4 minutes, only goes off at night. 
All night last night the MS kept tripping, I would hear the TM751 pop (it pops everytime the outside MS trips, has done this since I got it), and the macro I listed at the beginning of this post would run!  They both use the sameTM751.  It looks like there is some cross mojonization going on.  I am going to fool around with some more this evening.   I await your responses.

Thanks All!

Bruce
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emil

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Re: Lights flashing on and off with motion sensor
« Reply #7 on: February 28, 2006, 10:41:48 PM »

The 751 turns on it's power recepticle then Unit 1 is tripped for whatever House code it's set, that's what you're hearing.
Remember, the motion sensors must not be set to adjacent codes because the day/night will interfere with the other sensor. If one is A1, the other must be set to A3 or higher and the light to A5 or higher.
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