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[Frank3d]

All, I started my X10 system with the Vanguard Internet Control software that used the CM19A. Back then I modified my CM19A for an external antenna to achieve the desired RF control range I needed. Since then I purchased one more Vanguard two Sentinels and AHP to use the iWatch Mobile plug in and the CM19A works well with them. Now I want to manually control several X10 PR511 outside flood lights to light up the camera areas at night and have run into a problem. Since the X10 PR511 lights are internal motion sensor or power line controlled and the cameras are RF controlled I can not get any of the cameras to turn on with the X10 PR511 flood light motion sensor with both set to the same code. For those that dont know the X10 PR511 flood lights will transmit any preset code when motion is detected however the transmitted code is only over the house power lines therefore the vanguard and sentinel cameras dont come on. The reason for this is because the cameras will only come on with RF control and the PR511 flood lights only transmit over the power lines. The TM751 I have only converts RF control to power line control and not power line control to RF control. Realizing all that does anyone have any suggestions short of me replacing the CM19A with a CM15A that will require TWO external antennas to do what my CM19A does with one antenna because the CM15A has two antennas inside of it one for TX and another for RX along with power line control for both TX and RX.  How can I make the PR511 motion detection turn on the vanguard and sentinel cameras?  I hate to have to install another antenna to use a CM15A and then use a macro to do this task..

[troll334]

Haven't done all the research...but if the cams are RF On/Off (vs. plc), AND they're on the same freq as the XXXeye
sensors, perhaps you could put, say, an EagleEye very close to the floodlight with his HC/UC set such that the
dusk/dawn sensor is the code for the cam...then, when the floodlight comes on, the eagleeye will send the RF you
need? Darn, wait a minute...it's gonna send and Off command isn't it.
If there was only a way to reverse the eagleeye's circuit to send On when it sees light...reverse logic.
cold meds...not thinking straight. can't think of anything else at the moment.

[Dan Lawrence]

All, I started my X10 system with the Vanguard Internet Control software that used the CM19A. Back then I modified my CM19A for an external antenna to achieve the desired RF control range I needed. Since then I purchased one more Vanguard two Sentinels and AHP to use the iWatch Mobile plug in and the CM19A works well with them. Now I want to manually control several X10 PR511 outside flood lights to light up the camera areas at night and have run into a problem. Since the X10 PR511 lights are internal motion sensor or power line controlled and the cameras are RF controlled I can not get any of the cameras to turn on with the X10 PR511 flood light motion sensor with both set to the same code. For those that dont know the X10 PR511 flood lights will transmit any preset code when motion is detected however the transmitted code is only over the house power lines therefore the vanguard and sentinel cameras dont come on. The reason for this is because the cameras will only come on with RF control and the PR511 flood lights only transmit over the power lines. The TM751 I have only converts RF control to power line control and not power line control to RF control. Realizing all that does anyone have any suggestions short of me replacing the CM19A with a CM15A that will require TWO external antennas to do what my CM19A does with one antenna because the CM15A has two antennas inside of it one for TX and another for RX along with power line control for both TX and RX.  How can I make the PR511 motion detection turn on the vanguard and sentinel cameras?  I hate to have to install another antenna to use a CM15A and then use a macro to do this task..

The CM15 has only one external antenna, which there are several ways to extend it here, do a search for it.  It can also replace the CM19 as it does both types of transmissions while the CM19 needs a TM751 or RR501 to put signals on the powerline.

[Brian H]

Yes extending the internal transmit antenna on the CM15A would be an option.
I have not seen a power line signal to RF module but if one is made someone here will know about it.

[HA Dave]

Yes extending the internal transmit antenna on the CM15A would be an option.

I exposed the Internal CM15A antenna... as well as modified the external receiving antenna. I wanted to Voice Control my [backyard mounted] Ninja from my living room easychair (as in this YouTube Video). My CM15A however resides in the basement with my Home Automation Computer. I had to dig out the internal antenna and drill a small hole so it can hang outside the CM15A's case. That gave me all the broadcast RF range I needed.

My mod (not much of a mod) was done almost two years ago. I did post it ( http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=17240.msg94900#msg94900 ) and there is a picture attached as well.

As you can see from my old Activity Has Been Detected.... YouTube Video I also use the Floodlights (PR511) to control my perimeter detection.

[Frank3d]

Haven't done all the research...but if the cams are RF On/Off (vs. plc), AND they're on the same freq as the XXXeye
sensors, perhaps you could put, say, an EagleEye very close to the floodlight with his HC/UC set such that the
dusk/dawn sensor is the code for the cam...then, when the floodlight comes on, the eagleeye will send the RF you
need? Darn, wait a minute...it's gonna send and Off command isn't it.
If there was only a way to reverse the eagleeye's circuit to send On when it sees light...reverse logic.
cold meds...not thinking straight. can't think of anything else at the moment.

Troll334,
Good idea about the Eagle Eye use. The off timer could be helpful. Im pondering on it for a while........... TNX

[Frank3d]

Yes extending the internal transmit antenna on the CM15A would be an option.

I exposed the Internal CM15A antenna... as well as modified the external receiving antenna. I wanted to Voice Control my [backyard mounted] Ninja from my living room easychair (as in this YouTube Video). My CM15A however resides in the basement with my Home Automation Computer. I had to dig out the internal antenna and drill a small hole so it can hang outside the CM15A's case. That gave me all the broadcast RF range I needed.

My mod (not much of a mod) was done almost two years ago. I did post it ( http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=17240.msg94900#msg94900 ) and there is a picture attached as well.

As you can see from my old Activity Has Been Detected.... YouTube Video I also use the Floodlights (PR511) to control my perimeter detection.

Dave,
Its good to know that the RF range of the CM15A is as good as the CM19A, both with external antennas. Can anyone second that???

[HA Dave]

Dave,
Its good to know that the RF range of the CM15A is as good as the CM19A, both with external antennas. Can anyone second that???

No guarantees Frank3d.So much depends on your home and your setup... its all a bit of a crapshoot. But you could just setup the CM15A to run a macro: That would receive the PR511 PLC signal... and in return send a RF signal. Then unplug it (the USB) from the PC and let it run. However... if you have a transceiver (like a TM751) on the line set for the same house address... that can be a problem.

But the CM15A offers SO MUCH... I wouldn't want to be without one (I keep a spare).

[Frank3d]

Dave,
Its good to know that the RF range of the CM15A is as good as the CM19A, both with external antennas. Can anyone second that???

No guarantees Frank3d.So much depends on your home and your setup... its all a bit of a crapshoot. But you could just setup the CM15A to run a macro: That would receive the PR511 PLC signal... and in return send a RF signal. Then unplug it (the USB) from the PC and let it run. However... if you have a transceiver (like a TM751) on the line set for the same house address... that can be a problem.

But the CM15A offers SO MUCH... I wouldn't want to be without one (I keep a spare).

Dave,
I only wish the TM751 was bidirectional. That would cure this whole dilemma. Well I'm off two weeks for Christmas vacation and will have enough time to experiment with the CM15A and its ant. mods. I hope it gives me the same RF range I'm getting from the CM19A with its ant. mods. Thanks again for all the input!

[HA Dave]

When I 1st started using cameras with X10 I had an old CM11A which had no RF... [but hadn't done anything to correct my phase issues] and was having a very similar problem to yours. Only I was just trying to trigger a VCR Commander [to record camera video].  My floodlights (PR511) worked excellently at detecting people and [in my case] turning on the [PLC Controlled] cameras but couldn't trigger the VCR Commander.

My very first modification... (which I was so proud of I registered at the forum so I could post it... which also makes it my 1st X10 post) was a way to create the RF signal I needed. The images at that post are gone... yahoo stopped the free geocities service where the images were stored. But what I did was: I altered a PalmPad Remote [set to the VCR commanders House Address, and used a clamp on the button for the Unit address] by cutting the battery power line. I then used a Universal module set on intermittent to close the [battery] powerline in the PalmPad Remote. 

I disliked the old CM11A so much... I really dragged my feet on getting a AHP CM15A (which has RF). I finally fixed my phase issue and purchased the AHP. I love my setup and what all it does now. I would recommend AHP with the CM15A to everyone.

[Frank3d]

Haven't done all the research...but if the cams are RF On/Off (vs. plc), AND they're on the same freq as the XXXeye
sensors, perhaps you could put, say, an EagleEye very close to the floodlight with his HC/UC set such that the
dusk/dawn sensor is the code for the cam...then, when the floodlight comes on, the eagleeye will send the RF you
need? Darn, wait a minute...it's gonna send and Off command isn't it.
If there was only a way to reverse the eagleeye's circuit to send On when it sees light...reverse logic.
cold meds...not thinking straight. can't think of anything else at the moment.

Troll334,
Good idea about the Eagle Eye use. The off timer could be helpful. Im pondering on it for a while........... TNX

12/19/10
OK worked on this and initially it was a good idea but the problem I ran into was that the PR511 floodlights come on during the day with Eagle Eye Motion RF & PR511 HC/UC the same and going though my TM751. The Eagle Eye RF signal is recognised as a manual turn on by the PR511 and over rides the Day night sensor. Looks like I will have to go the CM15A route unless someone has any other Ideas.

[Frank3d]

Haven't done all the research...but if the cams are RF On/Off (vs. plc), AND they're on the same freq as the XXXeye
sensors, perhaps you could put, say, an EagleEye very close to the floodlight with his HC/UC set such that the
dusk/dawn sensor is the code for the cam...then, when the floodlight comes on, the eagleeye will send the RF you
need? Darn, wait a minute...it's gonna send and Off command isn't it.
If there was only a way to reverse the eagleeye's circuit to send On when it sees light...reverse logic.
cold meds...not thinking straight. can't think of anything else at the moment.

Troll334,
Good idea about the Eagle Eye use. The off timer could be helpful. Im pondering on it for a while........... TNX

12/19/10
OK worked on this and initially it was a good idea but the problem I ran into was that the PR511 floodlights come on during the day with Eagle Eye Motion RF & PR511 HC/UC the same and going though my TM751. The Eagle Eye RF signal is recognised as a manual turn on by the PR511 and over rides the Day night sensor. Looks like I will have to go the CM15A route unless someone has any other Ideas.

12/25/10
Went the CM15A route w/dual antenna system. See my other post. Thanks Everyone!!!! ..................END.......................