X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: kgdray on November 08, 2007, 07:58:42 AM
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I have a track light hooked up to a 3-way switch (WS4777). The manual switches work 100% of the time. If a remote pad is used, the light turns on 100% of the time, but cannot be turned off by the pad (HR12A-COM). The lights will always turn off via use of a wired pad such as IR 543 or MC460.
This light is on the same line as an outlet which, if a lamp module is installed, will turn back on as soon as an off command is given, regardless of wired or wireless remote. Obviously there is some anomaly in the line. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance.
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What kind of lights are the WS477 powering? CFLs?
A wild guess (WAG) is electrical noise generated by what ever the WS477 is controlling. LED lights and Compact Fluorescent Lights can generate electrical noise when on. If what ever transceiver you are using to convert the Palm Pad RF signal to powerline, is on the other phase in your home, it's signal might be weak enough to be swamped by the noise source, where the wired controllers are not (or perhaps on the same phase is the WS477).
If you have only incandescent bulbs controlled by the WS477....forget what I said.
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I, too, am having a problem with CFB's on a plug-in controller. If I turn it off, it turns back on immediately. I assume the electronics in the CFB are sufficient to trigger the controller as though I've cycled the light.
Does anyone know if X10 is working on a long term fix for this, since there is clearly a trend toward CFB's? I may have to invest in an alternate system if they can't overcome this.
Thanks.
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corned1
CFLs shouldn't be used with any light module Unless the CFLs are the Actual dimable ones (will say dimable on package)
that being said there are wall switches that can be used but these are not dimable switches!
All alternate systems have the same issue as CFLs have just started to become main stream even though they have been around for years! ::) ;)
Check you plug-in module you should have no problems with an appliance module (AM486)! Except the annoying ON/OFF clicking ;)
It is unlikely X10 will do any thing as the problem lies in the bulbs! ::)
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corned1; As a test to see if the Local Control Sensing circuit in the X10 module is being triggered. Use a 7 watt regular night light or a small regular lamp. On the modules output. Maybe with a power tap. If the problem stops your CFLs are triggering the turn on. My appliance modules did the samething. Yes a appliance module and lamp module with mo sensing would be nice, but I don't think we will see it right now. Other brand modules maybe more tolerant of this CFL trickle current. Though I have had some not go back on but the CFL flashes at a regular rate. Maybe every 2 to 4 seconds.
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I, too, am having a problem with CFB's on a plug-in controller. If I turn it off, it turns back on immediately. I assume the electronics in the CFB are sufficient to trigger the controller as though I've cycled the light.
Does anyone know if X10 is working on a long term fix for this, since there is clearly a trend toward CFB's? I may have to invest in an alternate system if they can't overcome this.
Thanks.
It is doubtful X10 has anything in the works, but who knows, they may surprise us.
In the mean time, I and a a lot of other forum members use "Socket Rockets" to control CFLs. The Socket Rocket does not have the local control function, so flickering and turning back ON is eliminated. X10 states the Socket Rocket is for incandescent bulbs, but they work fine for CFLs also, once they are programmed. Use an incandescent bulb when programming the Socket Rocket for the HC UC, then switch to the CFL.
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I used a LED... and resolved a flickering CFL... using adaptors and SocketRockets.