X10 Community Forum

💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Charles Sullivan on June 22, 2008, 08:01:46 AM

Title: X-10 Compact Fluorescent Lamp Module
Post by: Charles Sullivan on June 22, 2008, 08:01:46 AM

I notice that X-10 is now promoting the AM466 Appliance Module as a "CFL Lamp Module" and I'm wondering whether they've made changes in the local sensing circuitry.

Or if this is still the same old AM466 and if the CFL flickers or turns back on, they'll just blame the CFL.

Title: Re: X-10 Compact Fluorescent Lamp Module
Post by: Dan Lawrence on June 22, 2008, 10:17:04 AM

I've got a AM466 in my Breakfast Room controlling the swag light. I have a CFL in it and until I added the night light to the module (with a cube tap plugged into the module) to kill the flicker when the light is off.  No more blink.

I suspect the "X-10 Compact Fluorescent Lamp Module" is just X10 hype.  We now know AH466's on sale are both old and new and you never know what you got until you hook it up.  :(

Title: Re: X-10 Compact Fluorescent Lamp Module
Post by: maddoghoek on June 30, 2008, 05:23:00 PM

Is there a Cube Tap out there with a built in LED night light, and would an LED night light even work for this trick?

Would be great to have a tap with a little green LED on one side.  I am looking to cut my total watage as low as possible and would like to minimize the Lamp plus night light.

Title: Re: X-10 Compact Fluorescent Lamp Module
Post by: Brian H on June 30, 2008, 07:12:12 PM

Alone; an LED Night Light; that I tried glows about 1/2 bright when an unmodified Appliance Module is off. Even with the local sensing parts removed there is still a very small sensing voltage on the outlet; so the electronics knows if the switch is on or off. I took that out on one also and all it did was chatter like a machine gun and then give up on trying to go off or on.
The modification for the Lamp Module that used a Sharp SSR and taking all the sensing circuits out seemed to work OK for me. I believe even a small LED Light was fine.

Title: Re: X-10 Compact Fluorescent Lamp Module
Post by: Brian H on June 30, 2008, 07:43:14 PM

Did a short test. An assortment of CFLs and two LED Type Night Lights. A Leviton 49568-BLU [one Blue LED] and a Feit C7/LED/WG [three White LEDs in a C7 style package].

All the CFLs pulsed; as did the LED Night Lights when the Appliance Module was off. Some CFLs also made the Appliance Module turn back on.

The LED Night Lights alone; with no CFL glowed between 50% for the Feit and maybe 75% for the Leviton when the Appliance Module was off.

The LED night lights in the modified Lamp Module where fine. On and off normally.