X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: c0b4lt on June 12, 2009, 08:04:46 PM
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I have a MS16A setup to turn on a few x10 light switches. Up until today it would turn them on until a minute after motion stopped then turn them off. Now today suddenly when it detects motion its turning them on and then never turns them off. Trying to figure out why that might be. I've only had this setup for a few days now. I know the rr501 gets the off command from it by manually hitting the Off button under the battery compartment. And the dial or w/e that's on the sensor that sets the delay after motion stops hasn't been touched.
Any thoughts as to why the lights are never getting turned off?
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Sounds to me like NOISE in the line.....
Have you changed anything in the house? Plugged in a fan, cell phone charger, etc?
If so try unplugging them and see if it starts working.
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no and like i said i can manually hit the unit/off button and it works fine
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I have a MS16A setup to turn on a few x10 light switches. Up until today it would turn them on until a minute after motion stopped then turn them off. Now today suddenly when it detects motion its turning them on and then never turns them off. Trying to figure out why that might be. I've only had this setup for a few days now. I know the rr501 gets the off command from it by manually hitting the Off button under the battery compartment. And the dial or w/e that's on the sensor that sets the delay after motion stops hasn't been touched.
Any thoughts as to why the lights are never getting turned off?
After MS16A turns ON the lights, with out moving the MS16Aor moving in front of it, watch it to see if the red LED blinks, indicating transmission of the OFF signal. If the LED blinks but the light doesn't extinguish, Mr Kramer is probably correct in thinking (new) noise is preventing the OFF signal from getting through (what is being turned ON, CFLs?). If you do not see the LED blink one minute after the light was turned ON, try using the OFF button on the MS16A. If the light now turns off, try: 1. reprogramming the delay period...if you left it defaulted to one minute, try reprogramming to something greater to see if it begins to work. 2. try replacing the batteries. After that I'm out of ideas.
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the switches are controlling incandescent lights
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and now it is working properly ..... /shrug still didn't change or add anything
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The MS16A has a few added features that most of the other models do not have. Like turning on and off the dusk/dawn sensor and selecting if motion is detected all the time or only if dark. Also the time before the off is sent can be set to as long as 256 minutes. I have never seen a report of one just change by itself but they can get flaky if the batteries are weak. Have you checked the batteries?
Link to the MS16A wiki data.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Active_Eye_Motion_Sensor_Setup
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yeah i had checked the batteries and ended up swapping the entire unit out for a different one as the problem returned today.
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c0b4lt,
This may seem a little odd, but I've been following your other posts, and you might want to have an electrician (or yourself at your own risk [I don't know your skillset]) check the neutral lugs in the main breaker box.
Do the lights in your house sometimes flicker for no reason?
This COULD explain why you are losing modules and having troubles with signal propagation on the lines.
Just a thought..... :'
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now that you mention it yes they do flicker for no reason sometimes. Ill have it looked into. What exactly would we be looking for? They're loose? or something else?
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now that you mention it yes they do flicker for no reason sometimes. Ill have it looked into. What exactly would we be looking for? They're loose? or something else?
Yes, the neutrals (white wires on the outer buss) may need the lugs tightened, or maybe you have an offending wirenut somewhere.
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Knightrider,
Loose neutrals or faulty wire nut connections is a major problem for a lot of electrical/ electronic products.
That was a great suggestion and I feel compelled to give you a helpful for it.
Thank You
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Hey, Thanks!
I only mentioned the symptom because I've run into the problem before myself. Something I learned in Physics or AC circuits or something must have stuck in my brain and caused this bit of info to be useful.
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A few dozen years ago while living in Florida we had neutral from yard transformer (underground power) burn open. Flip on a light in one room and another room would light up. Lights that were lit were only about 50% bright, and would "glimmer". Very, strange behavior. 'Course now with X10 automated home, I'm used to it. ::)