X10 Community Forum
💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: felix on May 18, 2010, 07:06:20 PM
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Hi
This is my first post here, and I hope I can fashion a question that makes sense. At a garage sale, I bought a sack with the following three items.
1-MS14A motion detector
2-SC546A remote control chime
3-TM751 transceiver module
I have figured out how to change and read the code sent from the motion detector, and both UNIT and HOUSE are 1. The motion detector , when all is hooked up, will trigger the transceiver, and turn on a lamp connected to it- which is what I would expect. However, here is the problem. The chime will chime when it is first plugged in, but when the motion detector triggers the lamp to turn on, the chime remains silent. I have tried different codes, but the motion detector wont speak to the chimes, even tho it triggers the transceiver just fine.
If I can get this beginner's problem figured out, I am going to purchase a camera or two - it seems X-10 has thought of everything I would ever want to do with home security.
Thanks in advance for your help
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Felix,
The motion detector (by your description) is House Code Unit Code (HCUC) A1. You have the tranceiver set to HC A and internally, it is always UC1 so the motion sensor is turning ON and OFF a lamp plugged in to the tranceiver.
If you set the chime to HCUC A1, and plug it in to the same outlet as the transciever (use an extension cord if necessary) it should chime when the light comes on. If it does not under those conditions, you may have a bad chime (something in the receiver circuitry) or a bad tranceiver (something bad in the power line transmitting circuitry). By your description it should have dinged. I don't think it is a "beginners problem", #:) I think something is broke.
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If it won't work with the Chime code wheels set to A and 1 and the Transceiver code wheel set to A, there's a possibility that EITHER the Chime or the Transceiver is defective.
The Transceiver works by receiving RF from the Motion detector and then both operating its internal relay (loud click) AND sending an X10 signal out over the AC power line. The Chime should sound when it receives the X10 signal on the power line.
The fact that the Transceiver operates its internal relay does not mean that its circuitry for sending out the power line signal is functional.
There are reasons why an X10 signal can be attenuated or swamped by noise on the power line. If you haven't already done so, try moving both Transceiver and Chime to a different room and plugging both into the same receptacle. (Hopefully that receptacle will not be split so that one half is controlled by a wall switch, and don't use a surge-suppressor plug strip.)
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TRY other AC sockets in your house for the location of the chime for the purposes of trouble shooting.
I thought I had a dead chime for a while but it was on the other phase of the house power without a phase coupler to "jump" across.
If that don't work it's the receiver circuit.
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If you need the users manuals for the modules.
Most are in this list.
http://www.x10.com/support/support_manuals.htm
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Thanks for all the prompt help. I'll just order another chime unit -
felix