X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: X10Fan on June 12, 2010, 07:20:44 PM
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I replaced old (~10 years, bought at RadioShack) 3-Way Switch – it stopped working.
Now, the new switch (WS477) doesn't turn off per command of the remote controller and it doesn't respond to command "All Lights On" or "All Lights Off" of the controller. It DOES TURN ON per programmed command of the controller. Note that I left old companion switch unchanged.
Please suggest a solution.
Thank you.
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You may want to read the part of this link on the new Preset Dim and Soft Start features.
I am not sure this is the problem but maybe a contributor.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Newer_Wall_Switches_and_Preset_Dim
Can you give a few more details on the controller that works and the remote controller that does not.
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Brian,
"Controller" and "remote controller" in my case is the same unit that I bought many years back from RadioShack, but it is X10 product. Unfortunately, there isn't X10 part number on it, but just RadioShack catalog number.
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Everything X10 that Radio Shack sold was made in the same factory that X10USA buys from, but no Radio Shack module was ever made/sold in the "SoftStart" era. Radio Shack dumped their Plug-N-Power line several years ago. They no longer sell X10 items.
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Dan,
I know that. Any suggestion on my issue?
Thank you.
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I thought the problem was a NEW possible Soft Start wall switch not the original RS stuff.
Soft Start switches do act differently and some folks here have run into the Perset Level thing.
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Everything X10 that Radio Shack sold was made in the same factory that X10USA buys from,
Although not germane to this thread, and really not germane to anything other than statement accuracy. Radio Shack had their own separate Plug -N- Power factory across the street from X10s factory. From a business standpoint they maintained separation, although I think all development engineering was done on the X10 side of the street.
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Brian,
I run on information about those features after I noticed "unusual" behavior of the switch. Now, I am not surprised to it anymore. However, the fact that it turns on per command of the controller but doesn't turn off is the challenge I am looking for to resolve. I did sent related message to X10 tech support over the weekend - hopefully they will help.
Is there chance that I now will need to install new control unit that would be able to command the new switch? Would, then, installed old switches loose ability to be controlled by the new control unit?
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Turns on with controller but doesn't turn off - sounds like a noisy bulb to me. Are you using a CFL?
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The new switches should respond to a simple X10 On and Off. I would not think a new controller would be required.
The handling of the Dim commands was the problem with AHP and not simple controllers that sent On, Off, Dim and Bright commands.
The All Lights Off command is not a commonly used one and some modules don't respond to that command.
Are you sure you may not be thinking of the more common All Units Off?
I wounder if X10s newer firmware is not taking the commands properly. I don't remember seeing anything on this yet, but who knows. I know that I have found two different Soft Start Lamp Modules firmware and each acts differently than the other one.
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Brian,
"All Light ON" or "All Lights Off" are only the options (of total control) this RadioShack control unit has. Should I post image of the controller?
BTW, the switch does respond to "All Light ON", but not to "All Light Off" command.
I do use incandescent bulb, to reply to "beelocks" comment.
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The photo would be OK but sometimes we can actually find the RS Users Manual if we have its part number.
The new switch may indeed not follow the less common All Lights Off command. I don't think I have seen that on any controller lately.
All I have is older wall switches but I have a Smarthome 1132CU computer controller I use for tests. I will see if the old one I have does respond to an All Lights Off command and report back.
Did the test and both an older WS467 and a few WS12As do respond to an All Lights On; All Lights Off and All Units off.
I don't have any new soft start wall switches so I can't test if the All Lights Off was eliminated in them.
If you controller just has a All Lights Off then you can't turn off any appliance type modules if you have any.
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Brian,
See attached images of the manual. I had to compress them.
Note that my main concern is failure of the switch to respond to programmed "Off" command, rather than "All Lights Off".
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OK thanks for the photos and the Off command being the main concern. Not the All Units Off. The front page photo looks like it has a All Lights On and an All Units Off button.