X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: darryl1959 on June 14, 2010, 01:48:59 PM
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Hi All -
New to the forum so I hope I'm not duplicating something that's already addressed.
Received my box of goodies on Saturday 6/12/10 which included the active home pro kit and additional LM 465 lamp modules. I've been working with and using X10 since I first discovered it at Radio Shack back in the day....I love the system and was looking forward to automating the lighting in my new 3 story townhouse (saves on the walking up and down what we like to call "the bell tower")
Anyway, I am disappointed to find that the LM 465 FULL Bright appears to be approximately 50% of what it should be. This is validated by unplugging the lamp from the module and connecting directly to the outlet. I have six modules in use - all behaving the same. 3 are in my living room so I can watch them simultaneously.
My question is this: is this the nature of the beast or is there something I can do? I never had this issue in the past but I haven't worked with x10 in probably 5 years or so. I'm set to order one of the special packs of dimming wall switches but am reluctant to until I know what is going on here.
The only common element is the controller - is it possible the controller is not sending the full bright command? I don't think that's it because I do a local turn on of the lamp and it ramps to this half bright mode.
Any help would be most appreciated!
Thanks in advance.
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There are other threads on this subject and NO it is not normal, but it has not been brought up lately.
X10 had a run of LM465s that went to about 50%.
I had one out of three {All the same date code} from one of their Maga Module sales. Others had maybe four out of six where 50%
Being a electronic technician I verified it was only turning on for in my case the negative half of the AC waveform. I replaced the flaky triac in it and it then went to 100%.
The new wall switches have soft start and preset dim level that you may not be familiar with as do the new lamp modules.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Newer_Wall_Switches_and_Preset_Dim
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/SoftStart
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This is what I get for being impatient. I just read this post: http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=19597.0 which addresses the issue.
So, I have a bunch of bad modules - need to call X10.
Has anyone had issues where they get defective replacements? I mean if they have a bad batch and are not pulling them from stock - what is to be done? (other than stop doing business with them I guess)
I'm curious about the dimmer switches - any known issues with those?
Thanks.
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Thanks Brian!
You're quick! I'm an aerospace engineer and my dad was an electrical engineer so I had a theory that it was something like you described in the posted I quoted - wish I still had his old scope but it finally died a few years ago - never could justify the expense of a new one otherwise I would have seen the issue immediately.
Thanks again. I'll give them a call and ask them what they're going to do to keep me from getting another bad batch.
Darryl
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We where typing at the same time ;D.
I actually found it first with a few meters. One said 60 volts AC with a large DC component while another said no AC and 60 volts DC.
So I dug out the scope and floating it to prevent sparks and not touching the scope so I saw stars :o. It showed just the negative half of the waveform and if I dimmed it. The negative swing started later in the cycle.
I don't know as this was reported awhile back as you found. Maybe X10 is using the end user to QC them and replacemet as needed.