X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: NightMadness on October 02, 2010, 05:26:26 PM
-
Dear X10 Forum Experts! ;D
I live in a dorm room in college. I have a lamp module and the transceiver (the one the only receives RF and is also a appliance module). I have 3 wall outlets. the 3 wall outlets don't seem to be able to talk to each other. as a last resort i would run a long cable but before i do that, i figured i would ask here if anyone faced this before and is there anything I can do to make the x10 signal go through?
the transceiver and module do work when connected to the same power outlet on the wall or a surge protector
P.S.
i don't want to go near the electric panels or circuit breakers also am I not allowed. :angel:
-
I would not imagine that the outlets in your dorm room are all that far apart - electrically speaking. I would guess it is noise on the lines, often caused by laptop or cell phone power supplies.
You can start by reading Jeff Volp's troubleshooting guide here:
http://jvde.us/x10/x10_filters.htm (http://jvde.us/x10/x10_filters.htm)
Good luck! ;D
-
I live in a dorm room in college.
It isn't uncommon for large buildings to use 3 phase power. As nybuck implies, it is unlikely that some of the outlets in the room is on one of the other two phases...but it is possible. Try looking for noise sources like nybuck suggests, but the long extension cord may be your only alternative with out phase coupling devices which must be installed at and/or between circuit breaker panels.
Bummer, but is only for a few years.... :'
-
Try unplugging your computer or laptops AC cord and see if things change.
Also do not have the TM751 transceiver or the lamp modules on a surge suppressor. Many have noise filters in them that X10 signals are absorbed as noise.
-
...... as a last resort i would run a long cable but before i do that, i figured i would ask here if anyone faced this before and is there anything I can do to make the x10 signal go through?
Everyones replies were very good.... also try moving the TM751 to one or both of the other outlets and see if that helps. But before you run a cord accross the room... you could just use a 2nd (or even 3rd) TM751 and get the same result.
-
Plug the lamp into the TM751 and turn it on/off with Unit code 1 of whatever housecode it is set to. I don't recommend A.
-
I would not imagine that the outlets in your dorm room are all that far apart - electrically speaking. I would guess it is noise on the lines, often caused by laptop or cell phone power supplies.
The problematic outlet is connected to a wall switch could that switch could be filtering somehow?
the signal wont transfer to the switched outlet from any other outlets.
As you suggested, I even tried unplugging everything in the room, laptop charger, cell phone charger and my fan.
-
One if the two outlet are on a different circuit. It probably is on another phase and you will have a coupling issue. If you plan on keeping it simple using multiple transceivers will help allot. They also will make good gifts when you graduate. Use the R5501 unit instead of the TM751. They will bridge the gap without having to effect any thing outside your room. And they play nice together
Also make sure you leave the switch on all the time. If it is off the signal will not get to the device you want to controll.
Worst case you will need a R5501 And a lamp module at each location for dimming control.
Look at it this way it's only one room.
Have fun It is only the beginning.