X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: gluasad on October 07, 2010, 07:44:33 AM
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Hi all,
I've a strange thing happening with my lamp modules. Now, they do go on and off with the various remotes I have as well as with ActiveHome Pro, so that is not a problem. The problem is once I turn them off for the night they want to keep coming on during the night. Last night I turned them off and went to bed. In the middle of the night I had to get up and use the "facilities" and I noticed that all the lamps that were connected to lamp modules were all on. So I turned them off again. This morning I awoke, came downstairs and all the same lights were on again.
Is this a common problem? Hopefully there is a simple solution.
Thanks. :)
ActiveHome runs on a Windows 7 computer. All the lamp modules are on "A" housecode.
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Was the setup working OK and now something has changed operation wise?
Any motion sensors in your setup?
Can you see any extra commands in the AHP Activity Monitor?
All of your remotes counted for? We have seen a few cases where a remote got a stuck button in a drawer.
Regular incandescent bulbs on the Lamp Modules?
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Was the setup working OK and now something has changed operation wise?
Any motion sensors in your setup?
Can you see any extra commands in the AHP Activity Monitor?
All of your remotes counted for? We have seen a few cases where a remote got a stuck button in a drawer.
Regular incandescent bulbs on the Lamp Modules?
Thanks for replying Brian H,
No, the setup has been behaving this way right from the start. I have no motion sensors in the setup and there are no extra commands in the AHP Activity Monitor. I just have 3 remotes, the palm remote, a keychain remote and the platinum universal remote and all 3 are accounted for.
However, now that you mention it one of the lamps has a compact fluorescent bulb in it. Perhaps that is the problem. I'm at work right now but when I get home tonight I will replace that with an incandescent and see if that makes a difference.
Thanks.
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My lights come on everytime I use my miter saw! Everytime I cut a board i'll go inside and all the lights came on!
:) Could be a spike in the electrical somewhere? (maybe air conditioner, furnace, etc....)
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My lights come on everytime I use my miter saw! Everytime I cut a board I'll go inside and all the lights came on!
:) Could be a spike in the electrical somewhere? (maybe air conditioner, furnace, etc....)
Thanks hawk1,
That's a possibility too, although this is happening in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep. The only thing I can think of in the house that would be running at that time of the night is the refrigerator when the compressor kicks in. When I get home tonight I'll set up a little test to determine if the fridge might be the culprit coming on and causing a power spike in the line.
Thanks
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$0.02
Very old Appliance Modules and Lamp Modules were sensitive to "spikes" (actually dips and then noisy recovery by power company or house wiring after something "big" started up). This was back in the early '80s, so should not apply here (unless X10 did another module "cost reduction" and took out a two penny cap or a five cent MOV). Not sure why I even brought it up, other than as an intro to say X10 has improved to the point I rarely see this happen any more....except on two wire light switch modules.
Could something be issuing a "All Lights ON" command? For giggles, change one or two of the lights to a different house code and see if they come on again.
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Thanks Dave W,
I'll give that a try. I'm still at work :( right now and won't be home for a couple of hours, but I will try your suggestion once I get home.
Thanks.
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What house code are you using? Don't use A as that is the default that most people use..if you have a neighbor with it...
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You mention you have 3 remotes.
Have cats?
(sure you can see where I'm going)
As above - house code A is default - try simply setting to I or something (check AHP's TOOLS | FIND OTHER COMPUTERS and see what isn't in use).
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Hi all,
I've a strange thing happening with my lamp modules. Now, they do go on and off with the various remotes I have as well as with ActiveHome Pro, so that is not a problem. The problem is once I turn them off for the night they want to keep coming on during the night. Last night I turned them off and went to bed. In the middle of the night I had to get up and use the "facilities" and I noticed that all the lamps that were connected to lamp modules were all on. So I turned them off again. This morning I awoke, came downstairs and all the same lights were on again.
Is this a common problem? Hopefully there is a simple solution.
Thanks. :)
ActiveHome runs on a Windows 7 computer. All the lamp modules are on "A" housecode.
What's in the history file for those modules and times? F2 from Active home pro will pull up the history for you. It may help to track down where this is coming from.
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What house code are you using? Don't use A as that is the default that most people use..if you have a neighbor with it...
Hi Brandt,
I am using A. I'll try switching to another code and see what happens.
Thanks
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You mention you have 3 remotes.
Have cats?
(sure you can see where I'm going)
As above - house code A is default - try simply setting to I or something (check AHP's TOOLS | FIND OTHER COMPUTERS and see what isn't in use).
Dr.Fiero,
No cats. I'll give I a try. I checked FIND OTHER COMPUTERS and there are a couple of code combinations in use that aren't mine - probably belong to a neighbor, however, the code combos that I'm using aren't in use by any other computer.
Thanks for the input.
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What's in the history file for those modules and times? F2 from Active home pro will pull up the history for you. It may help to track down where this is coming from.
Hi MichaelHlubb,
The history file shows that during those wee hours of the morning no commands were transmitted to the modules. It's a mystery. :)
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Was the setup working OK and now something has changed operation wise?
Any motion sensors in your setup?
Can you see any extra commands in the AHP Activity Monitor?
All of your remotes counted for? We have seen a few cases where a remote got a stuck button in a drawer.
Regular incandescent bulbs on the Lamp Modules?
Hi again Brian H,
So I replaced the fluorescent bulb in one of the lamps with an incandescent bulb and turned the lamps in question off. So far (4 hours now), the lamps have not come on.
Fingers crossed. >!
Thanks.
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Hello to everyone who offered suggestions to help solve this problem.
Thanks to everyone and a special thanks to Brian H. Replacing the compact fluorescent bulb with an incandescent bulb in the one lamp did the trick. I woke up this morning to darkness. :)% It amazes me how one little fluorescent bulb can cause such havoc but that was the case.
Thanks again to all. #:)
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Are the modules lamp modules or appliance modules?
Unless they are dimmable. CFL normally should not be used with lamp modules.
Older appliance modules had local control that sometimes would turn CFLs back on.
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Are the modules lamp modules or appliance modules?
Unless they are dimmable. CFL normally should not be used with lamp modules.
Older appliance modules had local control that sometimes would turn CFLs back on.
Brian H,
They are lamp modules (LM465). The bulb I was using was CFL but once I replaced it with a regular incandescent bulb the problem went away.
Thanks again.
PS, I have another little problem that you may be able to answer. On one outlet in my house I have another LM465 plugged in. I can turn it on and off using my palm remote and my keychain remote but I can't turn it on and off from the ActiveHome Pro software. The weird thing is, when I turn it on or off using one of the remotes the switch in the ActiveHome Pro software switches on and off but when I try and switch it on or off from the actual software interface nothing happens. Weird!
Thanks.
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Are the lamp modules the newer soft start ones?
If so what do you have it defined as in AHP?
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Brian H,
I purchased them very recently from x10.com and only received them 2 weeks ago. I think they are the newer soft start variety.
In AHP I have them defined as Lamp Module.
Thanks
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I believe it was a few years ago soft start was introduced.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/SoftStart
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The weird thing is, when I turn it on or off using one of the remotes the switch in the ActiveHome Pro software switches on and off but when I try and switch it on or off from the actual software interface nothing happens. Weird!
Is the CM15A your only transceiver for the RF remotes? (No Tm751)
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The weird thing is, when I turn it on or off using one of the remotes the switch in the ActiveHome Pro software switches on and off but when I try and switch it on or off from the actual software interface nothing happens. Weird!
Is the CM15A your only transceiver for the RF remotes? (No Tm751)
Hi Dave,
I have both the CM15A and the Tm751
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Well the TM751 is not polite. So if it is on the same house code and also being tranceived by the CM15A it could garbage signals from the CM15A.
It almost sounds like in your case. You have a power line signal probelm. The TM751s power line signal can reach the modules in question. While the CM15As power line signal is not reaching the modules in question. The remotes RF signal is enough for AHP to send the signal even though it didn't make it. While the screen does change.
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It almost sounds like in your case. You have a power line signal probelm. The TM751s power line signal can reach the modules in question. While the CM15As power line signal is not reaching the modules in question. The remotes RF signal is enough for AHP to send the signal even though it didn't make it. While the screen does change.
Yep, that's exactly what I was thinking also when I asked about a second transceiver. I think you nailed it.
gluasad, several forum "oldies" have documented that the CM15A has a lower X10 output compared to the older CM11A. I think this also applied to the RR501 and TM751 transceivers.
Have you thought about investing in a repeater and dump the TM751?
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It almost sounds like in your case. You have a power line signal probelm. The TM751s power line signal can reach the modules in question. While the CM15As power line signal is not reaching the modules in question. The remotes RF signal is enough for AHP to send the signal even though it didn't make it. While the screen does change.
Yep, that's exactly what I was thinking also when I asked about a second transceiver. I think you nailed it.
gluasad, several forum "oldies" have documented that the CM15A has a lower X10 output compared to the older CM11A. I think this also applied to the RR501 and TM751 transceivers.
Have you thought about investing in a repeater and dump the TM751?
Hi guys,
Hadn't thought about that but it looks like I may have to. Although , I may keep the TM751 and use it for an isolated application. In my home theatre room when I watch a movie and need to dim the lights. Otherwise yeah, I think I will invest in the repeater.
Thanks guys, for all the help. :)
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BTW for "soft start" modules, use the LM14A for Lamp Modules and the AM15A for Appliance Modules. Both are no longer made, but AHP still has them.
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I'm ok with buying the repeater but I wonder if someone could point me towards a supplier that has some in stock. x10.com seems to be out of them and not taking orders for them.
Thanks.
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Many here including myself use the XTB-IIR. It blasts signals back on the power line.
http://jvde.us//xtb/XTB-IIR_description.htm
The ACT CR234 is also a very good one.
http://www.act-remote.com/PCC/PCCSpecs/cr234_spec.pdf
Some other brands have been reported to cause power line signal firestorms in some installations.
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Many here including myself use the XTB-IIR. It blasts signals back on the power line.
http://jvde.us//xtb/XTB-IIR_description.htm
The ACT CR234 is also a very good one.
http://www.act-remote.com/PCC/PCCSpecs/cr234_spec.pdf
Some other brands have been reported to cause power line signal firestorms in some installations.
Would this be one of the brands causing the power line signal firestorms? http://www.aartech.ca/4826a-smarthome-mfg-signalinc-repeater-4-wire.html (http://www.aartech.ca/4826a-smarthome-mfg-signalinc-repeater-4-wire.html)
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I know the X10Pro XPCR and Leviton HCA02-10E have been reported as problems.
The Smarthome 4826 has a few threads here. A search for 4826 should find them.
I had a three pin version for my dryer and with a two way LM14A and AM14A. I got a few firestorms when they power up and requested a status from the controller.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Known_Issues_with_ActiveHome_Pro
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Get the XTB-IIR and never look back...get another brand and always wonder if that is why you are still having problems...
I had the 4826a before and it stunk...
I added a four pin plug to my XTB-IIR so it can plug in just like the 4826a
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As far as I'm concerned, the XTB-IIR is the absolute best you can get.
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OK, the XTB-IIR it is. Thanks everyone for all the help. Cheers! >!
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Cool if you need any help there is a whole 'Jeff Volp' board on here some where