X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: jamesjr on December 22, 2010, 01:37:53 AM
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Hello All,
I'm a first time poster and fairly new to the world of X10. I have been tinkering for about 3 years and after i got my comms issues solved with the XTBII I have been having fun figuring out new ways to use the system...but i have got an issue with a new SmartHome 2486S switch i am trying to program. I need to be able to send only a house/unit code to set the "scenes", how do i do that? I cant figure it out in Active Home Pro and tonight i managed to get ahcmd program running but it too does not want to send just the house/unit code until i add the 'on' or 'off' to the line. Do i need to buy a button controller to do this? There must be a way to do it with software and the PC.
Any help would be greatly appreciated - is there some FAQ or wiki file i can read ? I tried the search but did not come up with anything
I am also having isses with the Primary Code, I can turn the lights off, but not on....
James
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Seems my searching was not so good...i found a link to a 2009 topic that has some replies saying its best to get maxi-controller because it can send only the hc/uc......
Does anyone know of some software that can do this now?
Thanks
james
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I have not seen any program that can only send the House Code Address without an On or Off. With a CM15A or any of the X10 interfaces.
I tried the temporary Chime Module trick but it also sent the On when activated.
If you had the Smarthome 1132CU interface with Smarthome Manager Essentials you could.
The Smarthome 4017 ControLinc Maxi could also and even had preset buttons to send the whole sequence with one action.
The SC506 Maxi Controller maybe your least costly option if no one can provide a software solution.
What type of lights are connected to the 2486S KeypadLinc Relay Switch that don't turn On?
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Brian,
Thanks for the quick reply!! I am turning on/off a receptacle that has 4 Diode lights from IKEA (Inreda - is the Ikea name) plugged into it. They are mounted under the cabinets in our kitchen. I went with the 2486S because it coudl directly switch the load and the extra four buttons that i have been lead to believe i can program to any other HC/UC so my wife can actuate other x10 items. The manual for the 2468 does not even mention how to program the scene buttons addresses, it only mentions how to set the ramp rate, on level and how to remove an address.....I am hoping if i set the on level it sets the HC/UC.
Here is the link to the manual - http://wiki.smarthome.com/index.php?title=2486S_Manual#Setting_the_X10_Primary_Address
Are you thinking the load is to low to switch on? It works fine pressing the switch, just not with a Macro/Flag set
Thanks
James
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First the relay versions don't have things like ramp rate and on levels. They are on or off.
I think you maybe confusing a Scene Address and a address added to the other smaller secondary buttons.
A scene address would be like you have six switches on different address and you want a scene address to control them all.
When the scene address is sent all of the switches would react.
If all you want to do is add an X10 address to one of the secondary buttons. Hold the button until it goes into the linking mode. Its LED is blinking. Then send the X10 address just like you did when you programed the main button set. If this doesn't work let us know as I don't have any of the newer v5.1 units and I know Smarthome has been tweeking things like adding beepers and dropping other things.
No the load should not effect it going on. You should be able to even turn it on with no load attached. Sometimes a noisy load would cause a unit to not go off.
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Brian,
Your exactly correct that is what i want to do with the smaller buttons....I will give that a whirl this evening and report back. Am i missreading the manual??? But i cant find anywhere that is says you can program the scene buttons the same way as the primary buttons...but want if i wanted to do what you said and have one small (scene) button control more than one X10 light...how do i program that?
I also noticed my ActiveHome Pro does not open since I have downloaded the SDK??? DO i need to un-install the SDK to get AHP to work again or do i need to upgrade the AHP to a newer version?
James
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They are not scene buttons. They are secondary buttons.
No the online instructions are not clear. Actually you are adding an X10 address to each button of your choice and they do not have to be even the same House Code. They can not send out a set of addresses to control more than one address.
If you added a scene. What you would do is have a second X10 address to turn on and off the load set of buttons.
Like you could have the switch on B1 and another on B2. You could add a scene in both of them lets say B3. Send a B1 or B2 on or off and the individual switches would respond. Send a B3 and both would respond. ;D
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10-4 Brian, looks like I will be X10ing away on a full belly over the Christmas break!!! ;D
I could set a flag too and a Macro that goes from there...
The button sends an "ON" and then an "OFF" on the second press correct?
Any idea why my AHP does not open after downloading the SDK?
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Correct. Sends an On then an Off with the second press.
I believe they can be set momentary. Where an On is sent when pressed and an Off when released.
Sorry I don't have any information to assist with the SDK files.
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Thanks Brain,
Where do i find out more about the momentary option? I really wish the instructions were better for the X10 side....
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http://wiki.smarthome.com/index.php?title=2486S_Manual#Changing_the_Button_Mode
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Thanks Brian, Have a great Christmas and New Years!!!!
I will let you know this evening how my progress goes!!!!
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I have the switch all programmed up, i have re-installed AHP and SmartMacros and all is running well again. The ON command is still hit and miss for the primary address....very disappointing because before the install of this SmartHome 2486s i had little if any problems getting signals through. Would anyone have any idea why the OFF works everytime but not the ON?
Thanks Brian for your guidance >!
SmartHome - fix your instructions....
Happy Holidays everyone!!!
James
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Glad the buttons got programmed to your needs.
The online and quick guides from Smarthome sometimes are vague.
They also sometimes are incorrect for the older versions and their instructions seem to have disappeared. Good thing the older ones where in pdf format and I saved them. ;D
Well you have an XTB-IIR so there is a good chance you have a strong signal at the switch.
Since the switch is two way. The transmitter circuit maybe absorbing some of the signals and could make a marginal signal not work and when On the load is lowering the noise.
They also have AGC so if noise is setting the switches gain to a place where the X10 signals are missed. The load again maybe lowering it enough for the Off to get through.
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Thanks again Brian for your insight!!
My next challenge is installing x10 master and 3 companion switches for the exterior lights on my shop......if i have trouble i will start a new thread..
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Brian,
Is there a way to measure my noise? and on the inverse...is there a way to limit the AGC?
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I am not 100% sure the KeypadLinc has AGC but I suspect it does. I have seen others on the Smarthome and UDI forums reporting noisy devices hampering communications.
Measuring noise. I had used an ELK ESM-1 and a Smarthome TesterLinc in the past but both are discontinued.
JV Engineering's XTBM is what I now use.
Sometimes just disconnecting things and observation can find some problems.
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I have contacted Jeff about a XTBM....i like gadgets and this one will be very useful!!! Data is never a bad thing!!!
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XTBM should be on its way by now....looking forward to its arrival....
While i patiently wait i read through the sticky on "soft start" problems and I think i have made my shop lights (master and 3 companions) work better...I have been trying different modules in AHP to run the 2486 switch but have not seen any improvement with the "on" command. "off" works every time but "on", not so much....what AHP module have all you 2486 user's used and had success with?
Thanks
James
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Using the soft start trick of calling it a LM14A may cause problems.
I believe AHP will issue an extended code On command it may not accept.
Have you tried a WS13A relay type switch?
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I'm not sure Brian, but i will as soon as i get home today!!!
Thanks again!!
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I tried both the WS13A-L, and the WS13A-A with no luck......never went on even once.. B:(
Kinda weird since all my X10 stiff works just fine......
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XTBM has arrived :)%
...now to hopefully get to the bottom of why i cannot turn the main address of the 2486 on....
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Finally got AHP back up and running with help from Tuicemen and Noam....now back to trying to sorting out why 2486 does not turn ON properly.....
I have managed over the last two days to somehow have the unit turn on and off properly with AHP by mouse clicking the module but have not been able to get a timer to get it to turn on.
This evening i thought i would give it some more investigation time and now it will not turn on at all.....so my thoughts of the new version of AHP fixing my problem is out the window.....but now that i have the XTBM i gathered some data...
First i will explain my install:
We have just recently completed (almost) some kitchen renos and in doing so i purchased the 2486 to install on the back splash so my wife could run a few items around the house/shop and we could operate some new under cabinet LED lights.....To get power i jumped of one leg of the counter plugs, using the common neutral and one of the hots....I figured this would be a good source of power as it is a straight run from the panel with only one other plug on it. We leave a kettle plugged into one of the duplex receptacles on one plug and the entire second plug is empty 99% of the time. I expanded the single plug box to a double to allow for the 2486 and then fished a new line to behind the fridge (~ 5ft of wire) where I replaced the single gang box for the fridge plug with a double gang box and added a second duplex plug that is powered and switched solely from the 2486. I then framed in a small recess to house the LED power blocks and plugged the master into the new plug. All works great and looks pretty cool too.
I programmed the main address to A14 and using the NON softstart PRO Decorator Style switch module set it all up in AHP.
I have wandered around the house plugging the XTBM into almost all our plugs and i get ^NOISE^ on over half the receptacles with the N value varying anywhere from .02 to .30....and the voltage between .75 and 9.85 but the worst value for N is when i plug into the XTB-IIR itself, i get .68....Should this be? I would have thought the plug on the XTB would have been clean? since the repeat does not travel very far......any thoughts? I will e-mail Jeff directly tomorrow if i remember.....
Could the XTB-IIR be causing my noise issue? Seems impossible to me...
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I am sure Jeff will clear it up for you.
I believe the X10 Input outlet on front the XTB-IIR is a special connection only meant for an X10 controller. Like a RR501,TM751,CM11A and CM15A to name a few.
The X10 Input outlet on the XTB-IIR is also where you can plug in an X10 Maxicontroller and set some of the XTB-IIR modes. With a sequence of X10 codes.
Test with the LED Power Blocks disconnected. Many use a switching supply and can generate noise or suck signals.
Check for noise changes by selectively unplugging {off is not enough} devices like TVs Computers and other electronic devices.
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm
http://www.act-remote.com/PCC/uncle.htm