X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: mrdjchuck on March 18, 2011, 01:45:30 AM

Title: TM751s - added additional unit, now first one is not working
Post by: mrdjchuck on March 18, 2011, 01:45:30 AM

Hello.  Been using X10 for a number of years, but only recently started working with wireless.
I have a simple setup in my living room - all on House Code A
1 x Transceiver (TM751)
1 x Appliance Module
1 x Light Module
1 x 1 Slimline Switch Decorator White (SS13A)
and recently added the Nstinct remote

Everything worked fine until I tried to add another TM751 on House Code B.  It worked at first (with the Nstinct remote), but then my wireless signal from the Nstinct was being sent to the 'B' transceiver instead of the 'A' and I could not control any of the 'A' units.

I tried changing the 'B' transceiver to 'A' and BOY DID THAT CAUSE PROBLEMS!  Now I cannot unplug the second transceiver!  When I do, only A1 works from either remote (Wireless Wall Switch or Nstinct).  It seems that my 'A' transceiver will no longer send signals to the two other 'A' modules (appliance & light).

Thought it might be the transceiver unit, so I swapped it out twice (once with the 'B' transceiver now set on 'A', once with a brand new one I've never used before).  No luck!  The setup now only works when I plug the second transceiver (now set to 'A') back in - however I don't need or want it anymore.  I just want the first transceiver to work properly!

I wonder if it has anything to do with how close the second transceiver is to (A) wireless wall switch and/or (B) the appliance & light modules.  It is on the same power strip as the appliance module, and on the next plug over from the light module.  Obviously signal strength gets weaker the farther away on the power line transceivers are placed from units, but this had always worked in the past - before I added the second transceiver.  Does location on the line matter?

Why does the original setup no longer work once I remove the 2nd transceiver?  How can I get it back to normal (i.e. sync the remotes with the original transceiver so it contacts them instead of the second one which I'd like to remove)?

Thanks in advance for any insight/help!

Title: Re: TM751s - added additional unit, now first one is not working
Post by: Brian H on March 18, 2011, 06:24:27 AM

Two TM751s on the same house code can be a problem. They are not polite and if both are sending at the same time. You get signal garbage.
If the power strip has a noise filter in it. It can absorb X10 signals. Also any electronic device could possibly be making noise or again absorbing signals. The SS13A is not known for long communications distances. If you do a search you will find some threads on adding a passive radiator to extend the distance it can transmit.
I don't see any noise filters or phase coupler in your list. So you don't have any of that type of equipment?

You may want to look at some of these troubleshooting links.
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm
http://www.act-remote.com/PCC/uncle.htm
http://www.davehouston.net/coupling.htm
http://www.davehouston.net/noise.htm