X10 Community Forum
🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Help & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: michaelukusa on September 08, 2012, 04:40:44 PM
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Hi, I own quite a few pieces of x10 hardware and software and am having an issue I cannot figure out.
Almost a year ago we stopped using the activehome pro software and box, took out all batteries and packed away, uninstalled etc, but we left the socketrockets in our lights and some of the flat stick on wall buttons around the house to control them, which all worked good, we had one light in our livingroom which was set to code A1 which would constantly turn itself on or off every day (depending if it was on or off at the time) at the same exact time, until now we did nothing about it but recently we changed the livingroom and it now has 2 lights in there so I used socketrockets on them both, this time one set to A4 and one set to A9 both of which we were previously using in another room without any issues etc.
After a few days go by and I notice that yet again the livingroom lights are still going on/off at the exact same time every day even though there is now there is two of them using completely different codes than previously, codes which were in use elsewhere before without this daily on/off happening, so i figured i should check into it more, so I reinstalled all the software on the computer hooked up the big white box and replaced the batteries and checked the software, now obviously being that no controller box or software had been installed and running up until this point I did not think that it would have anything to do with it, but I watched it on the activity monitor today and exactly at 4:15 eastern time the time the lights had been turned on/off every day for a long time, I noticed a activity monitor log for code A1 Lights On and one a second later saying A off, and the word RECEIVE next to that, now I know for a fact that no one is pressing a button or remote for A1 at exactly 4:15 every day so I am confused as to why A1 is being triggered at the same time every day and what could be causing it, I have checked all the old equipment we have boxed away that we do not currently use and there is nothing with batteries in or anything and we have no timers or anything like that, and with the software being uninstalled and the transceiver control box being plugged for the last year that rules out any software based timers and macro events etc so I am confused as to where to look next.
It wouldn't be a problem other than the fact the way we have all the lights set up with those 3 button stick on switches etc we have to use A1 as livingroom and currently since updating to the two lights and using codes A4 and A9 I decided to set up a macro to make A1 trigger both of those, so we can keep using the switches setup the way they are without reprogramming all switches and lights to a different setup etc.
So where should i be looking to see what is sending a signal to code A1 at the same time every day, and I am 99.9% sure that no one anywhere near our house has any x10 in use so I do not think it is someone elses timer triggering the code etc.
Please advise.
Thanks
Michael
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Just to add after further investigation of the activity monitor
When a button somewhere is pressed it says RECEIVE RF
But when this daily event happens that is triggering code A1 there is no RECEIVE RF in the log just the RECEIVE so does this mean it is not an RF signal thats triggering it, well what else could trigger it? especially if all the boxes and software are removed from the equation and all that is left is the wall buttons and the socketrocket
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You indicated that the SS13A (rf wall switch) will successfully control the socketrockets in your living room, but what do you have plugged in that is receiving the rf codes from the SS13A and relaying those codes into the AC (plc)? In other words, there has to be something like a TM751A transceiver or CM15A or similar that is plugged in somewhere or has the "big white box"(cm15a) been plugged in all this time ?
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I have the big white box the CM15A i believe, but before that was re-plugged in I was just using a Monitor Plus supervised security system box which successfully worked to pick up the signals and transmit them to the socket rockets.
Let me briefly go into the back history of my setup.
First I had the AHP with CM15A big white box connected to the laptop and I had several eagle eye sensors, several socket rockets, an appliance module, lamp module and some of those flat stick on wall buttons and a camera with ninja pan and tilt.
I added the Monitor Plus security box because it was a free item that came with another purchase and it acted as a good extender to fill in some blank spots in my apartment where signal strength was weak for the remotes etc.
I got bored with that setup and found most of it unuseful for the moment so removed most of it, decided that I couldnt have a dedicated always plugged in laptop running x10 AHP so removed that and just kept the Monitor Plus device plugged in and left the socket rockets and wall buttons hooked up.
Basic i know simple on off for all the lights I used.
Now with this setup the way it was I would have assumed that no timed events or macros were still in effect since all software and CM15A were removed and packed away.
But yet this daily event of the lights being triggered on code A1 kept happening.
So after inspecting the activity logs, I notice this is exactly what I am seeing when it happens.
nothing happens in the logs and then at 4:15:23 pm today it says:
Receive A1 (LR Lights On)
Then 1 second later in the logs it says:
Receive A Off
When this happened i had the lights on at the time and it turned them off.
I notice that when a button is clicked to turn on a light the log entry says:
Receive RF A1 On
Receive RF A1 On
Receive A1 (LR Lights On)
Receive A On (LR Lights On)
So that would suggest to me what ever is happening is not some signal somewhere being relayed to the lights via RF or wouldnt it say RF next to the log entry the same as it does when a button or controller is used?
I just don't understand how this could be happening at the same exact time every day, if lights are on they go off if they are off they come on.
If there are no devices sending signals via RF no buttons being pressed, no macros or timers etc then what could it be?
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I take it you still have AHP running, don't you? AHP will still run without the CM15A, although no timers will turn lights on or off. Otherwise what are you using?
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Thanks for the info. I am not familiar with the security console and I don't use AHP, but this is how I would troubleshoot this problem: about 10 minutes before the event is going to happen, unplug the cm15a and the security console, along with all batteries. If the event does occur, then the code is coming from another apartment or you still have another x10 device plugged in somewhere that you have forgot about. I'm curious to hear what happens.
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Yeah i will check into that and see tomorrow.
Not sure what it could be coz the AHP software has a feature that detects house codes and stuff that should be avoided because of bad signal or other devices running on codes and it doesnt show anything except mine.
I know the CM15A is not the cause coz for the last year I have had it unplugged and batteries removed and stuff.
To Dan, until Friday just past I did not have any AHP or any software running for the last year, I was simply using socket rockets with wall buttons and what x10 gave me free and described as a transceiver (in reality its a Monitor Plus Security System DC821) but said it can be used to help relay signal from switches to devices using x10 without need for the CM15A or other transceiver modules etc.
So it may well be outside interference as I know for a fact I have no other x10 devices that are capable of sending commands to the devices on a specific schedule or time etc
Also as I mentioned when a remote or a wall switch or what ever sends a command to turn a light on as i press the button it mentions RF in the logs, so why does this mystery event not mention RF in the logs? how else could a signal to the socket rockets be given if no RF command was sent initially and relayed to them?
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You might have a neighbor with X10, and a timer set.
Change your stuff to a different HouseCode, and that should fix it.
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Doesn't the x10 software tell you when other devices are using certain codes and not part of your system? i checked the map of codes to avoid etc but not sure about that.
I'm thinking of just changing it all to B instead of A or something just a hassle taking all my socket rockets down and reprogramming them how it tells you to etc.
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If someone near by is using house code A and triggering my lights with a timer at 4:15 every day, i wonder what they are controlling with that as I flip the switch dozens of times throughout the day lol controlling their stuff for the last year, maybe they are scratching their head just like me lol
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You have to have a neighbor who has X10 on the same transformer as your house. If that's the case you and your neighbor have to decide what house codes you two will use. Neither can use the same housecodes. BTW the odds of 2 houses having X10 is something like 5000-1 since X10 has never mass marketed since it started.
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Never, ever use the default house code "A". People buy security lights from home depot and radio shack not knowing they are x-10 and that is where all the trouble begins. Use a letter easy to remember like an initial in your name.
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I've never had a problem with housecode A since I first got X10 back in the late 1980's. Nobody else on my street (or my transformer) has X10. I have 5 modules of varying types on housecode A and they all work fine. Just for the record, X10 has NEVER mass marketed since it got started.
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X10 has NEVER mass marketed since it got started.
X10 devices being available in Sears and Radio Shack in the 80's was not mass marketing?
My first two Maxi Controllers came from Sears.
Jeff
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X10 devices being available in Sears and Radio Shack in the 80's was not mass marketing?
And then there were IBM, RCA and other branded X10 devices with most, if not all, being manufactured by X10. IIRC, I even bought some RCA versions of the RR501 directly from X10 when RCA ended their association.
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Stores like Sears and Radio Shack would sell X10 items for a while, when the public didn't purchase them and they would sit on the shelves Sears would not continue selling it. Radio Shack sold modules under their "Plug-n-Play line but they never sold things like transponders. They were a good place to get a module but they no longer sell X10 items.
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Nice tangent, Dan, but X10 is more common than you might think at least around here.
I know of at least a half-dozen homes in my neighborhood with X10, and that's just from what I overheard in conversation over the past 10 years. Once of those homes is on my block (different transformer, though), and another has had X10 for over 30 years. I'm sure there are others that I DON'T know about, too. And I live in a pretty small neighborhood. Considering there are about 1500 homes in my neighborhood, 5 homes would be 1:300 ratio. not 1:5000. considering there are 28 houses on my block, and I KNOW of two with X10, that's a 1:14 ratio.
Over the years, I have seen other random codes show up from time to time, leading me believe that another neighbor was playing around with X10 at some point.
I'd like to get back to the question-at-hand.
There is a command coming in at the same time every day. Since the user says he has no timers or any controller capable of sending a timed signal, AND it seems to be received on the powerline (not via RF), the most logical answer would be that it is coming from outside his home.
SO, I would suspect there is a neighbor with *something* sending a timed signal at the same time every day. Yes, it might be unlikely that a neighbor would have X10, too. However, A1 IS the default code, so that is the one most likely to get interference from someone just buying the stuff and using it without changing the house code.
Now, the OP said that he has been pressing the button trying to annoy a neighbor (if that's the cause), but hasn't seen any reaction. It is possible that the neighbor is sending a more powerful signal than he is sending back, so his weaker signal doesn't make it to the neighbor's system.
Of course, if a neighbor does have X10, changing to a different house code might not completely correct the issue. I'm using a bunch of housecodes (C and D for devices, L for flags, M for macros), for example.
That's one of the shortcomings of the X10 design. It was never expected to be used for complex setups with lots of modules per house, and lots of houses per transformer. Had they expected it, they might have tried to provide more device addresses, to reduce the chances of overlap between homes.
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What they need is to address the issue by including some kind of custom set code like those wireless phones do so that they don't pick up your neighbor if they have the same model on their phone line.
So your x10 devices would only respond to code A1 being sent if your custom unique security code was sent along with it etc.
But yeah after some investigation and removing certain codes from my system tot est I do now see in that map screen that shows you all available addresses and if they are good or not, i do see that A1 is now red and suggests not using for what ever reason as another device may be present.
So I guess I will move to some of the higher house codes and keep an eye on things, just hate having to take down all my light fixtures to remove the socket rockets so i can do that 30 plug in to same outlet as CM15A thing to reset their house and unit code, since I have several and some are enclosed in ceiling glass light fixtures that need carefully removing, it gets time consuming.
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Just to update, I quite simply and easily updated my HC being used for all the lights and change it to L using the universal remote and I only had to move one lamp closer to the CM15A, the rest including hard wired lights in my kitchen bathroom and diningroom all using socket rockets were updated fine even though they were no where near the CM15A :) so no need to unscrew anything and have all that hassle.
So in about 3 hours we shall see if everything works good and no more timed interruptions lol.
I also modified AHP to monitor code L and to only use a small selection of HC's I plan to use for different things once I grow my setup and not including A at all so shouldnt have any interference from anything on A elsewhere.
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Let us know how it goes.
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I've never had a problem with housecode A since I first got X10 back in the late 1980's. Nobody else on my street (or my transformer) has X10. I have 5 modules of varying types on housecode A and they all work fine. Just for the record, X10 has NEVER mass marketed since it got started.
I have been using radio shack motion detectors since the 80's and they are x-10 and can control other x-10 devices.
Dan, I am getting sick and tired of your baseless remarks to my posts. Keep them to yourself please.
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Well I changed them all again this time I put the lights on HC D because they seemed to have a very long delay after button pressed before activating when on HC L.
I also put my appliance modules etc onto HC E (only have 2 in the kitchen so far but planning on more) this way when out or sleeping I can turn off all the unneeded sockets and maybe save a tiny bit of juice from the appliances here and there.
I am also experimenting with the BVC, BlueWatch and PCC software, thinking about integrating all that fully at some point when I can afford to donate and get the full versions and some extra equipment.
Side question, does anyone familiar with BVC know if there are any android apps for 1.5 that would allow me to connect to my computer via bluetooth with my cell phone and make the phone act like a headset microphone so I can talk to the computer over bluetooth and get replies through my phone mic and speaker etc, kind of like my own personal pocket communicator for all those old school star trek fans ;)