X10 Community Forum
📝Reviews => X10 Software Reviews => ActiveHome Pro Reviews => Topic started by: dahur on October 24, 2007, 10:13:26 PM
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I know this has been talked about before, but I did some searches and had no luck.
I got my AHP software yesterday and it installed without any problems.(XP home). I got the CM15a today and it installed without a problem. After installing a couple modules, I had no luck getting any response, so I deleted, then reinstalled the modules, Several times. It seems pretty straight-forward, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Doesn't it download the module information I created, to the CM15a at some point? If so how do I do that? How does it retain the information so I can use my remote with the PC off? I don't see anywhere where it downloads that info. But I can't get it to function from my PC, so first things first.
Anyways until I can figure out what I'm doing wrong, I still had my old IBM Home Director hardware, and software I got in 1997.
Now 3 computers later, I decided to see how that would work. So I installed it without a problem. I still was using the receiver unit with 2- X10 switches, and 3 lamp modules with my remote. That has worked all along, even though I haven't had the software on a PC for at least 8 years.
Well, I can control 3 things from my PC and remote(using Home Director). The others only work with the remote. So, I must be missing something.
A difference I noticed was my Home Director receiver has a nice metal antenna that extends up about a foot. I still think I should get some kind of response with the one I got today though.
This is my first post here. I'll keep reading, maybe something will stand out that I missed.
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To download to the CM15A in AHP, go to Tools, Download Timers and Macros. You will get a conformation box, and a progress bar will appear on the left side of the screen.
This downloads our modules, timers and any macros to the CM15A.
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Thanks for the info. I had seen this in my travels, but I think I was confused because it didn't say "modules". I thought it was just for timers and macros. But I now have two modules that work out of 6 installed, so that's a start. I'm continuing to work with it.
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Well, if you don't have any timers nor any macros, you don't have to download "modules".
However, you do have to download the hardware configuration. That either happens automatically when you download timers and macros, or you can do it as a separate step.
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Also, what do you have as an IBM Home Director?
The original ones were simply re-labeled X10 CM11a's. If you have a metal antenna on yours, I would say it isn't a CM11a.
(http://hopco.com/images/homeDirector_hopco.jpg)
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It looks just like the one in the picture you posted. On the back it says HD501 02K1040
I can't remember what I did back in '97 to get all my modules to work from my PC. Right now only 2 work. And it's the same 2 with ActiveHome. Funny I can remotely control 5 things from the Home Director receiver though. And it's anywhere in the house. I have to be closer to the Cm115a to get a response.
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Here's a picture of it, slightly bent antenna and all.
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That's just a plain old transceiver, with the IBM logo on it.
The Home Director controller itself is an HD11A. In the pic I posted, it is in the center one of the three white things.
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Yes I have that too, mine has a serial port connection.
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Yes I have that too, mine has a serial port connection.
Does it have a battery compartment? If not, it may be the older IBM HD16.
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Yes it does, 2 AAA's.
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As an afterthought, I have put cfl's in most of my home. Even if these are not on, do you know if they are signal suckers?
I don't have any x10 switches connected to them though.
This is the only thing I can think of that has changed since '97 when all 16 modues/switches worked.
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I have not seen any CFL be a signal sucker, but can be a noise generator if on. The CFLs are NOT on dimmers are they? If so many X10 switches use a small current through the load [bulb] for power. Most will not act correctly on a CFL.
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Hey, that would explain why I couldn't get cfl's to work on my x10 switches before. I remember they would flicker faintly when turned off. I think I saw x10 switches for cfl's. Do they work okay?
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Hey, that would explain why I couldn't get cfl's to work on my x10 switches before. I remember they would flicker faintly when turned off. I think I saw x10 switches for cfl's. Do they work okay?
NON-Dimming switches with a neutral wire connection work with CFL lights.
Some CFL lights have been reported to create enough electrical noise to disrupt the X10 signals for turning the switch ON & OFF. When this occurs, you can try another brand of CFL (or even a different one) or use an in-line filter in series on the switch's load wire (between the switch & the CFL).
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It depends on the CFL manufacturer if they blink when the module turns it off. I've had CFLs that work fine with an appliance module and ones from Home Depot and GE that do blink when off. It's really hit or miss. If you find a brand that doesn't blink when off, buy more.
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It depends on the CFL manufacturer if they blink when the module turns it off. I've had CFLs that work fine with an appliance module and ones from Home Depot and GE that do blink when off. It's really hit or miss. If you find a brand that doesn't blink when off, buy more.
As Dan stated, this can happen when plugging a CFL lamp into an Appliance Module because of it's local control sense circuit. With a wall relay type switch that requires a neutral connection, this will not happen.
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Supposedly Socket Rockets work okay too... I'm about to try that myself... I've got nearly all CFL's now.
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I have some MaxLite SpiralMax CFLs that generate all kinds of X10 noise when in a Socket Rocket, but in the socket alone no noise or shifted out of the X10 band. 4 Bars on my Elk ESM-1. Other brands are fine.