X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: ultradianguy on May 03, 2009, 01:29:23 AM
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Hi - I saw mention in a post that some appliance modules had a softer click or no audible click, compared to the very loud and annoying ones. Can someone tell me specifically which ones have which "click" characteristics?
Are the ones being sold as CFL lamp modules any different than the older appliance modules with the very loud click?
Thanks,
Michael
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The new Appliance Modules with updated electronics. Still have the same mechanical ratchet switch in them. So they have the characteristic Clunk like the old ones.
Some other manufacturers appliance type modules have quiet relays in them; but are 3X as expensive as an X10 one.
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Hi Brian - Do you know which of the others are quieter? For a couple locations, it might be worth the extra $ for quiet.
M
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There is an lamp controller mod on the 'net were you insert a crydon solid state relay.
This turns it into a 15 amp (I think) silent appliance controller. I did it. it works.
The ssr was 13 bucks shipped from mouser and you have to know your way around an electronics circuit.
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The new soft start Lamp Modules may cause problems with some solid state mods. Though I believe the Crydon Modules will just go on or off depending on the current driving the control pins. I know the Sharp mod I used; just went from on to off when I dimmed or brightened. The on to off maybe slightly delayed due to the ramp up and down of the brightness signal on the SSR.
The older X10 only Smarthome ApplianceLincs where quiet. They are now replaced by the Insteon versions that can also have a X10 Primary Address added to them.
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I have an Insteon ApplianceLinc that I use as x10 only and it has a nice soft click, works well with regular CFLs.
Another choice to consider : I have few Micro Brite CCFL (cold catode CFL), that are dimmable and work very well with a regular dimming lamp module. The dimming is as linear as you get with an incandescent bulb. Also you can dim them down to almost OFF with a regular table top x10 controller. You can check them out at www.1000bulbs.com
There are some disadvantages with those : they are more expensive then the regular CFLs, also they have them only up to 30W equivalent.
I also have an IKEA brand CFL that for some reasons works with no problems with a regular dimming lamp module. You cannot dim this one, but for ON/OFF you get no noise. The Maraton brand (at some point at Home Depot) also worked for me with lamp modules.
Tom
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I also have some of the Micro Brite CCFLs and they do work well for me also.
Only thing is they; for now; are only in the lower wattage types. My 8 watt ones work great in places where that is enough light.
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Hi - Does anyone know if the less expensive (compared to ApplianceLincs) Icon Appliance modules from Smarthome are also quiet? And whether they work okay with CFLs or have the same "turn on" problem due to the local sensing current?
I've been using regular x10 lamp modules with a couple CFLs, and so far, they seem to work okay.
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Since Smarthome recently updated the ApplianceLinc V2 electronics and I have no idea if the Icons where also.
I can only say. My original HW1.3 ApplianceLinc V2s where the SAME electrically as the Icon version. Just different Firmware and no pass through outlet on the front. Also 1 year warranty vs 2 for the ApplianceLinc.
I also know that my old ones worked fine with CFL bulbs. Just where touchy to one certain inductive load I use for testing. The 4.1s are not touchy to the same load.
I also know the new X10 Appliance Modules are much more CFL friendly than the older ones.
The CFLs you are controlling. Are the Lamp Modules the newer Soft Start ones? My tests with the new soft start where not to successful as the bulbs where unstable until near full on.
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There is an lamp controller mod on the 'net were you insert a crydon solid state relay.
This turns it into a 15 amp (I think) silent appliance controller. I did it. it works...
Does this have the side feature(?) of effectively giving you an appliance module that responds to an All Lights On?
How does it respond to dim commands?
Does current need to still flow through the load as the lamp module when Off.
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Does this have the side feature(?) of effectively giving you an appliance module that responds to an All Lights On?
How does it respond to dim commands?
Does current need to still flow through the load as the lamp module when Off.
I 2nd those questions. Maybe bitman could also provide a link to that mod.. it does sound interesting.
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I did an older LM465 with out Soft Start and used a Sharp SSR. Also removed all the Local Control Sensing parts.
The module does respond to All Lights On and All Units Off.
If you dim it. It stays on until the drive to the SSR is too low to keep it on.
There is virtually no current on the output, except for the leakage of the SSR in question. With mine I could not read any current with a meter and a very low current requirement LED bulb just barely glowed. On a regular LM465 it was at half brilliance when off.
Not too sure how the new soft start ones would work and how close the instruction's would match. My guess is the soft start would just start a second after the on command as the drive to the SSR would be ramping up.
Both the Sharp [one I did] and the Crydom version are in the Lamp Module Modification Area:
http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/index.htm
I can give PCB Silk Screen Numbers for the older before soft start LM465 modules and exactly what I removed.
I found the 120 volt Sharp SSR was fine. Not 15 amps for the ratings unless you do the extreme heat sink thing.
I believe the Crydom mod can be wired to a bigger external hockey puck style devices that maybe able to do closer to 15 amps.
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Not too sure how the new soft start ones would work and how close the instruction's would match. My guess is the soft start would just start a second after the on command as the drive to the SSR would be ramping up.
Both the Sharp [one I did] and the Crydom version are in the Lamp Module Modification Area:
http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/index.htm
Thanks Brian H.
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Hope it helps.
I opened a new soft start lamp module and it is completely different.