X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Troubleshooting Automation Problems => Topic started by: Neil Skinner on February 01, 2005, 04:12:39 PM
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I have come to the conclusion after
troubleshooting a system that some
appliance modules went bad. Could moisture
be a cause of this? They are only one
month old.
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Maybe. Are there any obvious symptoms or
where they where moisture could be a problem?
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the modules seem to be locked in the on
position. I have tried to unlock them at a
completely different location and it still
doesn't work. They also were located where
moisture could be a problem. Thanks for
your help.
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The X10 appliance modules use a mechanical
ratchet to toggle on and off. If it buzzes
or chatters it could be a mechanical failure.
Maybe an X10 Rep will read this and give
more help. I know that any X10 Warantee
issues I had [a Socket Rocket] was done in a
prompt manner.
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If the module has stopped working, give us a
call for a warantee replacement.
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Just a heads up for those who do things
outside a lot, smarthome has some kits from
Black and Decker that have nifty "outdoor
lamp modules" but I think they really act
like applicance modules.
Picture:
http://www.smarthome.com/images/1164side4big
.jpg
Product Link:
http://www.smarthome.com/1164.html
They don't seem to have them for sell
seperate yet. They program kinda like
socket rockets according to the manual.
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Steve L. very interesting. I downloaded the
manual myself. yes the outdoor unit does
sound like a appliance type as it can do
CFLs and low voltage lights.
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The B&D module may be a Smarthome modules
inside and not an X10.com module.
Setting HC/Unit seems to be the std smartmome
scheme, and with the "starter package", it
looks like they might use "scenes" logic.
I'd like to try one, but won't spent $49 for
the starter package.. Maybe if they offer
the module by itself...
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One of the Automation web sites. Indicated
that X10 did make them for Black and Decker.
The RF Tranceiver and remotes are different.
They use a security code and have to
register with the tranceiver. So do the
motion detector modules. Also the Frequency
of the RF is reported to be different than
the X10 310 Mhz. I found all the manuals on
the Black and Decker site and from what I
have seen. None of the modules Dim. The
outside one can do any type of lamp icluding
low voltage and flourescent ones, but is not
rated as an appliance type. The lamp module
clicks [from the manual] so it may have a
small relay in it. I have an experimental
kit on order and may find more.
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Also found some news releases. Black and
Decker sold the whole product line of
Freewire devices to Smart Products, after
deciding on not marketing it any longer.
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Looks like they are an X10 OEM device. An
FCC search for the X10 prefix B4S and the
Black and Decker remote FWIR found the
records. It uses a different RF Frequency of
418 Mhz. The X10 standard for the USA is 310
Mhz. Grantee is X10 and the photos on file
are the Black and Decker ones.
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So, it appears that you would need
the "special" RF remote using a different
Mhz and the "special" Transciever to
program these outdoor ones to a regular old
x-10 housecode/unitcode? Darn. I just
found them for sale by themselves too, but
it seems they'd be useless without the kit
components from smarthome.
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/tylertool/
search for FWLROD
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Found this little list in the manual for
the package that Smarthome is selling
currently:
"The Ratings for FREEWIRE Products are as
follows:
BULB RECEIVER - 150 watts - Incandescent
Bulbs only.
LAMP RECEIVER - 300 watts - lamps with
incandescent bulbs only.
MESSENGER HUB - 500 watts - lamps with
incandescent bulbs only.
OUTDOOR LAMP RECEIVER - 500 watts - lamps
with incandescent, fluorescent, halogen or
low voltage bulbs only.
APPLIANCE RECEIVER - 15 amp resistive load
small appliances, 1/3HP motor load, 500
watts lamps with incandescent, fluorescent
or halogen bulbs only, 400 watts for
television.
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The modules look like they use standard X10
Line Signals and I think will work with any
controller. All the RF devices are on a
different frequency or 418 Mhz and will not
react to any 310 Mhz. X10 RF devices. My
Freewire 3000 kit should be here Wednesday
and I will gladly post anything I find out.
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Kit arrived and I did program the FWLROD
external module with a stsndard X10 remote
and RR501 Tranceiver. To program it you have
to have a remote or controller that can send
a continous ON signal with the House Code
and Unit code of choice within 30 seconds of
connecting it to the AC wall plug. Took
about 5 seconds to reprogarm with the
continous signals. I used a HR12A Palm pad
and a UR19A with the RR501 to program it to
a few test addresses. Also though it is
listed as a Lamp type module it does click
like an appliance type and the specfications
on the label sure look like the appliance
module specfications. More to follow as I do
more with the kit.
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Steve L. Yes I programed the outside light
module with an X10 remote and tranceiver.
I think the inside light module may dim, not
tried yet, though none of the B and D
remotes have a dim button.
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Update. The outdoor module like the Socket
Rocket can be programed with three or more
ON signals of the wanted House Code and Unit
Code and it doesn't have to be continous.
With in 30 seconds of power application. I
used a Mini-Controller and did a few myself.
The Freewire remote and Messenger Hub is not
needed to do the programming.
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Brian H
Thanks for the research! I'll definitely
pick one of these up from Tyler Tools for
use outside, I've gone through more than a
few modules in the last couple years, these
should hold up better, especially with some
waterduck splice tape around the
connections.
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Glad it was a help.
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It may seem real early (or late)...but I'm
thinking...X'mas.