X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: john w on January 02, 2006, 08:55:43 PM

Title: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: john w on January 02, 2006, 08:55:43 PM

Anyone had luck using a Socket Rocket with a
screw-in replacement florescent bulb

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: johnj on January 03, 2006, 06:55:01 AM

i've used the socket rocket with a low
voltage fluorescent bulb without problems.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Brian H on January 03, 2006, 04:25:10 PM

I am using one myself. Maybe a few months so
far. No problem. Normally any module with a
triac control element and a CFL don't mix,
but the socket rocket can't dim. So it seems
to work fine for me.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Brian H on January 03, 2006, 04:26:38 PM

There could be a problem with some brands of
CFLs. If they make enough noise around the
X10 signal frequency. You maybe able to turn
it on but not off.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Mr. Know it All on January 16, 2006, 09:12:38 PM

nothing but good things to say ....rocket
socket and cfcl should get married

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: dave w on January 17, 2006, 12:06:11 PM

Has anyone tried a Socket Rocket to see if
it will function as a "silent appliance
module", i.e driving small inductive loads?

I was going to mod a couple Lamp Modules
with the Ed Chung SSR mod, because I control
a couple of "wall warts" in our bedroom with
appliance modules. The CLUNK! at 4:00 AM
makes me do a sit-up and I don't like to
exercise ;-). I am thinking, as Brian
stated, since the Socket Rocket in not
dimmable it really is a SSR. Any
experimentation happening out there?

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Brian H on January 17, 2006, 04:15:20 PM

Never tried any small inductive loads. I
have done the SSR mods to lamp modules and
they do work well. I took out the local
sensing stuff also as I wanted no flickering
of FFLs.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: john s on January 17, 2006, 07:20:04 PM

Brian,
When you did the SSR mod to the Lamp module
did you get the parts on line? If so, from
who? The best price I have found for the
SSR is $8.15 at onlinecomponents, but they
have a $30 minimum. Also, do you have a
Manufacturer and part number for the
Capacitor that you used?

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Brian H on January 18, 2006, 04:24:39 PM

Will look and see where I found the Sharp
SSR and the electrolytic cap if I read your
message correctly.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Brian H on January 18, 2006, 07:24:41 PM

Digi-key as mentioned in TParent's web page
instructions
Sharp S116S02 425-1228-5-ND $6.05 ea.
$54.45/10
22uf/35V P5162-ND .15ea .77/10
Orders under $25 a $5 handling fee.
Note in my mods. I removed all the local
sensing parts. Also one of my mods was on a
B&D Freewire FWLR Lamp Module [X10 OEM for
B&D]. One slight difference on that one. It
had a fuse for the output load protection.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: don kennedy on January 19, 2006, 11:11:45 AM

Hi Brian,
One more question for you O Great One: :)

Where do I find the details on these "Mods"
you guys are talking about?

Don

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Brian H on January 19, 2006, 04:15:37 PM

http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/index.htm
Is one of them and they have links to others.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: john s on January 19, 2006, 11:46:36 PM

Back to the topic of SocketRocket with
florescent bulb. This works OK and so does
the XPFM Inline Receiver Module.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Fredric on January 24, 2006, 06:48:29 PM

I've been using FL R20's with Socket Rockets
in track lighting for a while now.  They
work very well, but I had to add some to the
length of the can to get the CLF/SR combo to
fit.

Ya, I'd say they work fine.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: loren on February 19, 2006, 10:10:14 PM

I'm using a compact florescent with the
socket rocket. There is a fairly distinct
humming coming from the bulb when it is
attached to the socket rocket. When I use the
bulb without the socket rocket the sound goes
away.

I don't mind the sound, but are there any
safety concerns I should be worrying about in
regards to this sound.

Title: Re: Socket Rocket with fluorescent bulb
Post by: Brian H on February 20, 2006, 06:59:01 AM

My Socket Rockets with a GE CFL made so much
X10 line noise it stopped a few modules from
receiving line signals. A different brand
Greenlight works fine. Also Durabright by
TCP also made excessive noise.