X10 Community Forum
🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Help & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: Hostage on March 16, 2006, 07:06:19 PM
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Okay gents,
I finally found a circuit that works perfectly with my x10s. I have 4 Tvs and 4 game cubes attached to this circuit. The systems work fine and will turn off and on all 4 x10s with out a problem in the circuit we have it plugged into. The only problem with that is that the circuit is 50ft from where I need the systems. So I went out and got 65 of extension cords and ran it, plugged it into the circuit i did before and it seems the x10s will work half the time. It is wierd! I can turn on c1, c2, though c3 and c4 will not respond. If I turn of c1, then I can turn on c3 or c4, though if i turn on one of those, I can not turn on any others. So in all I can actuate only 2 systems at a time. I am confused and frustated. I am curious if the extension cord is causing singal loss or if the cord is picking up some interferance as it goes down. As far as putting a filter on every device, that is impossible. At my store we have 38 computer systems alone.
Thanks in advance,
Doron
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If your not using a high quality heavyduty cord you could be picking up noise or get some signal loss resulting in the farest most units not responding! ;) a phase coupler would be your best option! and probly the cheepest ;) :)
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okay I found something wierd. I have these 4 x10s attached to the same circuit as 2 computers on a powerstrip. If I unplug the computer's power strip then the x10 do not respond. If I keep the computers plugged in the x10s respond with out an issue. All 4 of them turn off and on. When I unplug the computers the x10 quit working again. I thought the computers would generate noise if anything. I am wondering if the filters on the power supplies are absorbing the noeis.
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After some playing around we determined that the 50ft of extension cord that we attached was to much range for the x10 to function properly. We moved things around everything worked, then we plugged in the extension cord then only a couple of the machines would turn on. This is a 4000ft^2 facility not a small house, so I think it is the range. I still do not understand why they will not work with out the computers plugged in. Do they make a repeater that would help improve the singal strength of this signal?
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Power Strips & Computers With Surge Protections or UPS.....
Don't forget that a major problem for X10 is power strips or UPS with surge protection built in.
These are designed to eat/sink both power spikes and/or spurous AC frequencies that are not 60 (50) Hz.
This includes X10 signals.
If you have any devices that have built-in protection, they will greatly affect signal propagation on a circuit, and quite possibly on other circuits too.
At one time, I had to remove 4 power stips in my house that included surge protection. They also had analog telephone supression jacks.
Eric
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I had to add a X10 type filter to my APC BX1000 UPS before my X10 signals would broadcast properly. Sucked up about 50% or more of the signals with tests from an ELK ESM-1 X10 Signal meter.
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I still do not understand why they will not work with out the computers plugged in
When you have a higher voltage Item connected and powered it draws current which could help sending a low voltage/current signal through easier.
also eg: if you had wire breaks in it, but the insulation is good it will hold the two pcs together close but still has a break in it. it could stop a small 5v signal from jumping the break.... same wire but say turn on a lamp it now draws more and the 110v will jump across the break and help the signal also jump across.
definitely not saying this is the case... but below could help...
also after 50ft (35ft) depending on wire size you get signal degraded (even a voltage drop)
also florescent lights will cause noise in power, big facility lotsa lights with transformers creating noise.
yes, there are repeaters that will help with your distance from X10 and Smarthome.
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FWIW, for an experiment I once strung together a bunch of extensions cords totalling 240 feet in length. I had no problem controlling a lamp module with 100 Watt lamp at the end of the run, nor was there any X10 signal loss detectable with an Elk ESM-1 signal meter.
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Just a thought...
if Hostage is using a CR12A camera remote, could it be turning some modules OFF as it's turning others ON? I had a similar situation recently, when I tried to use the CR12A instead of the HR12A to control modules "in the same group".
Frank
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yes, there are repeaters that will help with your distance from X10 and Smarthome.
From what I have read, the Leviton (designed by X10) and SmartHome brand repeaters don't play nicely with the CM15A. I would reccomend an ACT (HomePro) repeater. You can find them at Automated Outlet (http://www.automatedoutlet.com/home.php?cat=42) or SmartHome (http://www.smarthome.com/searchweb.asp?q=HomePro+Coupler-Repeater&action.x=0&action.y=0&action=Search%2F).