X10 Community Forum
🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Help & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: bbcbr9 on April 23, 2006, 05:32:35 PM
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Ive had plug n power from radio shack for many years and got turned on by "AHP" my whole house is automated.everything was working great, started to use timers and macros things started to have a mind of their own. come to find out that "a new salt water aquarium with special lighting to grow coral " has made a lot of noise interference and Ive lost control of 1/2 the house. research has led me to "Plug-in Noise Filter - XPPF" WILL THIS WORK and will i be able to still use a x.10 module to control the lighting system in tank ???
also looking into the "1/2 the house thing " and was wondering about the "4816A2 SIGNALINC PLUG-IN PHASE COUPLER (FOR 4-WIRE 220V DRYERS " will this solve my problem, mind you everything was working fine untill the " aquarium "
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If you connect the light to the filter and the filter to the switched outlet on the module. It should help. You using a appliance module for this? A dimming one may have a problem with that type of light.
I have the three prong version of that coupler and it helped. It has a tuned circuit in it to pass mostly X10 band signals. It couples the same signal it receives back to the other phase. Meaning if your 5V PP signal is 1V PP at the dryer outlet. 1V PP is coupled back to the other line. I exchanged mine for a 4826B repeater/coupler. It rebroadcasts at 5 V PP back to the other phase. Since you are working OK till the new light. A coupler only maybe all you need.
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doing more research Ive unplugged the tank lighting and got back control of the room in question but still having problems with some outside lighting have not tried to hook up aquarium to x10 yet dont want to fry my lighting in tank ??? it is very exspensive and is flouresent aswell, do you think the repeater will help with out side lighting only working when it wants too? thank for the reply ;D
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also have pblems with hampton bay fan w/light assembly that has its own remote ive managed to get fan on x10 and light, but the light only works some times, was looking at the "X10 Pro Inline Dimmable Receiver Module" this my solve my problem?
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bbcbr9:
I have written some turtorials on Phase Coupling (http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Phase_Coupling) and Powerline Noise (http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Noise%2C_Noise_Filters_and_Automatic_Gain_Control) which you might find interesting.
If it is the aquarium light that is causing you your problems and you want to control the light via X10, plug the light into a noise filter and the noise filter into an appliance module. As Brian said, don't use a lamp module, but an appliance module is safe to use for fluorescent lights.
also have problems with hampton bay fan w/light assembly that has its own remote I've managed to get fan on x10 and light, but the light only works some times, was looking at the "X10 Pro In-line Dimmable Receiver Module" this my solve my problem?
What do you mean by the light only works some times? If the fan/light has its own remote, you might have troubles using X10 with it since the built in remote control circuitry may not remember its previous state when the X10 module turns the power on.
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well once the light is turned on by the "fan remote" it does remember the last state, and can control with via x10 some times.i would say about 80% of the time. thats why i was looking in to the phase coupling? more research on "tank lighting" once un plugged everything works fine, but fan light assembly only when it wants to, i have put an x10 wall switch in the light can assembly and that works only some times. now going to try that inline receiver module...... i did read up on the "phase coupling & noise " it is very helpfull thank you both for your reply ;D
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What model of wall switch are you using? In the 20% of the time that it doesn't work, what exactly happens? What do you do to turn it on in that case?
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"WS467" well when it doesn't work i just turn on the closet light, Ive also been think that about the last time i did a update on the CM15A do you think that the up dates may not work with some radio shack plug n power products, i have both x10 and plug n power..... i must say everything was working GREAT i really cant pin pont the time of things going wrong . question ? do module go bad over time. i did how ever perchuse the phase coupling/repeater today and the noise filter for tank light... i will post the out come of all this.
Brian i haven't hooked up any x10 yet on aquarium until last night i didn't know that the tank was giving me all the problems, but doesn't change the fact that the fan light is acting weird once the tank was unplugged it seemed that the fan light was working but not enough time to tell if it is 100% yet , only because i cant leave the tank light off for too long to experiment with it . the way i put the WS467 in-line I'm sure that it should be replaced with a XPDF in-line maybe ill get a better respones, do you think with the all in one fan and light, would the fan be giving me a noise problem being that it is so close 3 or 4 inch. http://www.nastyss.com/x10.jpg here is a link of pic. THANKS again BRIAN & RODGER
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As far as I know. Radio Shack modules are OEM by X10 and 100% compatible. Good chance you take one apart and see an X10 board as I have seen in the past. Even the Black and Decker Light Modules are X10 except they added a safety fuse to the triac in case you overloaded it.
WS467 on an inductive fan. Asking for trouble. Inductive devices should not be on a dimming module unless specified as OK.
Also the WS467 steals power from the load [2 wires no added neutral wire] so what it is stealing the power from makes a difference.
Is the fan light a standard bulb or a CFL? CFLs also don't work well with any dimming module and X10 says not to use them with a wall switch or lamp module. A relay type may work but most need the added neutral wire in the switch box.
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"WS467"
That is your problem. The WS467 should only be used for incandescent lights. It shouldn't be used to control a motor or any type of electronic equipment (including the remote control circuitry inside the fan).
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so i should be safe if i use the X10 XPDF in line module. Ive just received the phase coupler still not getting on leg of out side lighting to work. i have 3 legs of low level lighting using there own power packs, 3 different modules all on the same hose code 2 in the front yard work but not the one in the back yard ??? cant seem to figure this one out they were all working fine.. still waiting for the noise filter and inline for fan light should be here tomorrow.. ;D i will post the out come of all of this.....
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Do NOT use the WS467 with any motors as it can be damaged or unreliable. Filter will not fix a WS467 on a motor!
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so i should be safe if i use the X10 XPDF in line module.
No, the XPDF is also for incandescent lights only. You need to either use an XPFM (http://x10pro.com/pro/catalog/xpdf.xpfm.page10.html)or a WS13A (http://www.activehomepro.com/accessories/acc_wallswitch_ws13a.html).
Ive just received the phase coupler still not getting on leg of out side lighting to work. i have 3 legs of low level lighting using there own power packs, 3 different modules all on the same hose code 2 in the front yard work but not the one in the back yard ???
What type of module are you using for your low voltage lighting? Dimmable modules (be they plug-in, wall switch or in-line) should only be used for incandescent lights. Any other type of load should use some type of non-dimmable (appliance) module. The only exception to this rule is the XPDI3 (http://www.activehomepro.com/accessories/pro/xpdi3_iw_wa1_s.html#) which can be used with certain types of inductive or resistive loads, but even then you need to be careful.
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OH yes reread your post. XPDF is for standard lights only as it also dims. No motors or low voltage lights should be used.
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Do NOT use the WS467 with any motors as it can be damaged or unreliable. Filter will not fix a WS467 on a motor!
filter is for the aquarium" lighting " the light is back fedding noise into line and that is why my bed room lights have a mind of there own.....
when the tank light is unplugged everything is fine.. aquarium is NOT on any x.10 trying to work out the bugs with noise before i hook up tank to x10
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OH yes reread your post. XPDF is for standard lights only as it also dims. No motors or low voltage lights should be used.
on the low voltage im using SR227 in wall out let and low volt power pack is plugged in to the SR227 via 110v plug comming out of the power pack as if it were being plugged into regular wall outlet no problems so far with this set up its been like that for years "everything is fine since the phase coupling repeater was installed . the only thing left is the room with the aquarium as long as the light is on, it is turning closet light on and only on it will never turn it off i have to do that.
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Ah. SR227 good choice.
You still may have a marginal signal where the problem light is. Did the filter on the problem aquarium light help at all?
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Ah. SR227 good choice.
You still may have a marginal signal where the problem light is. Did the filter on the problem aquarium light help at all?
didn't receive the good yet should arrive Friday 28th looking forward to hooking it up to see if it solves the problem! I got to tell you , that aquarium sure does cause alot of malfunctions with the X10 products, we will see if the noise filter will solve this frustration.
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well got all the goods and the noise filter didn't solve the noise problem, still some lights are comming on by them self, never turning off. not as bad as before "light comming on less often. still when the tank light light is set to the off, everything is working propper. any other suggestions on the noise problem????????????????does anyone think if i put a surge protector/noise filter " monster cable " makes a " surge protector/ noise filter " first then the noise filter may solve problem, open for suggestions here willing to try anything here
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Is the lights noise so bad the filter didn't help or is the filter not there yet on the lights AC Power Cord?
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Is the lights noise so bad the filter didn't help or is the filter not there yet on the lights AC Power Cord?
filter is in. problem is intermintent, but lights in room with tank will respond sometimes and other times wont"ac power cord is plugged into filter, filer into a/c outlet. lights will still come at will. the phase coupling/ repeater , if i watch it it will show signals passing throw it only when tank is on when thank is off you don't see any signals
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Get yourself an XPPF Plug in Noise Filer and plug the fiter into it. Your lights will work.
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Get yourself an XPPF Plug in Noise Filer and plug the filter into it. Your lights will work.
that is what i just bought i got it on Friday it seemed to make thing ALittlebetter but didn't solve the prob. all the way, it definitely helped greatly but still not 100%.................this is realy F#$%k up i no there has got to be something that will work
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Then you need to do further testing. There's something else causing noise, and one or more additional XPPFs will be needed.
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Then you need to do further testing. There's something else causing noise, and one or more additional XPPFs will be needed.
when i turn off tank light EVERYTHING is 100% i dont even see signals passing in phase/coupling repeater no green no red!
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OK.
Try this: Plug a cube tap into the XPPF, then plug both the filter and the tank light into the cube tap. The light is the other noise producer.
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MR. LAWRANCE
??? " cube tap " you will have to accuse my ignorance ?what is a cube tap
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A cube tap is a unit that allows you to plug 3 cords into a single outlet. They are sold by Home Depot, Lowe's, Wal-Mart and other retailers. They are not switched, either.
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Filter system in not a issue i can leave that plugged in, at night i turn off tank light by the switch, and at that point i show no signals in the phase coupling/repeater, when turn on i see red & green lights passing the phase coupling
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My guess at this point is the light is the noise generator.
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so any other suggestion on aquarium light noise, open for just about anything at this point
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Unplug the light (the fish don't care, BTW). If everthing X10 works, the light is the culprit. If not, you ave another noise source. Keep doing the unplug/test X10 routine until you find the probelem device and plug that into the noise filter.
You may end up buying more filters, depending on how many noise generators you own.
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X10 noise filters will filter out most noise, but if the device is particularly noisy, using one filter might not be enough. Some ideas can be found at Noise Filters - What if One is Not Enough? (http://smarthome.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/smarthome.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=323)
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well this post is long over do, needless to say there has been a long road to solving my noise issue with the aquarium lighting. after trying all of the in line filters and not having any success i did allot more research on noise and the solution that has solved all problems is a 500-Watt Isolation AC Power Supply ISO-500 " smart home .com " part #4836 has now made my home automation system 100%. everything is working great. i want to thank all of you that tried to help me "thanks again" ;D ;D ;D ;D http://www.smarthome.com/4836.HTML
[roger1818] Fixed broken link.
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I am glad you got things working. Thanks for the update and for telling us about the Isolation AC Power Supply.
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Thanks for that information. The isolation transformer must be specially made; as I use a small one just to protect me when I am doing inside module tests. It still passes X10 signals between the primary and secondary.