X10 Community Forum

🖥️ActiveHome Pro => ActiveHome Pro General => Help & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: steve r on August 11, 2006, 02:01:49 PM

Title: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: steve r on August 11, 2006, 02:01:49 PM: There are times when I have outside lights/spotlights on when they are not supposed to be.

What command/macro would I setup to send an all off command twice a day to see if this would eliminate lights being on for long periods of time when they shouldn't be.

This is not necessarily a new problem from new interference or downloading of new AHP versions.

I would like to pick any time that would be appropriate so not to be when they should be going on by a current timer or motion sensor.

Thank you for your help and please be specific as to method.

I tried searching the forum first but had no luck.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: JimC on August 11, 2006, 07:10:00 PM: Steve R,

If it were me I would do the following.
1. In AHP create a dummy module and assign it a unit and house code. lets say A1
2. create a macro that is triggered by A1. In this macro place each of your modules that controll lights and set them to off.
3 Create a timer for the dummy module (A1). Set the timer to turn off the light as often and at any time you would like.

This should work. There is a all units off function that could be used instead of placing all of the light modules in the macro but this function will also turn off all other modules.

If you need further clarification let me know I am sure we can get this to work.

Jim
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: steve r on August 11, 2006, 07:43:29 PM: Thank you, I will try this later and let you know.
I assume that there does not have to be any other trigger such as a motion sensor etc. It will just trigger itself. Also, I guess you mean to use any type of module as a dummy.

Thank you for your help!!
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: JimC on August 11, 2006, 07:48:33 PM: Quote
I assume that there does not have to be any other trigger such as a motion sensor etc
That is correct. The timer will trigger the dummy module which will trigger the macro.

Quote
guess you mean to use any type of module as a dummy

Any type will work. If it were me I would use either a lamp or appliance module as the dummy.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: jawaid on August 17, 2006, 03:16:52 AM: To take Jim's suggestion about teh macro a step further, you could also use the 'All Lights Off' command in the macro triggered by the dummy module A1 On. This command is available under the 'Advanced Functions' of teh Smart Macros. I have not tried this command myself, but it seems that it can simplify turning off all the lights.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: JMac on August 17, 2006, 08:01:59 AM: It absolutely will work and you could take it a step forward and use "All Units Off" (if there are radios, etc that you need to assure off)
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: steven r on August 17, 2006, 08:08:15 AM: Quote from: jawaid on August 17, 2006, 03:16:52 AM
...you could also use the 'All Lights Off' command in the macro...
Just like an "All Units Off" all lights on the same house code would be turned off. This would be fine if your outdoor lights were on a different house code but a pain if on the same HC as your house.

The sensors in my flood lights seem to come on anytime a bug flies by. I have macros to turn them off a few minutes after they're turned on as well as every hour.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: Dan Lawrence on August 17, 2006, 08:13:51 AM: You need to adjust the sensitivity so the floodlights won't react to bugs and other flying things. I had to play with the settings until I found one that doesn't react to bugs, cars on the street and other things, but still reacts to somebody on the bottom steps.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: jawaid on August 19, 2006, 08:30:48 AM: Dan,

How do you make the sensitivity adjustment? I did not readuly see it on the camera or the manual. Thanks.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: Charles Sullivan on August 19, 2006, 09:19:08 AM: steve r:
You don't mention whether you intend to download the macro to the interface or run it from the PC. If the latter, check that it works by manually turning on a few of the lights by pushing the button on a wall switch module or manually switching off and on the lamp itself, i.e., so there's no X10 signal transmitted on the power line to tell AHP the light is on.

With macros executed from the PC, AHP often tries to be "smart" and doesn't transmit a command it thinks is unnecessary. So if AHP thinks a light is already off it may omit sending the Off signal to that module.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: Dan Lawrence on August 19, 2006, 10:45:50 AM: Quote from: jawaid on August 19, 2006, 08:30:48 AM
Dan,

How do you make the sensitivity adjustment? I did not readily see it on the camera or the manual. Thanks.

There should be a compartment on the bottom of the floodlight. Open the door that covers it and there should be dials for various sensativy and other settings.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: JimC on August 19, 2006, 01:43:49 PM: Dan Lawrence,

He mentions camera along with the floodlights. If he has the flood cam units they do not have an adjustment for sensitivity. At least mine does not but it is an older unit.

Jim
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: Dan Lawrence on August 19, 2006, 02:07:48 PM: That may be, but the PRS511, which I have does. It's set to ignore bugs, birds and cars passing by the house. It will not turn on until someone's on the bottom step of the porch steps. It turns off 10 seconds after it turns on. It's controller (a RWS18) turns the PRS11 ON at 10 minutes before Dusk and OFF at 12:30 AM seven days a week.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: jawaid on August 19, 2006, 11:03:30 PM: On the flood cams, I do not see a sensitivity adjustment. The flood cams I have are 3 years old and perhaps the newer units have these adjustments. On my floodcams, I did not see a compartment below the sensor.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: JimC on August 20, 2006, 08:32:28 AM: jawaid,

The compartment is on the underside of the camera but in it you will not find an adjustment for sensitivity. What is in the compartment is adjustments for: dark / light adjustment, time delay adjustment, unit and house code settings and manual / auto switch. Mine is a model VT38A.

Jim
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: jawaid on August 20, 2006, 03:11:23 PM: JimC,

Thank you for the clarification. I too have the model VT38A cameras and I am well familiar with the underside of the camera which is covered with a hinged lid. I was puzzled by the statement that there was a sensitivity adjustment. Thank you for confirming that indeed such an adjustment is not available on these cameras.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: TakeTheActive on August 21, 2006, 10:41:33 PM: Quote from: Dan Lawrence on August 19, 2006, 10:45:50 AM
Quote from: jawaid on August 19, 2006, 08:30:48 AM
How do you make the sensitivity adjustment? I did not readily see it on the camera or the manual.

There should be a compartment on the bottom of the floodlight. Open the door that covers it and there should be dials for various sensativy and other settings.

[For some "unknown " reason, I was unable to 'Read / Post To' some of the Technical Boards for several days - it was finally "resolved " today. :) ]

PR511 (w/Range Control):
(http://www.geocities.com/taketheactive/Images/PR511_Pg5.gif)

VT38A (wo/Range Control):
(http://www.geocities.com/taketheactive/Images/VT38A_Pg7.gif)
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: jawaid on August 22, 2006, 07:14:35 PM: Jim, I also have the same VT38A units - now about 3 years old. I am familiar with the bells and whistles under the camera's belly. After reading Dan's post, I thought perhaps the newer floodcams had teh sensitivity adjustment, I think Dan's post was about the PR511 motion sensors which look similar but do not have any cameras. I have ordered a PR511 to see how well these will work.
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: JimC on August 31, 2006, 08:17:46 PM: TakeTheActive,

Thanks for the informative post complete with pictures. That sure does make it all much clearer and as I suspected jawaid was referring to the flood cams. I for one have one of the flood cams that I was never able to get to operate reliably. I took it with me when I moved to my new house but have yet to install it. Considering how much I disliked it at the old house I probably will not install it. >:(
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: TakeTheActive on September 18, 2006, 11:12:09 AM: Quote from: steve r on August 11, 2006, 02:01:49 PM
There are times when I have outside lights/spotlights on when they are not supposed to be.

Re-visiting this thread "fresh" today, IMO, instead of putting a "bandaid" on the problem (sending extra OFF commands throughout the day), check the signal strength between your X10 transmitter(s) and the "problem" lights and make sure that you're getting them sufficient signal to RELIABLY work with.

TTA's X10 Troubleshooting Tips Thread (Read 514 times) - Posted: « on: 2006-08-27, 17:54:01 » (http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=9899.msg57582#msg57582)
Title: Re: Send an All Off command twice a day/help please
Post by: TakeTheActive on September 18, 2006, 11:18:55 AM: Quote from: JimC on August 11, 2006, 07:10:00 PM
1. In AHP create a dummy module and assign it a unit and house code. lets say A1

With all due respect to the rest of this idea, A1 is probably not the BEST choice for a macro (or *ANYTHING* for that matter, IMHO).

You see, the "Advanced Intelligence Programming" built into *MOST* X10 battery-powered, wireless RF transmitters (the gizmos WITHOUT Code Wheels) *RESETS* to A1 (A2, A3...) when the batteries die or are replaced.