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[mrdon]

I am having serious intermitant problems with my Socket Rockets.  The finished basement in my house is wired with a bunch of recessed can lights in the family room, they are all tied into one wall switch.  I want to have individual control.  The Socket Rocket seems like the perfect soluntion, but it's not very reliable. I have multiple Rockets, with different codes and am using compact 50 Watt Incandescent flood lights (so they don't hang down out of the can).  I have problems with either a remote control or AHP, the problem seems more frequent with AHP.  One more thing, it seems to be progressivly worse, it was somewhat reliable when first installed.

After poking around this forum I came to the concusion (don't know if it's right or wrong) that two things may be the problem.

1.  The rockets are installed base up
2.   They may be overheating the the cans.

If my conclusion is wrong HELP me figure it out.
If my conclusion is correct HELP me find a better way to do what I want to do.

DON

[Dan Lawrence]

I suspect the heat generated by the light bulbs in the cans produces the heat.  Socket Rockets don't care which way they are pointing.  I have 7 of them in my basement all are pointing down (standard overhead sockets) and I use all CFLs in them as Socket Rockets don't dim.

Try replacing any incandescent bulbs with CFLs with the equivalent light level , less heat is generated by them. That may cure your problem

[Brian H]

You could also have noise or signal problems. As they warm up the needed signal strength maybe higher to control them.

Have you looked at any of the troubleshooting threads to look for things like signal suckers, noise makers or opposite phase issues? Maybe when you are using the lights you also have turned on some electronic devices in the room?

Are you using the CM15A interface to do the remote reception or do you have a transceiver that is doing the receiving?

[mrdon]

I'll try CFL and see if heat is the issue.  I'm fairly new to Home Automation but I didn't think CFL's would work with X10 so I haven't tried it.

I have both a CM15A and a Tranceiver (on the correct house code).  Could I be causing some type of conflict.

I've looked for signal suckers and interference.  I can't find anything that is only operating when the Rockets fail to work.  I've checked the phase issue and the transceiver is actually on the same circuit as the Rockets.  The CM15A is on a different circuit, but on the same phase. I do have a plug-in phase coupler at my clothes drier, but it's a fair distance from my breaker box so I'm not to sure how effective it is.

I have the CM15A plugged directly into a wall outlet. My computer is on the same outlet through a power strip, they are fairly close to each other.  I do have a plug in filter.  I'm not sure where to place it, the CN15A, the power strip, the computer?

[Brian H]

If both the CM15A and TM751 are on the same house code and the CM15A, in AHP, is set to transceive that house code. It may lead to a conflict.
The TM751 is not polite as it has no power line receiver in it. That is also why you can't turn its internal switch on and off by another power line controller. The CM15A is polite. So if the CM15A starts sending first and then the TM751 sends. The power line signal maybe corrupted. Now the other way around may work. If the TM751 starts first, the CM15A in theory, waits until the power line is clear and the signals is then sent.

Many have found that a CFL will work in a Socket Rocket as it does not dim.
A CFL and X10 wall switches and lamp module is a bad combination. Except the few wall switches that do not dim and have a neutral power wire or an  Appliance Module.

[mrdon]

If both the CM15A and TM751 are on the same house code and the CM15A, in AHP, is set to transceive that house code. It may lead to a conflict.
The TM751 is not polite as it has no power line receiver in it. That is also why you can't turn its internal switch on and off by another power line controller. The CM15A is polite. So if the CM15A starts sending first and then the TM751 sends. The power line signal maybe corrupted. Now the other way around may work. If the TM751 starts first, the CM15A in theory, waits until the power line is clear and the signals is then sent.

Many have found that a CFL will work in a Socket Rocket as it does not dim.
A CFL and X10 wall switches and lamp module is a bad combination. Except the few wall switches that do not dim and have a neutral power wire or an  Appliance Module.

Thank You this is great info.  If I understand correctly, when I use AHP to control something it transmits over the powerline and receives RF from remotes.  So if I have a TM751 in the area it could pick up the RF from the CM15A and send a conflicting signal over the powerline.  

I don't know why I had the TM51 in the same area to begin with.  I do have some areas where the RF isn't reaching the CM15A, like my backyard workshop. That's where the TM 751 would come into play, right?

I'm an old radio operator, Marine Corps, then 23 years in Public Safety Communications.  The term "transceiver" led me astray, I've always thought of a transeiver as receiving and transmitting radio signals.  It didn't occur to me that it could receive RF and transmit on a powerline.   WOW talk about teaching an old dog new tricks.  Once this NEW (to me) definition sunk in the whole concept makes a whole lot more sense.  It amazing how thinking one way can give you tunnel vision.  

After unplugging the TM 751 everything works a whole lot better.  I still have some minor problems, but with this out of the way I can find the noise generators and suckers.  This whole conflict idea made troubleshooting a nightmare.

I LOVE THIS FORUM  

[Dan Lawrence]

I would suggest replacing the TM751 with an RR501, as it is "polite" and waits until the line is clear.

X10 sells it as part of a package which you really don't need, but Automated Outlet  http://www.automatedoutlet.com/ does sell it alone. 

[mrdon]

I would suggest replacing the TM751 with an RR501, as it is "polite" and waits until the line is clear.

X10 sells it as part of a package which you really don't need, but Automated Outlet  http://www.automatedoutlet.com/ does sell it alone. 

Thanks, I'll check out the automated outlet.  Is all X10 created equal or is one supplier better than another quality wise.  I'm all for saving a buck, but not at the expense of quality.  I don't want to buy problems by saving money

DON

[Brian H]

Any X10 made module is the same. Where you buy it does not matter. Though check a vendors return and warranty policy as it may make a difference.

X10Pro is also made by X10, but I believe has a longer warranty and some think are tested better.

Other manufactures like Smartlabs; ACT and others may make X10 compatible items. That may or may not be better.

One of our own here. Jeff Volp developed a great repeater signal booster. XTB-IIR that I use myself.

[dave w]

If I understand correctly, when I use AHP to control something it transmits over the powerline and receives RF from remotes.  So if I have a TM751 in the area it could pick up the RF from the CM15A and send a conflicting signal over the powerline.  

Almost. The TM751 AND the CM15A pick up RF commands from the RF remotes and both put them on the powerline.  As Dan was pointing out about "politeness", the TM751 is impolite, it tranceives the RF remote signal the moment it picks it up, with no regard to X10 commands already being sent over the powerline. The CM15A is polite and will withhold putting an X10 command on the line if a command is in progress from something else, but if it began tranceiving the RF signal first, then the TM751 would blindly transmit also and you have X10 signals colliding on the powerlines and the commands get corrupted. That may be what you are seeing.