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[amymccravy]

Ok, guys, I need some help. I am virtually new to x-10 automation. A year or so ago, we bought a house that already had some stuff wired up for automation, as well as a cm11-a controller, but mostly just seems to be most of our light switches and a few outlets are x-10 compatible. I have played around some with the cm11-a since we've moved in, but haven't really had time to learn a whole lot about x-10 software, devices, options, and whatnot.

Here's the issue. In two rooms of our house, our recessed lights come on by themselves, seemingly at random, at all hours of the day. It doesn't happen often, and seems to happen in spurts. At first I assumed the cm11-a controller was sending strange signals, but it has been unplugged for a while, and this is still happening. I have no idea what to look for as the "culprit" sending these signals. To my knowledge, there aren't any radio signal receivers or anything like that plugged in, although I guess it isn't totally out of the question -- we've seen some "weird" wiring in this house, but I've checked the attic and everywhere I can think to. I'm hoping you guys can enlighten me -- could it be something like a loose wire somewhere causing this, or does it have to be something x-10 related (like a device or something sending a signal)? As I mentioned, the only x-10 devices on the system right now seem to be light switches and a couple of power outlets.

I have a baby, and he sleeps better than these darn lights -- not sure how many more nights I can take waking up to surprise lights. ha! 

The other x-10 lights may be doing this as well -- they're mostly outside flood lights so I'm not sure if I'd notice the strange behavior.

Any tips at all....

[Brian H]

You may find some X10 information in the X10 wiki and a few more good sites.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Main_Page
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm
http://www.act-remote.com/PCC/uncle.htm
http://www.davehouston.net/

[Brian H]

Some X10 devices are susceptible to power line noise. That could be one possibility.
Do you know what type of loads the ghostly switches are controlling?
Do you happen to have a Smart Power Meter?
Do you know the model numbers of some of the modules giving problems?
Any chance you have a close neighbor with X10?
Is the problem more prevalent at a particular time of the day? Like daytime or after dark?
 

[amymccravy]

Thanks for the reply! I'll read the links you sent.

I'm not sure what you mean by "what types of loads" the switches are controlling? Voltage? I don't know how to test and don't have a smart power meter. Switches control about 4 or 5 65W/120V bulbs each.

First switch I checked says it's a 340F (and I think the rest are the same). Says 500 Watts max, so surely they aren't overloaded?

Our in-laws next door also use x-10, but we're out in the country, so that's a half mile as the crow flies, and further via power lines.

Haven't noticed any patterns as far as timing. We can go weeks without noticing any instances, and then have it happen twice in a night or several times over the course of a few days.

[Brian H]

Loads would be the bulbs you where controlling. 65 watt 120 volts incandescent should be fine.
340F sounds like the UL Listing number.
If the switches have a push type button. Most likely a WS467 or WS4777 if a three way with companion.
If the switches have a decorator type paddle. Most likely a WS12 dimmer, WS13 relay on off only, WS14 companion to add three way to a WS12A or WS13A.

[dhouston]

Could 340F be an Insteon ID number?

[Brian H]

The LISTED 340F Remote Control E63636. Is right next to the UL Emblem and I have seen the same number on many X10 models.
My XPPF Filter, LM465, AM466, CM15A, ST539 and RE549 to name a few I checked.
If you search the UL Database for the E63636 you will find a long list of X10 and X10Pro devices in the file.

I just looked and could not find the E63636 file on the UL web site.
Maybe now that the old X10 (USA) is gone the file was archived.
I have a copy of it in my X10 archives so it did exist at one time.

[beelocks]

I'd start looking at the outside lights and see if there's a PR511 in the mix.

[dhouston]

The CM11A might be a troubleshooting aid. If connected to a computer running third party software, it can report X10 activity on the powerline. Legitimate X10 signals are reported while noise is not.

[amymccravy]

Thanks, all! Know of any free third party software that could report activity on the line? We didn't inherit a copy of ActiveHome or anything with the rest of this crazy setup, and I don't really want to spend any / much. Have a Mac and PC if that helps.

I am definitely going to check for a PR511 -- at first glance, I think that may be the culprit. I'm positive one of our flood lights is a double-flood light with a motion detector. Of course, out here, we see a lot more deer and possums than actual intruders, so if this is the issue, looks like a good feature to turn OFF...

[Brian H]

The original Active Home software for the CM11A. Is free and runs on Windows. There are some quirks with AH if you have XP but we can give you some tips if needed. Needs a serial port or a USB to serial adapter.
There is a link on the CM11As web page for the software and documentation.
http://www.x10.com/x10-home-automation/interfaces/cm11a.html

[dhouston]

For your Mac...

• http://www.alwaysthinking.com/thinkingHome.html
• www.perceptiveautomation.com/
• www.shed.com/
• http://misterhouse.sourceforge.net/
• http://heyu.tanj.com/heyu/index.html

Most are either free or offer free trials.

[amymccravy]

Should have followed up on this sooner, but just recently got around to pulling out the ladder. beelocks: It was the PR511!! Thanks so much for the tip. What an interesting little device -- I guess it's a cool thing to have, except that we're way more likely to have deer and rabbits in the yard than proper intruders. Not sure I want my bedroom lights coming on in the middle of the night!

Can anyone offer a little help with the control panel? I thought I had turned everything completely off, but we did have one more instance of something coming on, I think. Here's the image of the control panel: http://cache2.smarthome.com/images/4080big.gif -- I want to keep it coming on as a motion sensor, so have the switch to "sensor" instead of "dusk", and assuming the house and unit codes are to control this unit same as any other x-10 device. Shouldn't turning all of the eight bottom switches to "out" disable the other devices from coming on, or do "in" and "out" mean something else? Should I just put the house code for this device to a letter we aren't currently using for anything else, so that I could still control this light remotely without it bothering any others in my house?

And again, a big Thanks! I'm still amazed at the strange things we keep finding in this house...

[Brian H]

The PR511 users manual is on this X10 Wiki Page.
It may assist you with your question.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/PR511