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[steven r]

...If the two outlets are on the same phase- you wont read much Voltage
If the two outles are on opposite phases,  you'll see 220V on the meter....

That makes sense. Sounds like an extension cord or 2 could come in handy for this test. 

[roger1818]

I don't know if the repeater being a plug in one on a dryer not at the main breaker box effects this.

It is possible that Smarthome designed their CR so that the X10 signals on the two phases are in-phase with each other.  That would make it so that a passive coupler wouldn't cause any problems.  On the negative side though, it would make it so that 220V modules won't work.

Phil also brought out one more point. Not all breakers next to each other on opposite phases. So maybe double checking that the repeater is on both phases maybe a thing to look at.

I guess that is possible, although your dryer wouldn't work if the outlet doesn't have 220V.

[Brian H]

Uncle Phi;l in one of the articles pointed out that when adding a coupler or repeater to a breaker box. Picking adjacent breakers in the box may not be both phases.
I used my 220 volt pump breakers in the box for the AC Rated Cap.

[kevinvinv]

OK-   do unpluging the UPS and pc gear (all on the same ckt as the transmitter) increase signal strength visible on that circuit, but other circuits still are dismal  (like two bars)--

I am running out of ideas again.

-- I do have a number of motion sensing light switches (from Leviton and Heath/Zenith) --  I tried shutting them off and didn't get any signal strength change but do you think these things could be obsorbing?  I hope not... that would be a problem to deal with.

Any other thoughts out there?   

[dave w]

kevinvinv

How old is your breaker box? If it is twenty years or more, the following produced some improvements for me:

With your master breaker OFF!. (please read this line again).

Press on the end of each the breakers where they connect internally to the main buss (usually the center, or the end opposite the branch wire). Re-energize the panel and use to Elk to check for signal strength improvement.

IF improvement is noted:

With your master breaker OFF!. (please re- read this line three consequtive times).

Remove your box cover

Tighten or tourque all the screw terminals where the branch wires are connected.

Unseat then reseat each breaker. If some seem lose when you re-seat them, remove them and  use a pair of needle nose pliers to GENTLY squeeze the breaker clip that snaps on the buss.

In addition, I ended up glueing a strip of clear vinyl tubing (think I used 3/8" or 1/2" diameter) on the inside of the center bar of the box cover, so when the cover was re-attached and tightened down, the tubing compressed and applied pressure to the end of the breakers where they couple to the main buss. This maintained the improvement I got when I re-seated the breakers.

Finially, (and this is well into the rhelm of "diminshing returrns" ). There is an interesting "contact enhancer" solution which is a watery, clear liquid with an pressure sensitive semiconductor material in solution. It is made for circuit boards using edge connectors. When sprayed or brushed on the edge connector, it imparts no additional conductivity until the board is plugged into the connector. The mechanical pressure of the contacts caused to "non conductive" liquid to become conductive, only under the mechanical pressure points. I applied this conductivity enhancer to all my breakers where they clamp on to the buss and got further improvement (nothing remarkable and I remember the stuff was about $30 an ounce). Unfortunately I can not remember the name of this chemical  but believe it was made by Caig. I will try to research tonight and if I can remember will follow-up. Maybe someone else will know what it is.

Legal disclaimer blah, blah.
Remember most of the above action is with the breaker panel cover removed, with the main breaker ON you have 220v everywhere....  Even with the main breaker OFF you still have full 220V at the top of the panel. Be very careful. You do this at your own risk, etc, etc.