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[EL34]

I have a home network, all the computers, modems, telephones and my TV are on several UPS (battery backups units) in two separate buildings.
UPS's aso filter the AC going to the device and keep the ac smooth and constant.

I was wondering if a UPS prevents offending electronics from trashing up the AC lines.
Seems logical that the UPS would keep trash from backfeeding on the ac lines.

So far, all my x10 stuff works great and I have a ton of electronics in two buildings that are tied together by a common electrical servce, but different sub panels.
Ok, there is one dimmer wall switch that turns on all by iteslf but all the appliance modules seem to be rock solid.

[robster]

Using an ELK signal meter, I found that my two UPS systems were huge signal suckers.  I put an X10 filter in front of each of them, and immediately improved signal strength and reliability throughout my house.  Honestly, I'm surprised you're having good results!  Maybe your UPS systems are on a branch that doesn't have much X10 activity?

Anyhow, if you start having problems, I would put a filter in front of all computers, plasma TVs, and battery backup systems. 

Good luck,

Rob

[dave w]

A TV on the UPS? That is some very serious television watching!

[EL34]

Not quite sure how a UPS can foul up a x10 signal.
I would think they prevent noise from going back onto the network.
I have four of them and they are all on circuits that the X10 cm15a controls.
The PC that has AHP installed and is connected to the cm15A is on a UPS.
In fact the cm15a is plugged into a power strip that is plugged into a UPS.

A TV on the UPS? That is some very serious television watching!

I bought a new 1500Va model for my main business computer and took the old 425VA model to use on the Direct TV receiver, TV and stereo.
It has come in handy many times during storms.
The Direc TV receiver nevers loses power and so it never needs to be re-set up. 

UPS's eliminate voltage spikes, brown outs, etc and protect equipement.
I have been wathching TV during a storm and then the power went out but I was still watching TV. 
I would never run my computers without being connected to a good UPS.

Seen too many computers crash because they were writing data during a brown out or power bilnk.
Not only that,  I run a couple server programs that cannot lose power at any time.
I also have a small weather station that uploads to the web every 15 minutes.
And of course, there AHP that I control via the web and it is running 24/7.

[JeffVolp]

Not quite sure how a UPS can foul up a x10 signal.

When operating off their internal battery, the high-power switching circuitry inside an UPS can generate a lot of electrical noise.  One APC UPS we have has a capacitor directly across the AC power input to prevent that electrical noise from reaching the powerline.  That same capacitor will also severely attenuate any X10 signal on that same circuit.  In a test, the ESM1 read 1Vpp with the UPS unplugged, and only 0.1Vpp with the UPS plugged into that receptacle.

The fact that you don't experience any problem may mean your particular UPS has a different line filter design, or perhaps no line filter at all.  However, UPS and computer power supplies are notorious for being X10 "signal suckers".

Jeff

[EL34]

Ok, thanks for the info.

Maybe I'll pick up one of those signal checkers and do some test here.

One things for sure, I must have ups's on my computers so I would have to do a work around if I endded up with x10 problesms.

[JeffVolp]

One things for sure, I must have ups's on my computers so I would have to do a work around if I endded up with x10 problesms.

Isolating a computer or UPS from the powerline with a standard X10 plug-in filter will  prevent them from attenuating X10 signals.

Jeff