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[RogerDodger]

Hi,
I'm new at this.  I just received the CM 15A a few days ago.  I thought I understood timers and macros but I don't understand how a timer works with a macro. 

I have a macro that seems to work fine.  It accepts a burglar alarm and turns on a light for a minute.   I want the macro to be active from dusk to dawn and inactive dawn to dusk, so I thought I could just attach it to a timer but I confess I don't get it.  If I attach that macro to a timer, I can get it to say it starts at dusk but it triggers anytime it gets a trigger, dusk or dawn, no matter.  Is it sending out a trigger at dusk?  I have experimented and still can't see anything that is happening.

Roger

[Puck]

I want the macro to be active from dusk to dawn and inactive dawn to dusk, so I thought I could just attach it to a timer but I confess I don't get it.

Welcome to the forum and X10 RogerDodger.

In your macro, use the  condition Nighttime to have it only trigger between Dusk and Dawn.

A timer for the macro set to Dusk will just trigger it and execute whatever is in it.

[RogerDodger]

Thanks for the welcome. 

When I click Add Timer, I get a list of things to which I  presume I can attach a timer.  If I attach it to an appliance module, it gives me an opportunity to select "on during the night" but if I select a macro, that choice of on during the night or on durng the day is grayed out and I can't select it. 

Roger

[Puck]

...if I select a macro, that choice of on during the night or on durng the day is grayed out and I can't select it. 

Unlike an appliance (or light) module you cannot turn a macro on or off with a timer... you can only trigger it with a timer.

Do not use a timer for what you are trying to do... In the macro itself, select Use Conditions. Now you can drag and drop a time frame for when the macro can be triggered.

[RogerDodger]

Hi,
I think my problem is that I don't have the SmartMacro  software.

Roger

[Tuicemen]

Yep in order to use conditions (Eg: if it is night time) you need the SmartMacro Plug-in! 

[Walt2]

I think my problem is that I don't have the SmartMacro  software.

You could just use two modules.  Plug your lamp module into an appliance module.  Have the appliance module turn 'on' and 'off' with dusk and dawn.  The lamp module will only turn 'on', when the appliance module is turned 'on'.

The poor man's conditionals. 

[EL34]

Don't count on the Smart macro dusk/dawn condition working properly.
Plenty of folks report the the smart macros dusk/dawn does not work, including me.
The dusk/dawn timer in AHP does work properly for me though.

Here's how I got this sort of situation  to work properly with smart macros.

Set up a phantom 3 pin lamp module.
Add a timer in AHP that turns this phantom module on at dawn, off at dusk.
check the on/off state of the phantom module for night/day decision making conditions.