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Author Topic: New to Active HOme Pro  (Read 6684 times)

topdoc

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New to Active HOme Pro
« on: September 15, 2007, 04:58:20 AM »

Hi all.  I had the old x10 system and my computer died and with it all the programs.  I had the old box with the controller with the antenna on it and programmed everything so that it was in the box. Should I take this box out of the  wall now so it doesn't conflict with the new box?
I set up the new CM15A box on my computer with the new soft ware SW31A.  It works with the lamp modules which are lettered and numbers to my house code, but the wall modules, which are not x10 units do not work.  At some point they worked with the old unit.  Do I need to buy new x-10 wall dimmers for my outdoor flood with house letter and room specific number settings?  If so, which wall modules that dim do I need to buy and which three way modules with a dimmer do I need to buy.  I don't understand the term 'slave' module to a three way.  Thanks in advance for helping me with all of these stupid questions.
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Brian H

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2007, 06:21:08 AM »

Do you happen to know the brand of switches that do not work. Many here have ways to make switches like from Leviton to work.
In the X10 threeway switch setup. There is one Master and the Slave just sends a signal back to the Master to then have it do the actual thing.
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topdoc

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2007, 01:44:08 PM »

Yes, they are Leviton which worked with the old system with the assigned house letter and specific module number but not with the new system with the same number (there are no dials on the leviton to set anything so I don't remember how I got it to work.)  They DO work with the old transponder box (which has an appliance module plug in it) in a central wall plug with the old remote.  I just don't know how to get the new box/program to recognize it.  Thanks for any help.
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Dan Lawrence

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2007, 01:57:46 PM »

Would you let us know what program you used before and what you are using now?  From your description of the "old" interface it sounds like the current CM15A as the CM11A does not have an antenna.

Letting us know what you used and what you are using now will help us assist you.
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topdoc

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2007, 03:15:14 PM »

Thanks for your quick response.  I really don't know since I threw out the information and the interface.  It was installed about 5 years ago.  The transceiver module that is in the wall from that system that responds to the remote from that system is Transceiver module RR501 RF X10 Powerhouse. The remote is X10 Powerhouse 6 in 1 Remote Control Model UR19A 6 in i RF universal Remote control. Thanks again.
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Dan Lawrence

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2007, 04:42:35 PM »

It sounds like you were using Active Home and the CM11A before and now have Active Home Pro (the Sw13A software) and the CM15A interface.  If you still have the CM11A plugged in, get rid of  it.

Your RR501 will work fine with AHP, I have two of them in my X10 system.

Any regular X10 module will work with AHP, all X10 modules (the ones with the code wheels) are compatible.   As to the Leviton modules, somebody else here wiiill have to let you know how to use them with AHP.
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Charles Sullivan

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2007, 05:06:44 PM »

topdoc:
It would help if we knew what these in-wall modules are.  There's probably a label on them, probably on the back side and you will most likely have to undo the module and pull it out to read it.  (Shut off the power at the breaker so you won't get zapped.)   Record what it says on the label - manufacturer and model number.

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topdoc

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2007, 12:40:24 PM »

Thanks.  Before I do this what information do you need?  I've really never done this before so I may have to have someone or an electrician do it for me. 
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Charles Sullivan

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2007, 04:28:40 PM »

Thanks.  Before I do this what information do you need?  I've really never done this before so I may have to have someone or an electrician do it for me. 

It's just a matter of determining what these beasts are - who made them and what is the part or model number.  Then we can look up their characteristics on the manufacturer's website.  You'll most likely need to look at only one of them unless they have an obviously different appearance on the outside.   If you can't do this yourself or with a friend, check back here for another option before hiring an electrician. 

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topdoc

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2007, 03:43:50 AM »

Again, thanks so much.  I called a buddy who had some knowledge of this, and he popped the casing of one and it was a Levitron with the dials for the module number and letters...GREAT!.  So I set the house to B and determined some of the older modules didn't work (the wall dimmer types) and ordered some new ones.
When it came time for them to turn on, the lamp modules turned on but the wall ones for the flood lights did not even though they worked manually from the computer interface switch.  I think it's because the house is set to B and the program wants to monitor A.  Is this right? Does the system just have to cycle for 24 hours before it works?
Also, some lights are set to turn off at 11 PM....and they did...but then they all turned on again automatically at midnight.  Am I doing something wrong here?  I removed the old transceiver so there are no signals from the prior program.  Again, does the system just have to cycle for 24 hours before it works?
I know these are a lot of questions but perhaps once I find the answers I can help others too.
Oh, by the way, my buddy wouldn't take any money for helping me so I bought him the whole system for his home....just because I think it has such great potential.
Thanks again.
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Charles Sullivan

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2007, 01:03:52 PM »

Again, thanks so much.  I called a buddy who had some knowledge of this, and he popped the casing of one and it was a Levitron with the dials for the module number and letters...GREAT!.  So I set the house to B and determined some of the older modules didn't work (the wall dimmer types) and ordered some new ones.
When it came time for them to turn on, the lamp modules turned on but the wall ones for the flood lights did not even though they worked manually from the computer interface switch.  I think it's because the house is set to B and the program wants to monitor A.  Is this right? Does the system just have to cycle for 24 hours before it works?
Also, some lights are set to turn off at 11 PM....and they did...but then they all turned on again automatically at midnight.  Am I doing something wrong here?  I removed the old transceiver so there are no signals from the prior program.  Again, does the system just have to cycle for 24 hours before it works?
I know these are a lot of questions but perhaps once I find the answers I can help others too.
Oh, by the way, my buddy wouldn't take any money for helping me so I bought him the whole system for his home....just because I think it has such great potential.
Thanks again.


While you had your buddy there you should have tried to get the model number of these switches as I suggested.  All Leviton modules don't work the same way and there's a good chance these are all still functional.  There are several reasons why a good module may fail to operate as expected.

If the new switches you've ordered are X-10 model WS467 Wall Switches, you may or may not have problems with them in ActiveHome Pro;  X-10 goofed with a recent redesign of this part and introduced an incompatibility.  Unfortunately there's no way of distinguishing the old versus new WS467 modules by appearance or labeling.

There no necessity for the system to cycle for 24 hours or any other time period.  A schedule of timers and macros downloaded to the CM15A should work immediately, starting with the time of the first event.  And a schedule isn't limited to one housecode - you can program any number of different housecodes and units, limited only by the amount of memory in the CM15A (8 KB).

Presumably you now have a record of the housecode and unit set on the dials for each switch.  Create a new schedule in ActiveHome Pro starting from scratch - don't attempt to fix up an existing one.   In AHP, click Tools > Hardware configuration and make sure the location is set for your city or a nearby one.   Then click Tools > Download timers and macros.   It ought to work.

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topdoc

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #11 on: September 18, 2007, 12:22:55 AM »

Thanks again for your reply.  The new X-10 wall modules I ordered were on special and are the WS12A wall modules that can be dimmed.
The Leviton modules that don't seem to work are the wall module 6381.  They work when I toggle the switch on the interface on the screen but don't seem to turn on when I set the program.  They all turn on on all with the old mini-controller.
Another interesting thing is that the ones that do work and are ON are showing as OFF on the computer screen and the ones that not working are showing as ON even though the lights are off.
I'm becoming a little disenchanted with this system but am not willing to give up yet since the old system worked so well
Everything is on House letter B.  Should I change it?  Should I change the numbers I've assigned the modules.  Any help would be and has been appreciated.
Thank you.
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Charles Sullivan

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #12 on: September 18, 2007, 10:48:58 AM »

Thanks again for your reply.  The new X-10 wall modules I ordered were on special and are the WS12A wall modules that can be dimmed.
The Leviton modules that don't seem to work are the wall module 6381.  They work when I toggle the switch on the interface on the screen but don't seem to turn on when I set the program.  They all turn on on all with the old mini-controller.
Another interesting thing is that the ones that do work and are ON are showing as OFF on the computer screen and the ones that not working are showing as ON even though the lights are off.
I'm becoming a little disenchanted with this system but am not willing to give up yet since the old system worked so well
Everything is on House letter B.  Should I change it?  Should I change the numbers I've assigned the modules.  Any help would be and has been appreciated.
Thank you.


Let's review:  In ActiveHome Pro you've dragged in the icon for a Leviton 6381 module and set its housecode and unit to match your actual wall switch module.  You've said the light controlled by your module turns On and Off when you toggle the switch on the icon.

If you move the brightness slider on the icon up and down, does the light Brighten and Dim accordingly?

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topdoc

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2007, 12:24:25 AM »

I had to wait until I came home tonight to answer your questions.
I moved the Leviton icon to the module pane.  I named it and set the room.  I set the house and module codes (my house codes are all B)
I set the on time for dusk (some are actual times) and I set the off times for 2 AM
None of the dimmer wall modules come on by themselves, although they show ON in  the module pane.
If I turn the icon OFF and then ON, they turn on.  And yes, once they are on, they DO dim.
I thought perhaps the signal wasn't getting to them so I set the 'store in interface' and 'repeat options' without any luck
They do not turn off by themselves but can be turned off by the module switch and be the old x-10 mini plug in remotes by pressing 'all off' or by pressing the module number and pressing 'off'
The wall modules that do not work don't work from the interface bout do work when manually pressed.
There is also one lamp module which doesn't respond to the automatic timing but does respond to the mini remotes on and off commands.
I am bought new wall units (WS12A wall modules)  for the ones that don't even respond to the icon switch.
Whew!
I hope this explains my situation.
Thanks.
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Charles Sullivan

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Re: New to Active HOme Pro
« Reply #14 on: September 19, 2007, 07:25:28 AM »

topdoc:
If the "Store in interface" button is set, then after everything is programmed you must follow up by clicking "Tools > Download timers and macros" in order to actually store them in the interface.

Modules which turn On and Off from the minicontroller but don't respond to the timers may not be Leviton model 6381 modules.  Try programming them as if they are an AM486 Appliance Module.  Note: any module controlling a fluorescent lamp should not be a dimmer module like the Leviton 6381 in the first place.

(My suspicion is that all your modules are probably OK and if they don't seem to respond to timers, it's for reasons other than they've gone bad.)
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