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[Charles Sullivan]

Well, it looks like it has been a few months so I was just checking if there is any more info on the new LM465's?

And I just want to be sure I understand the soft start feature. Does it truly allow the LM465 to be able to power an incandescent on without ramping all the way up to the full wattage of the bulb and then going back down to the dim level setting?

If you define the new design LM465 instead as a LM14A in ActiveHome Pro, you can go directly from Off to the desired dim level without first ramping to full brightness.

I think that powering to full and then going back down is very wasteful and also a little tacky looking compared to just dimming up to the desired dim level from the off state.

Also, I keep reading about the Leviton lamp modules. Are they really worth the price?

I am looking for cool dim effects, etc. for 40 watt incandescent bulbs but I do not want to waste too much money either, but do not mind spending money for quality products, which, at present, makes me wonder if x10 is a quality product or not, especially if some of the x10 companies do this kind of crazy upgrade without changing the model number. That just seems very wrong to me and could cause all kinds of problems. I don't see how something like that could get past the quality control department of any company.

I think most of us share your dismay at the practices of the X-10 company in this regard but elect to purchase their modules anyway because they are so inexpensive compared to other brands.

[LittleLarry]

 Is the x10.com site only sending the lm465 with SoftStart now, or do they still send out the non soft start versions from time to time?

If they send you the old ones by mistake are they pretty good about returning them and sending out the soft start versions?

[Dan Lawrence]

From what I've seen it's nit or miss as to what LM465 you get from various vendors, not just X10USA.

[LittleLarry]

 Even after all this time x10.com is still sometimes sending out the older non-softstarts?

That seems strange.

Since I didn't order a computer module yet (wanted to see how just a few basic lamp dimmers work with regular remotes), is there an easy way to determine if they send me the new LM465's versus the old ones? Say a certain model serial number to track or something? Thought I read that somewhere but then it sounded like since they didn't do hardware revision labels, that maybe they aren't tracking them by serial either? I hope that isn't the case. I'll dive back into the beginning of this thread for clues.

[dave w]

Even after all this time x10.com is still sometimes sending out the older non-softstarts?

If you get the $49 Starter Pack" of surplus RCA modules, yes they will still be old design. I believe all X10 Powerhouse LM465s are now soft start modules.

[LittleLarry]

 My order wasn't $49, it was $39:

LM465-SP-3LTP-PS31    $39.99

In the photo it looks like there is a Powerhouse on the front of the LM465's. It is 3 lm465's, 1 transceiver, and 1 palm pad(hr12a).

I am also noticing on their site that they now list an RCA overstock gift pack option:

http://www.x10.com/automation/rcagiftpack.html

I didn't order that one, and now I can see the RCA logo on those. Perhaps they finally decided to distinguish between the 2 models now, or is this a 3rd model?  Old LM465, new LM465 with softstart, and RCA clone of LM465?

Anyone else place any recent orders of the LM465-SP-3LTP-PS31?

If so, what did you get with that pack, old or new softstart lm465's?

[Brian H]

I believe all the LM465s are now soft start, but only X10 knows for sure.
Been a while now; but I got some older ones with a Date Code between two known Soft Start Date Codes.

[steven r]

I believe all the LM465s are now soft start, but only X10 knows for sure....

I wouldn't bet that anyone including  X10 knows for sure. Much less the poor warehouse guy packing your shipment.
Moral of the story, that X10 hasn't learned yet, is...

If you change way the hardware operates, you need to change the model number!

[Brian H]

I believe X10Pro did. As they show new soft start model numbers and users sheets to match.

[Boiler]

If you change way the hardware operates, you need to change the model number!

...And update your "Flagship" software so that it can reliably interface to the new units.

[Dan Lawrence]

And KEEPS the ability to interface with the older units.

[LittleLarry]

 Well, I finally received my lm465's as well as the remotes and transceiver.

I must say that I am impressed compared to what I was using before to control a couple lights (old GE remote that could only turn on 1 appliance or light - had no light dimming).

Now, I 'think' I have the new lm465's with softstart and the datecode is 08b08.

When I power a lamp on from the off state, it starts out at no light and gradually ramps up to full on (the effect is very nice on the eyes).

When I dim a lamp with the remotes, and then power it off with the remote, and then turn it back on by pressing dim or bright, it comes back on at the last dim setting.

I really like the light effect, it is just as good as I was expecting.

I will be ordering a few more very soon.

[Brian H]

Acts like the new soft start version. Another way to tell is does if dim below about 30%? Old ones would dim to maybe 1% the soft starts dim to abut 30%.

[steven r]

....When I dim a lamp with the remotes, and then power it off with the remote, and then turn it back on by pressing dim or bright, it comes back on at the last dim setting....

So the soft start LM465 will turn on it they receive a dim or bright signal?
The new soft start wall switches don't respond to a bright or dim unless you send a on first.

[LittleLarry]

"Acts like the new soft start version. Another way to tell is does if dim below about 30%? Old ones would dim to maybe 1% the soft starts dim to abut 30%."

Indeed, it does appear to dim to about 30%. If I use a 60 watt bulb and I press the dim button from full brightness, it decrements a little each time with each press of the button so after about 6 or 7 dim button presses, the light will be at its lowest setting which appears much brighter than 1% (closer to 20 or 30% if I had to guess).

So the soft start LM465 will turn on it they receive a dim or bright signal?
The new soft start wall switches don't respond to a bright or dim unless you send a on first.

Indeed, this seems to be the case, there is one caveat though. I have noticed that sometimes, at least on 2 of the lm465's, that sometimes, when I issue a dim or bright to turn the light on, that occasionally it will just go to the last dimmed setting directly and skip the nice "ramp on effect from the off state" that I like so much, not a huge deal, but intermittent things like that can be a little.....unpredictable.

It's tempermental and I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this occasional skipping of the nice on effect when using the dim or bright remote buttons to turn a light on with the new softstart lm465's. Just a little inconsistency I would say. It would be nice if every time I used the dim or bright button to turn on the light, that it would respond the same every time, but mine do not. I probably notice this more than most people however since one of the big selling points to me is the nice dimming on and off effects of the lm465.

The effect seems to be in place every time I use the On and Off buttons, but the nice effect is only in place about 40% of the time when I use a dim or bright button to power on the lamp from the off state.