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[Mel99]

I picked up a bunch of X10 components and have been successful with most of my applications -

• Motion activated video recorded on VCR (XC18A Camera, MS14A Motion Detector, VR36A Video Receiver, and UX21A VCR controller)
• Remote Control of Transceiver Modules and Lamp Modules (TM751, RR501 and multiple LM465's)
• Automated switching of outside lights (CM11A and 3 XPS3's)

I'm using AH - not AHP on an XP PC and, as mentioned, a CM11A.  I also have a Passive Phase Coupler.

What I can't do consistently is schedule control of Tranceiver Modules and Lamp Modules by the same setup that reliably controls, by schedule, the  XPS3's.  The CM11A is plugged into a power strip.  I've taken everything else off of the power strip, taken everything off of the wall receptacle the power strip is plugged into.  Sometimes everything works ok.  Sometimes the LM's turn the lights on and not off.  Sometimes one LM will turn a light on but another LM will not turn its light on.

Is line noise a possible problem?  The XPS3's work ok.
Is the CM11A flaky?  Ditto the XPS3's.

[Brian H]

If the power strip has a noise filter or surge suppressor in it. It could be absorbing the X10 signals from the CM11A.

The TM751 transceiver does not have a power line receiver in it. So power line commands form the CM11A will not change its state. The RR501s do and they can be controlled by power line signals.

Could be a noise problem or a weak signal. Passive couplers only couple the signal level at its input. If the CM11A is sending at 5 VPP and by the time it gets to the coupler it is 1 VPP. The signal back to the other phase starts at 1 VPP.

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=fia4somvt646m1f9ar60hogk94&topic=7951.0
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/Main_Page
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm

[Mel99]

Thanks Brian. 

I want to clarify my earlier post.  I use the TM751 only with a remote.  I use the RR501 with both remote and CM11A, but not at the same time.  It's the RR501 that I'm having a problem with.  The CM11A sends a signal to it and it, in turn, sends the signal to the LM's.  Everything works all the time when I use the remote.  Its problematic only when I use the CM11A.

I also set things up for the CM11A to send signals to the RR501 and to the LM's individually.  When that did not work consistently, I had the LM's slave off of the RR501 so I would have a working solution - Christmas lights around the house.

The power strip appears to have no additional functions - just an increase in the number of outlets.

Is there a way to measure signal strength along the signal path?

[Brian H]

The RR501 is not a repeater or booster. It can not take the power line signal from the CM11A and resend it to the LM.
When you use the remote. The RR501 sends the signal to the LM and I would say it is closer to the LM than the CM11A signal wise.

You have a LM connected to the switched outlet on an RR501?

[Mel99]

I guess I read the documentation wrong - "The (RR501) Transceiver Module receives radio frequency (RF) commands .... The Transceiver Module also passes on commands over your house wiring to control other X10 modules."  I took that to mean the RR501 would pass along commands to other modules regardless of the source of the commands.

When I commented on using the CM11A, all the modules (RR501 and LM's) were set to the same code.  The AH interface was not sending anything to a LM using that code.  The only device the AH software knew about with that code was the RR501.  Some of the time, using the CM11A, the LM's functioned, both on and off, even though AH did not know about them.  At least as far as the AH screen on my PC looked.  I routinely download timers and verify that the CM and the software are in sync.

I have a rotating Christmas tree and its light strings connected directly to the RR501.  The LM's are plugged in around the house controlling various aspects of our Christmas decor.  Some of the XPS3 switches, which turn CFL's on and off consistently on a schedule, are further away from the CM11A than some of the LM's which turn lights on and off intermittently.  The remote controlled RR501 and LM's always work on the appropriate button push.

My guess is:  The XPS3's don't need as strong a signal as the LM's and I have some sort of 'signal sucker' taking the signal strength below the LM-needed threshold but not low enough to impact the XSP3's.

[Brian H]

That could be on the signal levels being marginal. I am not sure if the XPS3 has AGC. That could make a difference if it did.