Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[WSSurvivalist]

I have a home control unit from sears, it works fine from the living room, turning on and off the modules in the same room
of the house.
When I move the controller or try to control the modules from another room located at the back of the house, none will work.  I believe the breakers for this room runs through a secondary fuse box but don't know for sure, or does it matter.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks Rich

[Brian H]

Sears has not carried any X10 compatible devices in a long time. Can you find its model number for us?

X10 power line signals have to get from one location to another On the power lines.
There are many things that can effect X10 signals.
Like power line noise from electronic device or electronic devices absorbing X10 power line signals.

Most homes are split single phase. Where there are two incoming power lines. 120 between either Line and Neutral and 240 from Line to Line. X10 signals have a hard time going all the way to the power transformer feeding the home on one line  and back on the other line. That frequently will make devices on opposite phases not respond to signals on the other phase.

You may have to see if you can find some power line devices are causing noise or signal suckers.

Also some phase coupling between the two incoming lines. If you have an electric oven or stove. Turning it On as a test may bridge the two incoming lines so you can see if phase coupling is one of your issues.

Here is a link to some great trouble shooting tutorials.
http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm

[bkenobi]

To add to what Brian said, I have a shop that is on a sub-panel with a couple modules on it.  I can control modules in the house from the shop and from the house to the shop.  In order to do this reliably, I had to reduce noise/signal suckers and add a signal coupler/amplifier/repeater (XTB-IIR).  You may not need to add the repeater depending on signal strengths and how clean you can make the rest of your setup.

[BAS-Sr]

To add to what Brian said, I have a shop that is on a sub-panel with a couple modules on it.  I can control modules in the house from the shop and from the house to the shop.  In order to do this reliably, I had to reduce noise/signal suckers and add a signal coupler/amplifier/repeater (XTB-IIR).  You may not need to add the repeater depending on signal strengths and how clean you can make the rest of your setup.

I tried the XTB-IIR, worked great, only issue I had is what is cost and that is stopped working after about a year (burned out), so I now try to rely on the interface (previously the CM11, now the CM15).

Going back to the CM15, seems to be working fine with AHP with one exception. I have 2 codes (A-12 and A-15) that I have modules on. I have one older LM465 on code A-15 for my flag pole light and several LM465's (both older and newer versions) on code A-12 as well as a WS467 that turn on lights at dusk and turn off at 11:30PM. When I first got the CM15 recently, the WS467 seemed to work fine when I had the CM15 plugged into a specific outlet closest to the fuse panel. Point of clarification, I have 4 modules setup in the AHP DB, 1 for the older LM465 on code A-15, 1 for the older LM465 on code A-12, 1 for the newer LM465 on  code A-12, and 1 for the WS467 on code A-12. This covers all the different codes and modules that are controlled thru the CM15 interface (also, CM15 in NOT connected to the PC, nor running AHP on a regular basis).

When I plug the CM15 into an outlet close to my PC so I can work with the DB in the CM15, I can control ALL the modules just fine. I have also tried putting the CM15 in that same outlet, again all the modules control (turn ON, turn OFF) except the WS467 when running standalone.

I am confused? Why would the CM15 work (turn on the WS467) when connected to the PC and control the WS467 just fine, but not when standalone? Output signal to the WS467 is the same, so this is what is confusing?

[JeffVolp]

I tried the XTB-IIR, worked great, only issue I had is what is cost and that is stopped working after about a year (burned out), so I now try to rely on the interface (previously the CM11, now the CM15).

I am only aware of two XTB-IIR's that "burned out".  Both apparently had a shorted turn in the power transformer that eventually caused the unit to fail after months of operation.  Both were repaired at no charge, including even return shipping.  There have been maybe a half dozen other XTB-IIRs that were damaged by nearby lightning strikes.  One was in a mountaintop observatory that apparently took a direct hit because much of the other electronics in the installation was damaged too.  All of these damaged units were easily repaired at a nominal cost, and returned to service.

Checking through my records, I uncovered two other XTB-IIR's that had failed in service.  In both cases it was a Kemet tantalum capacitor that had shorted.  Both of those units were also repaired at no cost, and that entire lot of tantalum capacitors was tested at max voltage.  Several others exhibited high leakage that could eventually lead to failure, so the entire lot was purged from our inventory, including those in units on the shelf ready to ship.

So if your XTB-IIR is not working, by all means send it back to have it repaired.  Note however that most units sent back for troubleshooting and repair were found to be working fine, and the problem was eventually tracked down to something new added to the electrical environment in the home.

Just a quick follow-up...   The X10 Boost input on the cover is protected by a 1/2 amp slow-blow 2AG fuse that also powers the unit itself.  If the LED doesn't flash briefly when power is turned on after being off 10 seconds, it is likely that fuse was popped by something other than an X10 transmitter being plugged into the X10 Boost input.  There have been quite a few units where that fuse was popped by using the X10 Boost input as a convenience outlet.

Jeff