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[EL34]

I picked up a Leviton 6386 which seems to be the same thing as the XPTR
I got it for $39 with free shipping.  

Measuring the signal through out my house at all the wall receptacles, the 200mv led lights up
Pressing the Hi Range button, the same LED lights up which is supposed to be 2volts on the Hi setting?

Then I built a tool that lets me clamp onto the neutral bus bar in the panels and I can probe all the breakers with the 6386

The 200mv led lights up on both 120v legs in the house panel
Pressing the Hi Range button, the same LED lights up which is supposed to be 2volts?

So does that mean I am receiving a 2 volt signal?

I did find a 100mv signal in another breaker panel
Pressing the Hi button, the same LED lights up?
So what is the real reading, 100mv or 1 volt?

I would think that if the 200mv light lights up and I actually have a 200mv signal
and then I press the Hi button, 200mv would be below the 250mv hi range and nothing should light up?

The same goes with reading an actual 2 volt signal
It seems like nothing should light up until I press the Hi range button?

I am a bit confused on how the whole scale from 25mv to 2 volts displays on this device?

Thanks for any help on this

[Brian H]

The 6386 is a test signal receiver. As is the X10Pro XPTR.

What are you using to send the P1 On-Off continuous cycle of X10 power line commands? It is designed to read the continuous cycle of P1 On-Off commands signal level.

Normally a Leviton 6385 or X10Pro XPTT Test Transmitter is the module used with a 6386 or XPTR.

Manual for the XPTR/XPTT
http://site.electricsuppliesonline.com/documents/x10/xptt_xptr.pdf

[EL34]

I have my main VB.net controller software sending P1 on and then off every 3 seconds

I wrote the software
The signal is being sent properly
It shows in the X10 activity monitor in my software

[Brian H]

Thank you for the added information.
I don't have any experience with the 6386 or XPTR. So I can't say how the LED Level indicators work. On the High and Low Range.
There should be some users here that know how it works.

Do you have any passive or active phase coupling? That maybe coupling a weak and strong signal to where you are measuring?

[EL34]

Thanks for the reply Brian

I have a PZZ01 on the main breaker panel and that has a phase coupler over to both 120V legs
http://www.authinx.com/manuals/X10/PZZ01.pdf

I removed the other couplers I had after installing the PZZ01 as per the PZZ01 instructions
(I have 3 panels total - One main panel and two sub panels off of that main panel)
Both 120v legs in the main panel are receiving the same strength signal from the CM15A when I read the signal strength with the 6386

Hoping someone here can shed some light on how the LED scale is supposed to work
I am wondering if my 6386/XPTR is functioning properly?

The LEDs shows the same results when the Hi range button is pushed or not pushed

Here's a daigram of how my 3 panels are all related

[JeffVolp]

There should be some users here that know how it works.

I believe the XPTR only respond to the P1_ON command.  It appears to latch the highest value read, which is cleared by either a different command or the RESET being pressed to arm it for the next reading.

On the low range the 200mV LED indicates the level is 200mV or higher.   On the high range it would indicate the reading is 2.0V or higher.  With a repeater active, it will initially flash the strength from the transmitter, followed immediately by the strength of the repeated signal.  I don't know how accurate it is because the 2.0V LED lit when the XTBM-Pro read 1.43Vpp.  That should be accurate to 5%.

Bottom line is if it indicates 2.0V on the high range, you should have plenty of signal.

Jeff

[EL34]

Thanks Jeff,

I get the P1 on and P1 off leds lighting up without hitting reset
I have my program set for 3 seconds on then 3 seconds off
The leds flash at that rate

According to the instructions, the reset only indicates that you have power incoming?

The problem I am having is that the same LED lights up when not pushing the Hi button as when I push the Hi button
So if the 100mv led is lit and then I push the Hi button, the 100mv is still lit

So does that indicate 100mv or 1 volt
The same LED can indicate both depending on if the Hi button is pushed

[JeffVolp]

The problem I am having is that the same LED lights up when not pushing the Hi button as when I push the Hi button
So if the 100mv led is lit and then I push the Hi button, the 100mv is still lit

So does that indicate 100mv or 1 volt
The same LED can indicate both depending on if the Hi button is pushed

With the P1_ON and P1_OFF, the LED would indeed toggle at the transmit rate.  (P1_ON is measured, and any other command clears the reading.)

If it is the 100mV LED, you might have a bad switch.  I tested with a signal that was .5V and repeated at about 1.5V.  In the low range the 200mV LED lit.  In the high range, the 500mV LED flashed, immediately followed by the 2V LED locking on.

In your case if the 100mV LED is lighting, that would indicate a reading between 100mV and 200mV.  The 200mV LED would indicate 200mV or above.  So if 100mV is lit in both cases, the range switch may not be working.  (You have to hold it down during the sample.)

Jeff

[EL34]

Ok, thanks
I will have another go with it today and see what I come up with

[EL34]

Opening my old topic again

The just started last week and I can't figure it out
No new signal suckers have been installed, so I am not sure what is going on

I am using the Leviton 6386 signal strength tool to analyze the signals

X10 signals are working in the afternoons, but not in the mornings, very strange
The signal indicator shows yellow light - error condition when P1 on and off are sent

Exactly what does error condition mean on the indicator?

[JeffVolp]

The signal indicator shows yellow light - error condition when P1 on and off are sent

The yellow error condition may be due to powerline noise.

Jeff

[EL34]

Thanks Jeff,

Was looking for the mechanical explanation of the yellow light
So my guess is that if the signal level is below the lowest red light on the leviton, then the yellow light lights up?

I found the culprit

My Kitchen is lit below and above the cabinets with 12 volt LED tape lights
The 10 amp DC power supply is above all the cabinets on a wall switch

The power supply was never a problem before in the past
I always got the highest signal on the Leviton that you can get and so I left the power supply as is

So now all of a sudden this DC power supply starts causing a big signal suck
I threw a 5 amp filter on it and the problem went away

[EL34]

Just an update on that LED power supply that was causing issues with my X10 network

It had not been a problem for 2 years
The X10 signal strength on my network was the highest reading I could get on the Leviton
Then it started to create trash on the X10 network last month when I posted up above

Now, this past week, the power supply died
So it looks as though at the end of it's life is when it started to trash up my X10

Just throwing out info in case someone else comes across this situation

here's a pic of what these type of power supplies look like
You see them all over the web in different power ratings

[Brian H]

Thank you for the update. On a deteriorating electronic device causing issues as they age.