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[Ivan8ias]

I originally had the WS4777 and companion CS277 wired fine with no problems for years, controlling a 100 watt light bulb, until I got the WS469, because of the higher current required for a 500 watt halogen spotlight to replace the original unique light bulb fixture (the bulb socket was irrepairably damaged) .

[roger1818]

I wired the WS469 and CS277 EXACTLY as described in the diagram, but in my case the way the original mechanical 3-way switch was wired, hot was in the house and load was in the garage, the two traveler wires toggling the switch actions.

So your original configuration was something like this (with the house switch on the left and garage switch on the right?



In that configuration it would be normally be best to put the WS469 in the garage (closest to the load) and the CS277 in the house (although if in your case if you actually have 4 wires going between the house and garage switch boxes (to  provide power for the outlet), you can get away with doing it the other way).

Here's what I did, using alligator test leads: Blue from the WS469, using one of the two traveler wires, to the Load at the garage. Red from the WS469, using the remaining traveler wire, to the red wire of the CS277 at the garage and the other blue wire on the CS277 connected to local to the garage hot (on the same circuit fuse).

What do you mean by "the other blue wire on the CS277?"  What are you doing with the first one?

I can turn on and off the light from the house, but pressing the CS277 does nothing. Here's what's weird: If I momentarily touch the hot lead at the garage to the red wire, the light goes on and remains on until I momentarily touch the hot lead again to the red lead, and then the light goes off and remains off. Isn't that exactly what the CS277 is supposed to be doing? I tested the CS277 with my OHM meter for continuity and every thing checks out OK. What do you think is going on??

That is very strange. 

[Ivan8ias]

Yes, essentially that is the configuration I have. On the CS277 one blue wire goes through one of the traveler wires to the blue wire from the WS469. The other wire of the CS277 is capped off and unconnected. The red wire from the CS277 goes through the other traveler wire to the red wire of the WS469.

[roger1818]

Yes, essentially that is the configuration I have. On the CS277 one blue wire goes through one of the traveler wires to the blue wire from the WS469. The other wire of the CS277 is capped off and unconnected. The red wire from the CS277 goes through the other traveler wire to the red wire of the WS469.

That's your problem.  It should go to black wire of the WS469.  The blue wire on the WS469 should only be connected to the lamp.

[Ivan8ias]

Roger, thank you for your help. Please explain exactly what you mean by:

 "That's your problem.  It should go to black wire of the WS469.  The blue wire on the WS469 should only be connected to the lamp."

In other words, what should go to the black wire of the WS469? I presently have the blue wire from the WS469 directly connected to the lamp with an alligator clip lead, so it essentially makes the WS469 operate in stand alone mode. I don't have the CS277 connected now. (I'm in the experimenting testing stage) Please explain in detail how you recommend to connect the CS277. I think I've exhausted every combination

[roger1818]

Let me do it as a table to see if that helps:

Signal	WS469	CS277
HOT	Black	Blue
Neutral	White	-
Lamp	Blue	-
Traveller	Red	Red

[Ivan8ias]

Roger, that's exactly how I wired it in the first place. I just now attached a brand new CS277 in circuit like you described. Still nothing. Won't turn off the light when it is turned on at the house and won't turn on the light when it is turned off at the house. The totally weird anomaly is that if I get an alligator clip lead and momentarily touch garage hot to red, the light goes on and stays on. If I momentarily touch it again the light goes off and stays off. Like I've been saying, isn't that what the CS277 is supposed to do? I don't get it.

[roger1818]

I am at a complete loss then.  As you say, momentarily touching the red wire to the hot wire should emulate what the switch is doing so it doesn't make sense for that to work but the switch to not work.  The only thing I can think of is maybe you aren't pushing the switch hard enough (or holding it long enough).  It may be not register too quick a tap on the button (I have noticed you need to give it a nice, firm push for it to register).

[Ivan8ias]

Roger, after trying several CS277 switches with the same results, I decided to use a momentary SPST push button switch. I drilled a blank surface mount switch plate and installed the switch. Everything is working fine now. I should note, however, even though the CS277 shows infinite resistance, when I tried momentary shorting the red and blue leads, it still didn't turn the light on or off. There must be more to the switch than just a mechanical on/off.

[roger1818]

Very strange, but glad you got it to work.

[swill]

If you're still having trouble with the CS277 working correctly with the WS469, I fixed the issue.  The CS277 has an internal capacitor between the Blue and Red wires (wired in parallel with the push button switch).  My guess is the capacitor was designed into the CS277 to enable it to work with 2 wire x10 switches (that is no neutral).  All of the schematics I have seen for x10 switches have a diagram of the CS277 but show a push button WITHOUT the capacitor.  Once I removed the capacitor which then matches the schematic, everything works fine.