Print

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

[bob d]

I have a flourescent relay switch that reacts
just fine to "Turn On" code but will not turn
off when instructed to either by timer or
manually activating switch in ActiveHome Pro.
I have tried several address codes, same
issue every time.  Any Help?

Thanks,
Bob

[arf1410]

its probable the fluorescent bulb that puts
out too much noise.  If it is a CF bulb, as
a test repalce it with a "normal"
incandescent bulb, and check to see if your
switch can be controlled ON and OFF

[bob d]

I'll try that, but if it is why do they sell
"FLOURESCENT SWITCHES"?

Thanks for the tip,
Bob

[arf1410]

I believe the fluorescent filters do NOT
contain any type of noise filter, they
simply eliminate the dimmer.  I have found
that when some CF bulbs get very old, they
put out more noise, so I can turn them ON,
but not OFF, yet when the bulb is new, I
can control both ON and OFF.  I have also
heard there can be large differences in
noise between brands of CF bulbs - some
will mess up your X10 system, others will
not...please post the results of your
test...

[Brian H]

They sell switches with a mechanical relay
or switch to control flourescent lights and
inductive lights like low voltage ones. That
means they are safe to use with those
devices. Not that noise from them will not
make them flaky.
I hade problems with CFLs made by TCP under
the Brand Name Durabright. I believe TCP
also has other brand names.
I did some rough X10 noise tests with a 2
phase X10 Coupler [has a tuned circuit for
the X10 signals]. One side connected to the
power line the other on a scope. I saw many
different noise levels as I changed brands.
Also some seemed to get better when warm
while others got worse when warm. I also
found out why my X10 lights missed a command
maybe one time a month. When my furnace
starts and the solid state ignition is on
for the first 30 seconds before going off.
The noise is so intense on the X10 band the
signals got squashed.

[capple]

I am having the same trouble. In my trouble
shooting I found this..
1. If I put the transmitter (in my case it
is a DS7000 Alarm system) on the same
breaker as the lights seemed to work.
2. tonight I changed one of the four CFL's
to a normal incandescent type. Working for
now. I will see if the circuit turn off come
morning.
3. Sometimes they worked. Most of the time
not.

Is there an in line noise filter to put on
at the light switch?
I do not want to move the base station. It
is in my bed room I like this for I can see
what zones my be open.

? Has anyone seen if a base station that
is on a AFI type circuit breaker produce
undesirable results? That is the new Breaker
Bed rooms are required to be on.

[capple]

Nope did not and will not turn off.

?? will a signal amp drive the signals over
the noise to produce better reliability?

[jeffl]

Similar problem.

We have two circuits of lights on the front of our house.  These are for candles in the windows.

For a year they worked fine, when I loaded a new software version in Jan the upstairs set stopped turning off?  Could be a coincidence as I have read numerous posts on noise.  We use the CM15A and run a simple lights on/off routine.

These lighting circuits are separate and distinct back to their own breaker.  No fluorescent lights but enough small candle lights to load up the circuit (I'm sure we've changed some bulbs over time so the load could be different).

They always turn on but don't turn off all of the time.  Maybe 20% of the time they do turn off correctly.  We dim them at 70% but I have tried 100% but with no luck.

I might try changing out all of the bulbs. There are 6 downstairs at 5 watt each and 7 upstairs at 5 watt each.  If it was a load issue, however, I would thing the downstairs lights would be more of an issue but they work great.

[roger1818]

Jeff,

What type of module are you using to control these "candle lights?"  The X10 brand of wall switches are much more susceptible to both powerline noise and weak signals and often behave differently when turning on than when turning off.

I assume you are using incandescent candle bulbs since you are dimming them (if not, that is probably your problem).  Incandescent bulbs shouldn't create any powerline noise.    Do you have a phase coupler?

[Rocket J Squirrel]

I thought this problem was well-known by now. I remember discussing it years ago on comp.home.automation. Here is my recollection.

It's a signal and noise problem. Some fluorescents create enough noise when on that their switches can't "hear" the off signal. With incandescents, the problem is caused by higher filament resistance when the bulb is on than when it's off. (Remember that with 2-wire X10 switches, the X10 signal has to flow through the bulb to complete the circuit; with 3-wire switches, the white neutral wire accomplishes this much better.)

Sometimes adding noise filters will solve the problem for incandescents. I have a TV and some stereo equipment in two different rooms which ruin X10 signals even when off. Plugging them into in-line noise filters solved the problem.

In general, adding a coupler/repeater is the best solution because you'll get a stronger X10 signal across both halves of the power lines (assuming you don't live in a small apartment or home with only one phase of juice). All the flakiness in my housewide X10 system vanished when I added one. I used one of the dryer plug models from Smarthome (replacing a passive phase coupler which didn't quite solve my problems).

 

[Brian H]

Bob W.;
One more problem device I have had to filter. My APC BX1000 UPS. Its surge filtering effectively killed my X10 signals [sucked them up] untill I added a filter to the AC Line Cord of the UPS.