Print

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

[DBrian]

CM15A - RR501 May be Incompatible

It appears that X10 support does not understand my problem with the answers they have responded with. They want me to stop using the RR501 as a RF receiver and have referred me to tips on how to  modify the antenna on my CM15A to extend  its range which I can do, but then they also tell me that  any modification I make would void the warranty  that I have on my unit.   An antenna modification, is truly needed but that seems like a circumvention to my problem.
 I am using a RR501 transceiver  to circumvent  the limited RF range of the CM15A.   For manual control, I use a UR24A RF remote at the remote ends of my house along with a RR501 to send  on & off commands  to control individual light units over the complete house and this method works fine.
My Problem:
(Note: I am way beyond the RF receive range of the Cm15A)  Macros stored in the CM15A that I request with the UR24A remote via the remote RR501 sent  via my house wiring  do not execute properly.   The Activity Monitor trace program shows that  the requested macro starts and shows the subsequence all lights on or off commands are issued but nothing happens.  It like the macro and commands are only sent to the trace program and not out to the house wiring.  If I get within the antenna range of the CM15A it will receive the RF commands from the UR24A and the same macros work properly.   The difference shown on the Activity Monitor is how the macro call starts "RECEIVE" fails and " RECEIVE RF"  works, yet following the start step traced everything else is identical.  I think the CM15A is at fault and does anyone have any way to trace what is going on inside the CM15A??   I am about ready to set up a 2nd PC with my old CM11A  so I can trace what is actually being put on the house wiring.  Can anyone tell me if the CM15A will execute receive commands via house wiring properly?   I am Looking for ideas or suggestions..

[X10 Pro]

There's no incompatibility between the RR501, just for starters. And, you should be able to trigger macros in the CM15A using powerline commands instead of RF. So, we really just need to figure out what's not working on and why.

First off, do the macros in question work if you run them directly from the PC? Is it all macros that show the problem, or only particular ones? Can you control all the modules in those macros from the PC?

If you are able to hook your CM11A up watch the output on the powerline, that could be helpful.

[DBrian]

Problem Solved..........I used a CM11A to trace the commands from the RR501 and  being issued by the CM15A and they were correct but still they did not control any units on or off.  Then it hit me what the problem was.  Conflict on the interface with 2 separate units talking at the same time.  Here is the simple fix I needed....I added a 2 sec delay in front of each stored macro in the CM15A and eyerthing works perfect.  This is something that be useful to any one using one or more more than one transceivers with a CM15A.

[Mystyx]

I use a RR501 with my CM15A to control my front light (RLM20 screw in using RF command in macro), P/Tcam, and motion sensor. wondering if the units are too close to each other(shouldn't matter for RR501 but would for TM751?)?

delays like that, slow response of commands Could be due to noise from other devices plugged in or positioning of interface.

Cleaning power lines from noise and positioning things right can reduce delay of commands.

[fosterRD]

Dan, can you forward me the instructions you were given to attach an external antenna to the RR501...if not an external antenna, whatever method was suggested to extendi ts receiving range.

Thanks

[fosterRD]

DBrain:
Sorry about the misstake in my last post.  I ment to ask what suggestions were give to extend the RF coverage of the CM15, not the RR501

[Brian H]

If you want to add an external antenna to the cm15a.
Some who do not want to void the warranty. Have wrapped some added wire around the plastic tubing antenna and strung it around for added distance. Keeping the plastic tube antenna horizontal sometimes helps also.
Void the warranted of opening the cm15a and adding an external antenna jack and external antenna can be found on a few sites. One is the construction area at http://www.accessha.com.

[Mystyx]

Might try popping off the white cover (on antenna) and carefully pulling out the wire untill it is the correct 9.5 inches.

if it doesnt help enough, an external mod from AccessHA.

[Brian H]

May not be able to easily pulled the extra wire out. Newer ones I have seen have the excess hot glued to the case. Not the random ball of wire like the older ones.