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Author Topic: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?  (Read 46982 times)

EL34

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Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« on: January 06, 2007, 02:11:30 PM »

I just added/DL'd smart macros a couple days ago.

I did a search and found several post where nighttime/daytime conditions were not working properly.
I can't get them to work either.
It seems they are reversed? Night triggers during the day.
I have the correct time zone set, correct lon/lat, the time shows correctly in the AH hardware config.
I always download the timers and macros before testing.
I am using a custom motion sensor and a power flash to trigger P1.
Nothing else is on P1.
I watch the activity in the activity monitor to see what was triggered after waving my hand in front of the motion sensor.

I created two P1 macros to test this.
One is Day one is Night.
Night is an else of Day.
Setting daytime as the condition for the Day macro results in the Night macro triggering.
Setting Nighttime as the condition for the Night macro results in the day macro triggering.

I'm not having any better luck using dawn and dusk.
I set after dawn and before dusk for the Daytime macro
I set after dusk and before dawn for the Nighttime macro.
Same results, my night macro is being triggered right now at 2:00 in the afternoon.

What the heck? Does AH have a problem doing time math?
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Puck

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2007, 02:25:53 PM »

Good information... can eliminate the obvious questions.  ;)

I created two P1 macros to test this.
One is Day one is Night.
Night is an else of Day.
Setting daytime as the condition for the Day macro results in the Night macro triggering.
Setting Nighttime as the condition for the Night macro results in the day macro triggering.

You should not need any conditions in the 2nd macro. Night macro will only run if the Day did not. Maybe try eliminating the 2nd condition.

Macros can be very quirky, so if that doesn't work maybe post your 2 macros as well as what you are seeing in the Activity Monitor. Then it will be easier to test / suggest something else.
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EL34

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2007, 03:36:34 PM »

There is no condition on the second macro.
AH automatically creates an else to your first macro if you have the same trigger.
Anyway's it should not matter, conditions are either true or false and they are tested and then run or din't run.
If I had the day divided into four parts instead of dusk and dawn I would have to have a time condition at the top of four macros.

I just tried another way of doing it by using a dusk dawn timer on a phantom module and then setting flags.
Then testing for flags. still no go.

I tried doing it very simply, dusk to dawn, turns on one module.
The else of the above macro, turns on another module.
The first macro executes even though it's not dusk to dawn, it dawn to dusk here now.

It seems like AH thinks I am in a different hemisphere, not in north america.
Day is night, night is day.
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-Bill- (of wgjohns.com)

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2007, 04:04:05 PM »

EL34:

No insult intended, but sometimes we miss the simplest things...

Are you sure the clock, timezone, etc. on your PC is set correctly?   ;)

Just a thought.

« Last Edit: January 06, 2007, 04:08:25 PM by -Bill- (of BXVC) »
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Puck

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2007, 04:52:37 PM »

Setting daytime as the condition for the Day macro results in the Night macro triggering.
Setting Nighttime as the condition for the Night macro results in the day macro triggering.

There is no condition on the second macro.

You can see where the 2nd macro condition assumption came from.  ;)

Quote
AH automatically creates an else to your first macro if you have the same trigger.

Are you running ActiveHome (AH) or ActiveHomePro (AHP)? I better not assume again.  :-

Quote
Anyway's it should not matter, conditions are either true or false and they are tested and then run or din't run.

As I stated above:

Macros can be very quirky...

If your times / locations are correct, then a screen shot of your macros (or even text based) will help to find your problem.  :)
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EL34

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2007, 05:02:25 PM »

Thanks Bill, Yes that's all correct, Checked it 10 times cause it all made no sense. Was pulling my hair out.

Ok, I did a few things and now the daytime macro seems to exectuting correctly.
What I did was abandon dusk/dawn- daytime/nighttime conditions in the macros themselves.

I set up a phantom appliance module on H16.
I do not really have a module on H16 and H16 is not used by any other X10 item.
Then I set up a timer for the H16 appliance module.
The H16 timer is on at dawn, off at dusk.
My custom motion sensor triggers a powerflash which triggers P1 on and P1 off.
The day macro runs if P1 is on and H16 is on
The night macro runs if P1 is on and H16 is off.
If P1 off is triggered a different macro triggers that shuts off all lights that were turned on when P1 on was triggered.

I won't be able to tell if H16 shuts off and the P1 on night macro works properly until it's after dusk this evening.

Hope that all made sense?
I found plenty of other post here about daytime/nighttime conditions not working properly.
Not sure if that was older post and it's supposedly fixed or what.
I also re-installed the smart macro module and then re-booted.
Between all of those things, the day macro seems to be triggering fine right now. (fingers crossed)
Can't say which one item fixed the day macro, I'm in a hurry and have to leave the house so I didn't have time to do one at a time and test between them.
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ajleduc

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2007, 10:35:39 PM »

Daytime/Nighttime and Dusk/Dawn has not worked for me either.
Seems like I also had a problem with the specific time condition, using the before and after a time.
I just stopped using them waiting for a software update and will try again.
I have way to many other things to make work first.
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EL34

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2007, 05:53:17 AM »

It seems that the dusk/dawn timer in AH pro is working but the dusk/dawn condition in smart macro is not.

I am not at home right now to check this but I did notice that a 24 hour clock is used in some places and not in others?
Could be a simple am/pm clock/math problem?
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EL34

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2007, 07:32:39 AM »

I ended up not letting smart macros decide when dusk and dawn was.
Instead I used AHP's timer mode by setting up a dawn-on dusk-off timer on a phantom aplliance module.

All my day night macros now check the status of this phantom module as part of the decision making process.
I need to do a flow chart to describe the whole process, but it's all working now.

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Chris22

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2007, 02:44:22 PM »

My Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn conditions in macros aren't working properly either.  At first I thought it was a phase or noise problem, but once I removed the conditions in the macro, everything worked perfectly.  The conditions I used were pretty simple: if nighttime, execute macro.  The macro turned on a light, delayed for 5 minutes, then turned it off.  No "elses" or "ORs". I'm using the latest version of the software.  I read EL34's patch solution using a phantom module and will try that.  However, what's up?  it doesn't appear that EL34's original query has been answered.
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EL34

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2007, 07:54:24 AM »

Hey Chris, the dawn/dusk timer turning on a phantom module has been working great since my post above.

The timer in AHP seems to have no problem turning the module on and off at exactly the dusk/dawn time you see listed in the Tools/Hardware config screen in AHP.

I guess we just have to wait for a software fix.
Seems like a rip to pay for smart macros and not be able to use all of it.

Don't they release small bug fix software updates like most other companies do?
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woodyworld

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2007, 05:47:34 PM »

I have been an x10 user since early 80's, AHPro so far is the WORST damn software I have used EVER!! For 18 months now I have not been able to keep spot lights OFF during the day and ON during the night using ANY of the SMARTMACROS conditions, without using the so called PHANTOM module in a timer simulating dusk/dawn and then using it's status as the condition (I also have another PHANTOM module caalled "People Over" so I can prevent snapshots/stills and video and lights coming on for macro length when they are in yard or the like). I also have been experiencing a number of modules not in ANY timer or macro coming on when macro triggers, but the activity monitor and room modules show no indication of command(s). These modules DO NOT come on when ONLY the interface is running the show (i. e., AHPro OFF). I have been emailing and calling X10 since 7/05 when purchased and all I get back is CRAP (they seem to be good at insulting your intelligence) or NOTHING at all, of course until I contact them again. X10 SUCKS, I think we all should get a class action LAWSUIT toghether and get out $$ back PLUS $$ for having to play, tweak, try, experiment and gwet aggravated EVERY DAY. I cannot remember what it is like to come home and not look at those spots or other lights not in T/M's ON, and actually feel PROUD to have HOME AUTOMATION. (There, now I feel better).
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PajamaGuy

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2008, 03:59:21 PM »

What does it mean (requires 2 entries)
No, I can't get Daytime working either, but what does 2 entries mean?
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PajamaGuy
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PajamaGuy

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #13 on: January 18, 2008, 07:06:44 PM »

...and yep - I can't get any even simple macros OR TIMERS to use daytime/nighttime/dusk/dawn.
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PajamaGuy
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Puck

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Re: Nighttime/Daytime and Dusk/Dawn not working properly?
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2008, 08:36:19 PM »

What does it mean (requires 2 entries)
No, I can't get Daytime working either, but what does 2 entries mean?

Macros can have up to 3 conditions for determining if they are to execute; these time conditions use up 2 of the 3.

I posted a macro here showing how I use a flag for controlling daytime / nighttime conditions in macros. This method only uses 1 condition, and can often be including in existing flag conditions.

Quote
I can't get any even simple macros OR TIMERS to use daytime/nighttime/dusk/dawn.

This should be working... make sure your time in the CM15A is correct. If so, maybe post an sample one that we can work on with you.
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