Print

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

[spankyboy10]

Does anyone know if it is possible to monitor battery status of a module other than the CM15A with AHP. In the X10 advertisements, they claim you can do this but it only looks like the CM15A can be monitored.

PS...Puck... Do you have an email address you don't mind giving out?

Thanks
Dale

[Puck]

Does anyone know if it is possible to monitor battery status of a module other than the CM15A with AHP. In the X10 advertisements, they claim you can do this but it only looks like the CM15A can be monitored.

Only the state of the CM15A's battery and security sensors batteries (via OnAlert) can be visually monitored.

Since many devices reset to address A1 when the batteries start dropping out, some use a macro set to this address to trigger an indication of a possible battery problem... only downfall is not knowing which device sent it.

PS...Puck... Do you have an email address you don't mind giving out?

I just use my forum private messages for any non-post correspondence.

[spankyboy10]

Thanks Puck....

The CM15A receives closed status indicators from each registered RF transponder through out the day. When a battery starts to dip to the point it can't receive them any longer, the CM15A might not notice, but the DX7000 will show it as open or a light on the console will it not? There should be a way to match the macro you mentioned by simply verifying it with the DX7000 which works(I know) independent from operation of the CM15A. Maybe, if its not to much trouble you might elaborate on the macro you mentioned to do this.

Thanks
Dale

[Puck]

I don't use this A1 indication macro myself, but it could be as simple as a dummy switch (without a macro) for a visual indicator. However, I have no idea how reliable this is. And this of course is just for regular (non-security) X10 rf devices.

The security sensor modules do have a visual indicator in AHP / OnAlert to show that the device has not checked in with the past 4 hours. I believe it shows as an orange indicator on the icon; this is similar to the led flashing on the DS7000.

[Tuicemen]

Although X10 battery devices do reset to A1 once the batteries go dead they don't reset if the batteries are just starting to fail!
I've had a sensor do some strange things (jump to other unit numbers of same House code it was set to)  when the batteries were failing!
I've since replaced my motion sensors in the house with security ones which I haven't registered with the DS7000, responce times are a little off but I can live with it!

[steven r]

...they don't reset if the batteries are just starting to fail!...

A weak battery subjected to a significant drop in temperature, say an overnight cold snap, could result in a voltage drop that would be low enough to "fail" and then return to an acceptable voltage level when warmed.

Bottom line: If your set up is critical, replace batteries before they fail. If batteries are going to be exposed to extreme cold temperature, consider lithium batteries.