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[Oznog]

I bought 3x Radio Shack61-2683C "Remote Wall Light Switch" modules back in 1999 or so, because some genius architect put NO light switch on the front side of the living room.  Yep, the only way to turn on the lights and ceiling fan is to go through the dark room into the kitchen, squeeze around the kitchen table and there's the switch.

Those worked great, there was some sort of dimming function IIRC which I did NOT want on either the lights or the ceiling fan (it's a real prob with the fan).  But it was easy to avoid using the dimmer function, I don't even remember what you do to activate it.

Unfortunately all 3 of those died one by one.  It's not a noise or phase bridge problem, pressing the button won't make them work.  I didn't mind so much having to switch back to the manual switch for the ceiling fan so I could move the last working one onto the living room light, but now that's dead too and my house is dark!

I picked up the 3 pack of WS467 which looked like the same thing.  However, I'm completely dismayed at the "slow-on" and "slow-off" function.  I don't like it and it's incompatible with the ceiling fan.  It's way too easy to accidentally activate the always-dimmed function.  Also it looks to me like I can't get the lights to achieve full brightness either.  This is unacceptable, and I'm really really unhappy since my messed-up house depends on these things.  I was also planning to add them onto some fixtures with fluorescents in them and now that's out of the question.

An "appliance module" has no dimming function but of course that's impossible to wire in.  I cannot wire a cord coming out of the wall switch cavity over to a module plugged into an outlet.

Do they even make switches that are just switches, not this dimmer crap?  I looked and didn't see anything.

Is there some sort of button presses to disable the "slow-on/off" function?  Better yet, is there a hardware hack to solder something to disable this function?  I'd rather never see it come up at all, ever, permanently.  I'm an electrical engineer and have plenty of bench time, this would be an easy job.

Or one other possibility, is there a known problem with the old Radio Shack x10 modules, something I might be able to fix to get them working if the new ones can't be made to do the job properly?

[Oznog]

OK, I keep Googling and found:
http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/modifying_wall_switch.htm

Which has some useful info I see on fixing the 2-wire, no-neutral situation.  I'd kinda wondered about that myself, an open switch cannot power itself like that, it's always drawing a few mA through the load when "off" thus a fluorescent (or a lot of loads, actually) may have problems, whereas "appliance modules" are wired as 3-wire inside with a neutral connection.

My wall box has a neutral available.  This will not be a problem.

I saw that there are other switches like the Leviton 6291 that would work with a fan or CFL.  However, my wall has a box with 3 switches packed with "normal" spacing.  I'm not clear on whether the Leviton's module would fit into that minimum standardized spacing but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get a 3x side-by-side cover for that huge rocker switch.  In fact, one of those in that set isn't going to be an X10 so I can say it's pretty much impossible to get a cover for 2 wide Levitons and 1 "regular" light switch.

I don't understand why they're involving a solid state relay.  I know how an SSR works, but why isn't the triac used instead of the SSR?  An SSR usually contains a triac!  If there's some reason the one onboard won't work it'd be much cheaper to add an external triac instead of a whole external SSR module.

I still don't see how to disable the slow-on/off thing and its dimming capabilities.  AFAIK that's gotta go or there's a significant risk of accidentally turning on the ceiling fan with the dimming mode.

[Brian H]

I have not seen any mods for the new 'Soft Start' versions of the switches to disable its ramping.
Yes two wire switches do steal some power through the load and why only incandescent type bulbs are specified for them.

A non dimming type of switch with a mechanical relay or SSR is what you need; though I may have missed the ones with SSRs. I have never seen one. A neutral is also needed.

SSRs do act more like a electronic switch then a triac that even at full on slightly effect the AC waveform. I actually did one of the mods on Idobartina's site to change a Lamp Module from a triac dimming type to a SSR type that runs inductive loads just fine.

[dave w]

Oznog
I don't think the "Soft start" can be circumvented. It is part of the firmware in the chip. Can yuu use an X10 Pro XPFM module in the fan shroud?

[steven r]

....there was some sort of dimming function IIRC which I did NOT want on either the lights or the ceiling fan (it's a real prob with the fan)....

I'm pretty sure that using a dimming switch for a fan not designed for it is not a generally safe idea as well as a violation of building codes. This means any insurance would be voided in the event of a fire. 

I have not seen any mods for the new 'Soft Start' versions of the switches to disable its ramping....

Me either. I have some older but unused switches that I believe are the old style if you want to trade but I really don't recommend anything that could be dimmed for your fan.
If you have or can run a separate live line to the fan it would be better to control it with a switch designed for that purpose. Otherwise if the fan and light must stay on the same line then use a switch that is non dimming. I use an inline switch in my living room fan and this new Smarthome switch for my bedroom fan.
I'm sorry I don't have model numbers handy. I'm sure someone will post them.
BTW.. Do you have a neutral wire at your switch box?

[Oznog]

Yes, there is a neutral there. 

[steven r]

Yes, there is a neutral there. 

Good. That gives you more switch options.
These are 2 switches that Smarthome sells.
Neither are cheap but both could handle the load of both the fan and the light.

[Waynemor]

For what you want to do it seems to me that a WS13A would work perfectly.
It will fit in a standard wall box and doesn't have dimming and does control fans and lights, including CFL's.
Its relay is slightly noisy but not annoyingly so.
I hope this helps.

[Oznog]

For what you want to do it seems to me that a WS13A would work perfectly.
It will fit in a standard wall box and doesn't have dimming and does control fans and lights, including CFL's.
Its relay is slightly noisy but not annoyingly so.
I hope this helps.

Except I already had to rule out any of these nonstandard switch widths because there's no way to get a cover for them in this 3x wallbox.  Maybe I could cut out something in the shop though.  Damn, $40/switch is expensive!!  Frankly, it's sounding cheaper to buy Romex and spend awhile pulling hair to run cable.

[steven r]

...I already had to rule out any of these nonstandard switch widths because there's no way to get a cover for them in this 3x wallbox....

I can't remember if it was Home Depot or Lowes where I got my cover but one of the two stores has what you need.
At one of the 2 stores I got a cover with 2 holes for standard switches and 1 wide switch hole.