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Author Topic: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)  (Read 5774 times)

bitman

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Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« on: December 06, 2008, 09:19:39 PM »


So I'm in a marathon recording session over two days and most of the stuff that is out of reach is under x10 appliance control in the studio and well as a powerflash controlled on-air light. I'm a loser, so I am running AH not pro with a tm751 and consequently the whole house including the upstairs living area is on the same house code and all 16 are used.

Near the end of the day yesterday AH, which I use simply as visual feedback to tell me which one of 6 personal mixers in the tracking room are on or off stopped responding to actions entered via a hand remote, but control of the devices was still working.

At the end of the day today, all control ceased. After the session was over I came upstairs and wife informed me that none of the x10 devices would respond. Wildly assuming why, we must have a hung tm751, that was not the trouble. I could not control any device with a wired remote either.

So I unplugged all the devices.  This is like an easter egg hunt.
Then plugging them all back in 1 at a time they all worked and the entire system is back up.

Disturbing.  ???

I'm going to go order the AH Pro I have been putting off if not more that to be able to separate house codes.

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Brian H

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2008, 07:03:40 AM »

Since both the wired and RF remotes didn't control things. It sounds like you had a serious power line noise. Maybe a stuck X10 transmitter or external noise generator.
I believe I have seen posts on the CM11A AH controller locking on in certain circumstances with its transmitter On. Did it feel hotter than normal or smell?
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bitman

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2008, 08:04:45 AM »

Well, that cm11a is not long for this world anyway as AH Pro (and all the problems therin) has been ordered and will be here any day now.
I'm hoping for better stability under xp with pro at least.

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Dan Lawrence

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2008, 10:46:48 AM »

Don't forget to back up your .x10 files from Active Home, Active Home Pro will import them and convert them to the .ahx files it uses so you won't loose what you had in Active Home.
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Boiler

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2008, 10:47:24 AM »

bitman,

Six mixers??  You didn't mention whether these were filtered.  It's possible that these presented a low impedance load on the line and simply absorbed your X10 powerline signals.
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HA Dave

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2008, 03:13:37 PM »

bitman although I really have no idea what went wrong with your setup. I am betting your right buy getting a CM15A (and pulling the CM11A).
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dave w

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2008, 06:04:35 PM »


At the end of the day today, all control ceased. After the session was over I came upstairs and wife informed me that none of the x10 devices would respond. Then plugging them all back in 1 at a time they all worked and the entire system is back up.

Disturbing.  ???

We have read problem examples of switching power supplies which "suddenly" become noisy. Probably a filter cap that "drys out" and does a slow failure. Maybe this is your problem also, and the reason everything works now, is your noise source is not turned on...

Just something to ponder. Good luck with the CM15A.
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bitman

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2008, 08:44:38 PM »

Don't forget to back up your .x10 files from Active Home, Active Home Pro will import them and convert them to the .ahx files it uses so you won't loose what you had in Active Home.

Thanks for that.  >!
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bitman

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2008, 08:48:38 PM »

bitman,

Six mixers??  You didn't mention whether these were filtered.  It's possible that these presented a low impedance load on the line and simply absorbed your X10 powerline signals.

Six little Beringer 10 channel dealies with wall wart transformers. Each on it's own appliance module.
 Everything went fine today except the powerflash that controls the on-air light won't do much so maybe it was what kicked it.
I didn't test that when I brought the system back up yesterday.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2008, 08:53:31 PM by bitman »
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bitman

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2008, 08:57:33 PM »


At the end of the day today, all control ceased. After the session was over I came upstairs and wife informed me that none of the x10 devices would respond. Then plugging them all back in 1 at a time they all worked and the entire system is back up.

Disturbing.  ???

We have read problem examples of switching power supplies which "suddenly" become noisy. Probably a filter cap that "drys out" and does a slow failure. Maybe this is your problem also, and the reason everything works now, is your noise source is not turned on...

Just something to ponder. Good luck with the CM15A.

Fortunately, I think, The CM15A will be controlled by a remote in the same room so it's limited range is not an issue? We shall see.
I'm going to let the upstairs still be transceived by the TM571.
 
« Last Edit: December 07, 2008, 10:25:50 PM by bitman »
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Jim Clark

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2008, 06:13:29 AM »

I had the same problem once and found that it was caused by one of the Grandkids locking the intercome in the transmit position. Drove me crazy for a while till I found it.  rofl
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HA Dave

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Re: Well that was fun (All x10 dies)
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2008, 04:56:07 PM »

............. At the end of the day today, all control ceased.

From time-to-time a user posts such a problem... where the X10 setup just stops working. The idea of my entire setup failing to respond... It's a tad scary just to read and think about this. Fortunately... I can honestly say... everyone Ive read of, the cause was always simple and never expense.
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