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[steven r]

...Side note do you know how to work your other switches. You can hold the button down and dim and brighten the light. ...

This only applies for the new soft start switches. If this is an older install, it's likely that they are the older style switches that do not allow local dimming.

[steven r]

quinn: Are you by any chance anywhere near Atlanta, GA?

I'll be interested to hear if the possessed lights are CFLs?

[quinn]

quinn: Are you by any chance anywhere near Atlanta, GA?

I'll be interested to hear if the possessed lights are CFLs?

Nope, I'm in Portland, Maine. Atlanta sounds good right about now, though (another foot of snow today).

So I checked, and the bulbs aren't CFLs. After resetting the HC settings last night, the kitchen lights haven't come on by themselves (yet), but the bedroom lights did earlier today. I'm stumped.

[Jsnlong]

Well maybe your ghost  can only control a certain house code 

I'm stumped too....... I'm sure Dave_x10_L will let you use his x10 hammer and smack the switch around alittle


Think I would go ahead and get rid of them

Good luck

[steven r]

...After resetting the HC settings last night, the kitchen lights haven't come on by themselves (yet), but the bedroom lights did earlier today. I'm stumped.

It is a real stumper!
Have you noticed any correlation of the problem and the use of your new high-definition LCD TV?
Wait a day or two and make sure the kitchen lights have stopped coming on by themselves and then try this. Set the bedroom HC/UC the same as the kitchen code. Then assuming the kitchen lights have stopped, the bedroom lights may also. At least it may give us another clue.

FYI...
Code A1 is a default code of sorts. Motion detectors have been know to reset to A1 when batteries are low. I'd be curious if you have motion detector hidden outside somewhere.

[quinn]

Wait a day or two and make sure the kitchen lights have stopped coming on by themselves and then try this. Set the bedroom HC/UC the same as the kitchen code. Then assuming the kitchen lights have stopped, the bedroom lights may also.

That was my thought, too. The kitchen lights are still off, so maybe there's hope yet. I'm really curious about the motion detector possibility. I know we've got motion-detector lights outside (on the deck, front porch, and along the side of the garage too, I think). It's possible there are some detectors outside that are messing with the indoor lights.

I'm sure Dave_x10_L will let you use his x10 hammer and smack the switch around alittle

That sounds good, too. 

Again, thanks so much for all your help with this. Even if it comes down to replacing the switches, it's nice to know I've looked into every other possibility!

[Jsnlong]

The motion lights out side could be be X10 ones? Its a chance that they are sending the same code as some of the indoor lights....or maybe something is messing with the signal and it is causing false signals from the motion lights...

Still a stomper but something else to check out!!!!!!!!

[steven r]

The motion lights out side could be be X10 ones? Its a chance that they are sending the same code as some of the indoor lights....or maybe something is messing with the signal and it is causing false signals from the motion lights...

Still a stomper but something else to check out!!!!!!!!

Good idea.
Have you noticed any correlation to the lights outside? Dusk/Dawn?

Lights might look like this with settings like this. <--- Click the "this" links.
If so, let us know what those settings are. One of these type lights could be effecting up to 8 or 9 sequential UCs on it's HC. Still not sure why it would take 6 months for it to happen, however.

If you're really bored, you might repeat the "All Lights On"/"All Units Off" test with your controller plugged into a few different outlets. I'm not really expecting any different results but it's possible a signal didn't reach a house next door.  It's a "grasping at straws" test that most likely won't give any different results but we're running out of new things to try.

Another thing that has a small chance of helping would be for you to rotate the HC & UCs at least one or two full turns both ways. Return to the same codes.  It's rare but I believe there have been a few cases of oxidation on the contacts that have influenced settings.

As mostly a curiosity question, how old is the house?


I'm beginning to think I should document my house for a some future owner for when I move on to the "great automated house in the sky". Of course I could just come back and use X10 to help me haunt the house. 

[HA Dave]

The motion lights out side could be be X10 ones?

An excellent idea! Some people do set the floodlight (PR511) to turn on lights INSIDE as well as the flood.

[quinn]

The lights do seem to come on by themselves primarily at dusk, or later, which would fit with the outside motion sensor idea. I'll check the motion lights outside and see if they're X10 too. Only a couple of them work; there are at least two motion lights I've noticed on the garage that never come on. I'll check them all out when I get home from work and report back.

The house is nearly 100 years old, which is probably why the supernatural thoughts entered my mind when the lights first started coming on...a lot of people have lived here and passed on!

[steven r]

...Some people do set the floodlight (PR511) to turn on lights INSIDE as well as the flood.

She would want to set all the switches to OUT. Correct?

The lights do seem to come on by themselves primarily at dusk, or later, which would fit with the outside motion sensor idea....

...but not why it waited 6 months to start happening.
Hmm... Can the outside lights also be turned off by a regular switch inside the house?

...Only a couple of them work; there are at least two motion lights I've noticed on the garage that never come on....

If the flood lights do turn out to be X10, rotate the HC & UC dials returning them to there original settings. Also flip all the switches to OUT. (Pending verification of my statement and question above.)
Also keep in mind that even though some may not be "working" they still may be sending X10 signals.

...The house is nearly 100 years old, which is probably why the supernatural thoughts entered my mind when the lights first started coming on...a lot of people have lived here and passed on!

If we don't solve it electrically, remind me to send you a blessing for the house and those that have lived there before. 

[HA Dave]

She would want to set all the switches to OUT. Correct?

Yes... all the switches (eight) should be switched to "out" to remove control from the floodlight. The floodlights themselves will continue to work.

[quinn]

Well, unfortunately I don't have any concrete info about the outside lights yet...the house/yard are so covered in snow and ice at the moment, I wasn't able to get close enough to the lights tonight to determine if they were X10s. It was dark, which also didn't help. There are three flood lights -- one on the front of the house, one on the front of the garage, and one on the side of the garage. I got a semi-decent look at the garage lights, and there's no X10/ActiveHome logo anywhere on them -- that much I could see. Could they still be X10 products? We also have two smaller motion lights, one at the front door and one on the deck. Those I was able to get up close to, and they don't appear to be X10s. I'll try again tomorrow to get a better look at the others.

The outside lights can't be controlled by any indoor switch. Or at least not by a switch I've found anywhere! In other news, the kitchen and bedroom lights both came on again today, so resetting the HC/UCs seems to have failed to stop that part. My husband and I were talking about it, and we've moved on from afraid of supernatural presences to pure annoyance. So, at least that's a step in the right direction. 

[HA Dave]

......we've moved on from afraid of supernatural presences to pure annoyance.

I would think the  supernatural presences would almost be fun. Now you have unplugged the IR543... right? It can actually turn views of the TV into X10 signals.

I still think replacing everything X10 with standard switches would be the way to go.

[steven r]

...the kitchen and bedroom lights both came on again today, so resetting the HC/UCs seems to have failed to stop that part....

You've never had the lights turn OFF by themselves have you?

Well as I see it we're down to:

• Supernatural influences
• A neighbor deliberately or accidentally controlling them
• Defective switches
• Some unknown noise signal that being interpreted as an ON signal

Of these, if I was forced to bet now, I'd go with defective switches. I'd love to of known what was causing your problem but you've put up with it enough.
As I don't think you really have any interest in ever automating your house with X10 lights at this point, I think it's time to take Dave's suggestion.
Head down to your local Home Depot and buy a pack of standard switches. If you don't already have one pick up a neon voltage tester, around $5 to test that power is off. Don't just go by the light turning off. If you have multiple switches in one box, they could be on different circuits and one could still be live.

I'd love to put one of those X10 switches on my test bench and test it in on an isolated circuit but I imagine at this point you're more inclined to want to have a hammer smashing party.

Let us know how it goes.