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[MeSue]

Hello,

A few months ago, I purchased my first X10 devices. It was a kit with the following items:

Code: [Select]

Qty Description Part
________________________________________
2 Lamp Module LM465
1 Slimline Switch Decorator White SS13A
1 Small Wireless Transceiver TM751      
I have a lamp on each of the lamp modules, and a third lamp on the transceiver, and they are all controlled by the switch. Every time we have a power outage--even a short one that just blinks off and on quickly--the two lamps attached to the LM465s turn on and stay on when the power resumes. The third lamp doesn't come on. This is all in a bedroom, which makes it especially annoying. The first time it happened it stormed all night and I was woken up 3 times by the lights coming on.

Any ideas on what I can do to prevent this?

[paizano1]

your lamp modules have a feature called "local control". This feature allows you the ability to turn the lamp on if it is off, without the remote control.  If your lamp is off via the remote, and you turn the lamp switch off, then on it will cause the light come on. This is for those times when you are right next to the lamp and need it on and don't want to walk across the room to get the remote.

This is what is happening when the power fails and then comes back on.

There are lamp module modifications that can be done that will void your warranty, but will solve the problem.  It will take some electronic knowledge and a few tools. 

I don't have the links to post, but if you search forums you will find your answer, also I am sure someone else will reply to this and leave the link for you.

Good Luck

[HA Dave]

.......... Any ideas on what I can do to prevent this?

paizano1 is correct about the cause. However is your hesitant about modifiing your modules... you could switch to Appliance modules (they default to Off).

[MeSue]

The appliance modules don't allow dimming, do they?

[HA Dave]

The appliance modules don't allow dimming, do they?

No.

[Brian H]

Appliance modules default to the state they where in at power loss.
That is if off they stay off. If they where On they are On at power up.
As mentioned. No they do not dim.

[bitman]

Wow.

I did not know any of these things. 

In the sticks where I live, the public service squirrels on the habit trail generator have to be rotated for fresh ones periodically and the power glitches and goes out a lot here. Thankfully, my lamps don't come on when that happens or my wife would have my head.

[MeSue]

This is a pretty lousy feature for something that is marketed towards bedroom use. I believe the name of the kit when I bought it was "bedroom starter kit" or something like that. I bought it for the dimming capabilities so an appliance module is no solution.

My brother in law is an X10 fanatic, and none of his lamps stay on after a power flicker. Others in this thread say that they don't have this problem. I also found nothing in a Google search so it can't be all that common. If this is a feature, why doesn't it happen for everyone?

When I added "local control" to my search phrase I got more information, but most of the modification instructions I found are for an appliance module. Why is that if the appliance module does not have this problem?  At any rate, I could find no information about modifying the LM465 to disable local control.

[Knightrider]

Just my 2¢.  I have many many many older lamp modules in my house and many many older light switch modules.  After any power glitch lasting a second or two, they ALL default to the OFF mode whether they were on or off before the glitch.  Sometimes the glitch will be short enough that they retain their current state, but I've never had any of them turn ON after a power outage.

I have 3 CM15A's, two RR501's and a TM751 in the mix.  None of these are powering up CFL's. 

[HA Dave]

.... I've never had any of them turn ON after a power outage.

You know.... your right. I've never had any X10 devices come on after a power outage. I don't lose power all that often.. and I am not a big user of the lamp modules. I guess I wasn't thinking.

[Brian H]

I would also say Lamp Modules stay off after a power loss; but I now have to modify my statement slightly.
I found in a test that the Soft Start lamp modules are ON at the time of the loss and the time before restoration is maybe 4 seconds. They go back on. I guess in them the power supply decays slower. 
If it is off at power cycle it stays off.

[dave w]

Are these old modules?

Early modules (Appliance or Lamp) would come back on after a power outage. They were especially susceptable if a "brown-out" state took place at power restoration. X10 "fixed" the problem by putting MOVs (surge suppressors) in the modules and it eliminated about 85% of the problems. X10 never acknowledged the problem, but I believe since X10 did specific modifications to fix the problem, they would replace them.

If they are new modules you might send them back for replacement.

BTW This is not a function of Local Control.  The root of the problem is hugh amounts of high amplitude noise overwhelming the chip at the same time it is initializing, (at least that was the problem in the early units) I do not believe disabling Local control will fix the problem.

[bitman]

This is a pretty lousy feature for something that is marketed towards bedroom use. I believe the name of the kit when I bought it was "bedroom starter kit" or something like that.

Well, that'll get ya up and "started" when they come on in the middle of the night won't they. 

[dave w]

your lamp modules have a feature called "local control". This feature allows you the ability to turn the lamp on if it is off, without the remote control.  If your lamp is off via the remote, and you turn the lamp switch off, then on it will cause the light come on. This is for those times when you are right next to the lamp and need it on and don't want to walk across the room to get the remote.

This is what is happening when the power fails and then comes back on.

There are lamp module modifications that can be done that will void your warranty, but will solve the problem.  It will take some electronic knowledge and a few tools. 

No, this is incorrect. Lights or Appliances coming back ON after a power outage is not a function of the "Local Control" feature. I do not think disabling Local Control will fix it. I have at least two Appliance Modules that have Local Control disabled and they come on if the power does not come back up in a clean fashion (brownout, flickering, etc). X10 minimized the problem years ago in a module re-design, but some modules still do it. If the modules are new, X10 should replace them.

[Brian H]

Appliance modules have a mechanical ratchet switch in them. If they are on when the power is lost. The mechanical switch is in the on position and it will be on at power restoration. Lamp modules default to off on power up. Well X10 ones anyway. Some like the Insteon Switches remember their state at power loss and then go to that state at power restoration.
As mentioned a short cycle may leave the module in a confused state and then who knows.
That is if X10 has not done some more redesigning with no new part numbers.