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[vdubguy2k]

Forgive me if this has been covered a million times...I just couldn't find it and have spent hours trying to figure this out!

I have a MS14A motion sensor on the wall by my stairs.  I have 2 WS467 wall switches installed downstairs.....which I can control perfectly from my remote pad and via AHP control panel.  No issues at all so far with that.

What I want to do is have those lights turn on when motion is detected on the MS14A.  I set up a macro saying that if the lights are off and motion is detected then turn them on.  If I hit "run macro" then it works just fine, lights come on, perfect!

When I turn the lights off and go to test using the motion sensor it might work...1 in 25 times I would say.  I am getting a nice workout going up and down the stairs though!  Most of the time I can see the macro triggered on AHP but the lights don't come on.  It looks like the process is going to work, but the light switches don't pop up.  The only thing I can think of is there is something in the macro not allowing it to complete??

Basically I want the lights to turn on everytime motion is detected.  I can see the motion detector is working....I can see the macro is running....but no lights! Any ideas?  Oh yea, I set the default "off" signal on the MS14A to over an hour.  That is the only change I have made to it.

Thanks for any help, my legs are tired   

[evadorev]

3 things :

1- check if your motion sensor is no too far from the cm15a interface(30 ft max). some motion sensors only works at close distance. if so, try to change the place of the interface.

2- in AHP, on tools/preferences/macro options be sure that the option issue on in place of bright 100% is checked.

3 - if you right click on the module icon and select edit module, use LM14A as module type, it will improve, if it doesn`t, try the most basic lamp module definition, REGARDLESS of what you have physically.

Hope it will help

[vdubguy2k]

Thank you very much for the reply and suggestions!  The first two I actually already had done so we were good there.  I did change the switches in AHP to the LM14A as suggested.  After I did that and re downloaded to the interface it seemed to work a little better.  I have the motion sensor about 10 feet away right now to test, so range shouldn't be an issue.  With this current setup it would work about 3 out of 5 times...the other 2 times it would still show the macro running but the lights wouldn't pop on (on AHP or in the room).  This is better than the 1 in 20 or so I was getting before.....but still would like this to work 100% of the time!

Any other ideas what could cause the inconsistent results?

Thank you!

[evadorev]

you tell that you see the macro running on AHP and the light turning on when you click on the macro every time you use it ?

Sound like an RF problem between the motion and the interface .

Do you have anything who transmit RF signals on your home ex: WIFI routers, cordless phones or wireless alarm contacts or sensors ?

Call to the community: What is the freq range used by the motion sensors and what can interfere with that ?

when it doesn`t work, did the light on the sensor come on ?

[dave w]

Call to the community: What is the freq range used by the motion sensors and what can interfere with that ?

In US, 310mHz.
Not much operates in that frequency band. FCC set it up for short range, very low power, radio control, so is common for garage door controllers, wireless security systems, etc. Cordless phone, WiFi, cell phones, etc, operate at three to four times that frequency so should not interfere.

[vdubguy2k]

All I have set up is a wireless router and an x10 camera reciever.  These are both about 5 feet from the CM15A.

I have put the motion sensor right next to the CM15A to test and still get the same results.  The macro shows it is running and receiving the signal, but the light switches in AHP that should pop on don't do it all the time.  Right now I'm still at about 3 out of 5 times, which is better than before...but like I said, 100% would be best.  I'm not really sure what else to try at this point so any other suggestions are welcome!

Thank you

[dave w]

I have put the motion sensor right next to the CM15A to test and still get the same results.  The macro shows it is running and receiving the signal, but the light switches in AHP that should pop on don't do it all the time. 

That sounds like software problem, not range problem. I do not use AHP so can't be much help. BTW the Router and the X10 cameras operate in the 2.4gHz spectrum which can interfere with each other. Usual sypmpom is bad video image.

[vdubguy2k]

Thanks Dave....I uninstalled and reinstalled AHP twice and it actually appears to be working every time now (knock on wood!!)

but....when the lights come on and it shows the switches in AHP as on, if I manually go over an use the wall switch to the turn the lights off the AHP switches still show as on.  This will cause the lights to not turn back on once the motion sensor detects motion again.  So I have to go into AHP and turn those off there.   Isn't that supposed to happen automatically if the switches are manually turned on or off??

[Brian H]

No the wall switches and most other X10 devices are one way.
They only can receive X10 power line commands.
They do not send a signal back to AHP when a module is locally controlled.
So your macro will not know the light was manually turned on or off.

[vdubguy2k]

No the wall switches and most other X10 devices are one way.
They only can receive X10 power line commands.
They do not send a signal back to AHP when a module is locally controlled.
So your macro will not know the light was manually turned on or off.

Thanks Brian...so I guess the best way is to set a delay in the macro telling them to turn off after a certain amount of time eh?  So even if they were manually turned off then at least the AHP gets the command to turn off there so it will work next time.

[dave w]

Thanks Brian...so I guess the best way is to set a delay in the macro telling them to turn off after a certain amount of time eh?  So even if they were manually turned off then at least the AHP gets the command to turn off there so it will work next time.

Usurping Brian here. Yes that would work. An alternative would be to go to a "2-way" switch that transmits it's status when switched locally. Like a Smarthome.com switch. Or Set up a X10 "Slim Line" RF switch next to the wall switch, and using it to activate the wall switch. This incurs a delay since an AHP macro has to send a command to the wall switch, but AHP will know the status of the light.

[Brian H]

Yes the Smarthome Insteon switches can have an x10 address programmed into them.
Only quirk is the dimmer versions. Smarthome chose to use %dim commands and X10 extended dim commands. So sometimes a dim from AHP will not work and a local dim on the switch may not show the correct dim level on the AHP screen.
Relay versions are fine as are the dimmers if locally turned all the way on or off.

They all need a neutral power wire in the switch box.