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[vdubguy2k]

I have been playing around with the macros for a few days now trying to get everything working.  I am close, but figure one of the experts here could help me get this final thing figured out!

Here is what I have:

C1: MS14A Motion Sensor
A1: LM14A two way lamp module
A2: LM14A two way lamp module
A3: WS467 Wall switch

Monitored House Code: A

I have the motion sensor (C1) set up as the trigger. From dusk until 10:00pm I want A1, A2, and A3 to come on to 100% when C1 is triggered, wait 1:30:00 and turn off.  I made this Macro for that:



This is working fine so far.....but I wanted to add another macro so that from 10:01pm until dawn the same C1 trigger turns on A2 to 57% and A3 to 59%, waits 7 minutes then turns off.  When testing through AHP and the motion sensor itself A2 turns on to 57% but A3 does nothing at all.  Here is that macro:





Any idea why that A3 light won't do anything?

Last, what I would really like to do, so any suggestions welcome......instead of saying at 10:01pm then macro activates is there a way I can have a switch or code that tells the system when I'm going to bed?  That time changes every night so would be nice to have something set up to hit a button on a wall switch or through active phone to tell the first macro to stop working and activate the second or "night time" macro.  Hope that makes sense.

Thanks for any help!

[hawk1]

Try putting a pause in there.  Its probably still sending the dim command for the first light.  Put like a 3 second pause and try again.  Or just play around with the time for the pause. Try 1, 2, 3 etc...

[troll334]

Regarding the variable bedtime thing... you'll have the CM15 listening for that "night time" wall switch or remote on
something like C3. Make a C3 "Night Time" macro to set a Flag, e.g., Flag 5=Set.
Then mod your 10:01 PM macro to use an 'AND' condition.
So, the macro would read: If C1=On AND Flag Status 5=Set, then "Do the night time thing". Whatever that is...
You'd also need to make a corresponding macro for C3 Off to 'Clear Flag 5' so when you wake up and hit the "night time"
wall switch off, the flag gets reset. Optionally, you could put the C3 Off macro on a timer for, say, 0800 so you don't
have to remember every morning.
hope my twisted brain just made some sense for ya!
mike

[vdubguy2k]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I tried the delay between lights at different intervals and still the same thing.  I then turned the light on...dimmed it all the way down (you could still see a little light coming from it) then ran the macro again.  This time the light would come on to the correct level no problem.  I tested this a few times and have found that if the light is completely off then it won't come on with the macro to the dim level I want.  If the light is on and dimmed then it will work fine with the macro, but unfortunately leaving the light dimmed all the time isn't an option as it still glows and will waste electricity.

Any ideas on this?

Thanks again

[jarleifv]

is the "Issue ON in place of bright 100%" on or off under Preferences? sounds like the wall switch doesn't turn on for you since it probably won't turn on with a Bright 100% command... maybe?

[vdubguy2k]

I actually just figured this out (I believe...knock on wood).  I changed that wall switch module in AHP to the 2 way lamp module instead.  After searching around it seems the soft start in the wall switch module causes some issues so it won't turn on when set to dim.  So far with about 5 test runs it seems to be working......hope it stays that way!

now...just more researching to figure out the stupid antenna range issue on the CM15A.  Will be nice to be able to use motion sensor more than 25 feet away from the unit! 

[anthonylavado]

@vdubguy2k:
The passive antenna mod was the best thing I ever did for my CM15A, but if yours is out of warranty (or you're feeling adventurous), you can even do the Coax mod.

Basic idea: cut a straightened out section of a wire coat hanger approx 18-19" long, tape it beside the antenna on the CM15A.

[jarleifv]

fwiw.. I just did the passive mod (taped the straight section of a coat hanger to the antenna), and I can use the KR19a through an interior wall and 20 ft past an exterior wall with aluminum siding where before  I couldn't use it outside at all..matter of fact i couldn't use it more than 20ft from the unit inside..so the passive mod seems to work pretty well!

[vdubguy2k]

Thanks guys for the tips....gonna try that this evening when I get home! 

[Noam]

The passive antenna mod was the best thing I ever did for my CM15A, but if yours is out of warranty (or you're feeling adventurous), you can even do the Coax mod.
Basic idea: cut a straightened out section of a wire coat hanger approx 18-19" long, tape it beside the antenna on the CM15A.

When I installed my XTB-IIR back in August, I decided to do this mod at the same time.
Since I was moving the CM15A from one corner of the house to the other, and it was still not going to be in a central location, I figured it didn't hurt to try and improve the RF reception.
Instead of a coat hanger, I used a length of #12 electrical wire (insulated). It is a bit harder to straighten it out than a coat hanger, but it worked really well. I used to get spotty coverage, even with an RR501 as an additional receiver. Now I get coverage in my entire house without needing the RR501 at all.

[vdubguy2k]

The passive antenna mod was the best thing I ever did for my CM15A, but if yours is out of warranty (or you're feeling adventurous), you can even do the Coax mod.
Basic idea: cut a straightened out section of a wire coat hanger approx 18-19" long, tape it beside the antenna on the CM15A.

When I installed my XTB-IIR back in August, I decided to do this mod at the same time.
Since I was moving the CM15A from one corner of the house to the other, and it was still not going to be in a central location, I figured it didn't hurt to try and improve the RF reception.
Instead of a coat hanger, I used a length of #12 electrical wire (insulated). It is a bit harder to straighten it out than a coat hanger, but it worked really well. I used to get spotty coverage, even with an RR501 as an additional receiver. Now I get coverage in my entire house without needing the RR501 at all.

I have some 18 gauge wire I was going to try that with.  Did you strip all the plastic cover off the wire then put on the CM15A antenna...or did you just strip some off the end then wrap that around the antenna??

[troll334]

This is a 'radiation by coupling' scam. You want the bare wire as close to the CM15a's antenna
as possible; especially at these frequencies. Although a marginal difference, it's probably best
to strip the insulation off the wire. You'll get it a millimeter closer. Of course, nothing beats
replacing X10's goofy antenna with a properly cut and soldered-in antenna. good luck

[Noam]

... Did you strip all the plastic cover off the wire then put on the CM15A antenna...or did you just strip some off the end then wrap that around the antenna??

I wouldn't call it a scam. I definitely have better results than I did without the added wire.
It also doesn't violate the warranty on the CM15A, nor do you need to have any sort of soldering skills to do it.
Call it a "poor-man's fix" or whatever you like, but the bottom line is that it seems to have worked for a lot of people.

For mine, I left the insulation on the entire length of the wire, and just used a few small strips of masking tape to hold it alongside the CM15A's antenna, lining the bottom of the wire up with the bottom of the CM15A's antenna.
Once I knew it was working, I took it off, and re-taped it using electrical tape that I wrapped in a spiral from top to bottom. I thought that looked much nicer (WHITE electrical tape would have been best - with the white CM15A and white wire I used).

On my other CM15A, I just slid a length of heat-shrink tubing down over the CM15A's antenna, and inserted the wire into it. I didn't even bother shrinking the tube yet - it is a pretty snug fit the way it is now.

[vdubguy2k]

So I bought some 12 gauge wire from Radio Shack and tried that antenna mod.  I am pleased to say that now the motion sensors that wouldn't work outside and working perfectly (so far)!  I tried and tried before doing this and they wouldn't work, so I am positive this at least helped the situation.

I think what I'm going to do is buy a USB extender and move the CM15A more toward the middle of the house.  Doing that along with the wire on the antenna should help the range greatly.

[Noam]

... I think what I'm going to do is buy a USB extender and move the CM15A more toward the middle of the house.  Doing that along with the wire on the antenna should help the range greatly.

Several people have reported good results using a USB-over-CAT5 type of extender.

Personally, I have been having trouble with mine (and a different model I tried, too), but I think the device is picking up interference from somewhere. I'm still trying to work that out.

At least one user here has reported good results with a USB device network server (specifically the Keyspan, but that one is discontinued). Instead of running CAT5 between two halves of the unit, the unit plugs into your network (router or switch) using CAT5 Ethernet, and there is a "virtual USB Port" application that you run on your PC to communicate with the device as if it were attached directly to your PC. This has the added advantage of being able to host several devices at the remote end, using a USB 2.0 hub.
It also allows you to talk to the CM15A from any PC on your network, including over wireless (if you have a wireless router).