Do RR501s fail after years of use?

[Dan Lawrence]

I've gotten disgusted.   I took the battery out of the Breakfast Room SS13 and let it set for 32 hours.  Tonight I put the battery back - and the (censored thing STILL won't see the RR501 All X10 units in Breakfast Room and Kitchen are on Housecode F (Food) and AHP can control all 3 units.

Do I toss it in the trash and get a new one?

[Brian H]

Try setting one of the RR501s to House Code:A and see if the SS13A reverted to House Code A.
If it did reprogram the buttons to the needed House Code.
If it can't be set to the House Code you want maybe it did fail.
Side note here. I have read that the only X10 module using sticky foam tape that sticks well and damages paint when removed is the SS13A.

[Dan Lawrence]

Try setting one of the RR501s to House Code:A and see if the SS13A reverted to House Code A.
If it did reprogram the buttons to the needed House Code.
If it can't be set to the House Code you want maybe it did fail.
Side note here. I have read that the only X10 module using sticky foam tape that sticks well and damages paint when removed is the SS13A.

How do I reset buttons on the SS13?  I never set them when I first created the F housecode.  The three buttons on the SS13 were F1, F2 and F3 until this merry-go-round started but I never set them.  Now that the SS13 has "reverted" to housecode A, I have TWO SS13's controlling A1,A2 and A3 which are Living Room lights. 

[Brian H]

I am surprised the SS13A with the F House Code was not reset from A. As that is the default.
The House Code is set with the Top On button. The First Unit Code with the Top Off button.
The button sequence is in the setup sheet shipped with the SS13A.
ftp://ftp.x10.com/pub/manuals/ss13a_is.pdf

Hold the Top Button On section. The LED will flash a few times then go out. Keep holding it .If it is on A it will then flash one time.
Push the Top On button six times for F. Holding the button on the sixth push until it flashes back the present setting. It should flash six time if the F setting took.

[Dan Lawrence]

Brian, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!.   Finally got the SS13 to F.  Thanks for the .pdf link, it's now in my X10 folder.

Just out of curiosity, why did the SS13 default to A when the old RR501 died?   

[dave w]

Just out of curiosity, why did the SS13 default to A when the old RR501 died?   

Are you sure the RR501 is dead? If you look at the beginning of this thread it sounds like the battery in the bedroom SS13 simply discharged to the point the switch defaulted to the A house code, and remained on A1 after the new battery was installed.

[Dan Lawrence]

It was dead.  The RR501 address is F1 and when the problems began, Neither the SS13 or AHP could see it. In AHP it was there, but would not respond.  I ordered 2 new RR501s and that's when the SS13 problems began.

Everything works the way they are supposed to now.  Each RR501 gets only the RF signals they are set for and each local control (SS13) works the way they supposed to.   

My view of X10 is it's to make life easier, not I'm there to serve it. 

[Brian H]

Sounds like two separate occurrences.
The RR501s did fail and the battery got so low it went to default House Code A Unit codes 1-3.

[Dan Lawrence]

Sounds like two separate occurrences.
The RR501s did fail and the battery got so low it went to default House Code A Unit codes 1-3.  Got a new battery for the SS13 at the local Radio Shack.

That's exactly what happened.  First the RR501 died (at least the RF part) so the SS13 could not find it and defaulted back to Housecode A.  Ordered 2 new RR501s, when they arrived,  set one to House Code F, but then had to use what you linked to get the .pdf instructions, reset the SS13 to House Code F and everything works the way they always did.