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[Coyotefred]

Hello everyone,

Forgive me if this has been addressed elsewhere.  I have an outdoor IP camera I would like to be able turn off and on via a x10 appliance module.  The camera is powered by an AC adapter/power supply, which I then have plugged into the appliance module, which in turn is plugged into a surge-protected power strip.  After installing everything, I could turn the module/camera ON just fine, but it will not turn OFF.

I searched around a little and suspect the problem might relate to some posts I found about disabling the "load-sensing" feature of some appliance modules???  But the pictures I found show a different circuit layout than the appliance module I'm working with.  Here's a picture of my module:



'Any help/advice greatly appreciated! 

Coyotefred

[Knightrider]

You sure it's not the power supply making noise when it's on, thus preventing the appliance module from decoding the "OFF" command?

You might try a filter after the appliance module but before the power supply.

[Brian H]

That is one of the new revision "CFL Friendly" style appliance modules.
Yes it was a complete redesign from X10 and I have seen no mods for it.
My tests show it does not have local control sensing. As toggling a lamp on its outlet On and Off does not turn it On.

If it does not turn Off I would also suspect noise from the wall wart supply or your power line signal is marginal and the supply being  On is enough to stop it from going Off.
Is the supply one of those newer switching style?

If it briefly turns Off then back On. That also could be noise. I have seen it happen myself.

Try a power tap so you can connect the wall supply and a small 4 watt incandescent type night light to the appliance module and test if it then goes On and Off correctly.

[Brian H]

I just noticed you have a power strip on the appliance modules outlet.
If it has a noise filter in it. When the appliance module is On. The filter maybe absorbing the X10 signals and not allowing it to turn back Off.
Maybe try it with the wall supply directly connected to the appliance module.

[Coyotefred]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for the helpful advice already.  I should have mentioned initially that I did try eliminating that surge protector/power strip by plugging the appliance module directly to the wall outlet....same result: I could turn the module "on" initially (standing right there using PhoneMyPC on my cellphone to control the X10 interface menu screen...real handy app for X10 use by the way...), but then I could not turn it "off."  I could not detect the module going "off" and then quickly back "on" at all...it was totally non-responsive.

I should mention too that this is located in a garage building with multiple wall outlets.  I have another X10 appliance module right "next door" on the next wall outlet controlling a battery heater and an oil heater for an antique tractor, and it works perfectly.  But I'm not using any surge protector/power strip with that either.

I suspect what several of you are suggesting about needing a filter is probably the thing to check.  Fortunately I've never had the need to buy X10 filters before with any of my setups.  What type/brand/model would anyone recommend?

Thanks again for the help-

[Brian H]

If less than five amps X10Pro XPPF.
Less than ten amps Smarthome 1626-10 FilterLinc.
Less than fifteen amps ACT AF120.

I suspect the cameras supply is way under five amps. So an XPPF.
One point. The XPPF has been known to get warm and smell if pushed to its rated five amps.

[luke03]

What is your IP camera power rating, watts/amps?

[Coyotefred]

The camera is max 40W (when fan/heater is running), so that XPPF sounds like a good choice... I'll try one out and post back the results here later this week...

Thanks again for the help-

[Coyotefred]

'Just posting back that I ordered and installed an X10 PRO XPPF 5A filter just now and that solved the problem. 

By the way, the IP camera I am using is the "EXView CCD 26x PTZ High Speed Dome camera" from Microseven (microseven.com).  I'm just beginning to experiment with it but so far I'm impressed.  It isn't cheap, but compared to cameras with similar specs I compared it to (Axis, Vivotek, Pelco), it seems a good deal; we'll see on the long-term durability.  Build quality and design seem similar to the outdoor highway cameras used by our state department of roads.  And I just got it working with Blue Iris, including the PTZ control which is handy.

Anyways...thanks all for your help.

Coyotefred