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[kemper3]

We bought a house with several x10 switches installed being controlled with a Maxi Controller (SC503).  This device worked fine until a couple of weeks ago.  It simply stopped working completely.  I can control the light switches at the switch and they seem to work so I assume there are no problems on the receiving end.

I couldn't find a replacement Maxi controller and bought a RC5000 thinking it would send X10 signals.  Am I mistaken?  Is the RC5000 simply a on/of controller for what is plugged into it?  Do I need to find another Maxi controller?  Could someone please recommend a site I can get one from or recommend new/replacement x10 signal transmitter?

Also our house is a late 50's model with an addition.  Some of the wiring in the house is 2-wire with no ground and the addition has 3 wire w/ ground.  I assume this is not an issue with X10?

Sorry about being a newbie but I inherited this system and am not familiar with the system.

Thanks

[Noam]

You probably don't need a Maxi-Controller.
Depending on how many modules you have, and on what HouseCode/UnitCode combinations you can probably get by with one (or maybe a few) of the Mini-Controllers.

Alternatively, a PalmPad with a TM751 (or better yet, an RR501), would give you wireless control of your lights.

[kemper3]

I bought a RR501 w/ Palmpad(HR12A).

I chose one of the switches on the wall work and control my lights outside.  It is set to "C/14".  I programmed the transceiver and remote to "C".  I switched the remote to "9-16" and the transceiver to "9" setting and have tried every "on" combo in the device and I can't get the lights to come on.

I am stumped.

[Brian H]

Have you added anything to the house about the sametime the switches stopped working?
Like a TV or any new electronics. Even a new cell phone charger.
There are many things that can effect X10 power line signals.
It sounds like someting has changed and now the power line signals are having a problem.
Since the RR501 and HR12A are portable. Try moving them around the house and see if some locations can control some of the problem devices.

http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm
http://www.act-remote.com/PCC/uncle.htm

[Noam]

I bought a RR501 w/ Palmpad(HR12A).

I chose one of the switches on the wall work and control my lights outside.  It is set to "C/14".  I programmed the transceiver and remote to "C".  I switched the remote to "9-16" and the transceiver to "9" setting and have tried every "on" combo in the device and I can't get the lights to come on.

I am stumped.

1. Have you tested that the HR12A can control the RR501? The switch on the RR501 is for the outlet built into the bottom of the RR501. Set it to "1" to control it on Unit Code 1, Set it to "9" to control it on Unit Code 9.
Make sure you can control that outlet before going on (you should hear it click on and off, and something you plug into it should turn on and off).

2. Make sure you are plugging the RR501 into the same outlet where the Maxi-controller worked before?

3. If you manually turn the light on (at the switch), can you turn it OFF with the remote? What kind of bulbs are in the light fixture? (Nearly all of the X10 switches need to be used with Incandescent bulbs. CFL bulbs won't work with them, because the switch can't pass enough current through them when it is off to listen for commands.

4. As Brian suggested, there is probably something else in your home that is causing noise, and the Maxi-controller might not be bad in that case. Try plugging it into a power strip (with nothing else on the strip), along with the RR501, and see if you can control the RR501 with it. If you can't, try moving that strip to different places in the house. If you can get away from the noise, and you find that the Maxi-Controller is able to control the RR501, then you know the Maxi-Controller is still good. If you can't find anywhere at home that works, you can try taking it to a friend's house, or to work, and trying it there (it can't hurt).

5. If it is noise in your house, I'd look first at anything new that you got right around the time the problem started (as Brian suggested). New TV, Computer, cell phone charger, CFL bulbs, etc. If you can't figure that out, there is always the "breaker box test". Turn off one breaker at a time (you may need to move the RR501 to another outlet if you shut off the circuit it is on), and see if the problem goes away. If the problem goes away when a certain breaker is turned off, look at what is on that circuit. You may need to filter a noisemaker.

[MD Corie]

A thought... and a question:

Is the circuit where the Maxi, etc. are plugged in still operational itself?  (Like maybe its breaker has tripped... or a rodent chewed the wires off, or something? )  Silly... but possible.

Question:  I'm not familiar with a PalmPad control;  I use Icon Remotes for all of my manual control... how do they compare with the PalmPad control?

[Brian H]

HR12A Palm Pad is a remote that does all sixteen Unit Codes for the House Code it is set to. Strictly X10 control with no other features.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/HR12A

[Noam]

A thought... and a question:

Is the circuit where the Maxi, etc. are plugged in still operational itself?  (Like maybe its breaker has tripped... or a rodent chewed the wires off, or something? )  Silly... but possible.

That's a good thought, but the OP indicated that the lights still worked manually. That would mean (to me, at least), that the circuit is still operational.

Question:  I'm not familiar with a PalmPad control;  I use Icon Remotes for all of my manual control... how do they compare with the PalmPad control?

Once again, Brian beat me to it
Well, I'm not familiar with how the Icon remotes work. So we're even.
The PalmPad has 9 pairs of buttons (8 on/off pairs, and one bright/dim pair), a HouseCode dial, and a "1-8/9-16" switch. The Switch lets you choose if the 8 rows of buttons control units 1-8, or 9-16.
Pressing one of the on/off buttons sends that code via RF. If your AHP is set up to transceive that house code (you can configure that in AHP), then the CM15A will transmit that code on the powerline, and run macros associated with that code. If that HouseCode is not set to transceive, then the command is logged, but no action is taken.  
If you are using a different transceiver (TM751, RR501, etc), then the command might be acted upon, even if it is set to be ignored by the CM15A/AHP, since it sees it as a powerline command at that point.

I have to ask - How does the Icon remote work? I assume it sends the X10 signal via RF. Are you picking that up with your CM15A, or do you have another transceiver for it?

[Brian H]

The original IR10A Icon could send IR X10 commands. To an IR543 to put the X10 signal on the power lines.

The Newer IR32A Icon can send X10 RF signals to a transceiver. I believe it could also be set to do IR also.

The Instinct IR34A also can do X10 RF or IR commands and has a 418MHz transmitter in it to send to the PowerMid RE549 receiver for IR Extension.

The Icon Lite IR18A and IR19A. Have no reference to X10 control in their manuals.

[MD Corie]

Is the circuit where the Maxi, etc. are plugged in still operational itself?  (Like maybe its breaker has tripped... or a rodent chewed the wires off, or something? )  Silly... but possible.

That's a good thought, but the OP indicated that the lights still worked manually. That would mean (to me, at least), that the circuit is still operational.

That was just in case the Maxi was on a different circuit than the lights.  The lights could then still work themselves, but the controller would not - hence no remote control.

The PalmPad has 9 pairs of buttons (8 on/off pairs, and one bright/dim pair), a HouseCode dial, and a "1-8/9-16" switch. The Switch lets you choose if the 8 rows of buttons control units 1-8, or 9-16.
Pressing one of the on/off buttons sends that code via RF. If your AHP is set up to transceive that house code (you can configure that in AHP), then the CM15A will transmit that code on the powerline, and run macros associated with that code. If that HouseCode is not set to transceive, then the command is logged, but no action is taken.  
If you are using a different transceiver (TM751, RR501, etc), then the command might be acted upon, even if it is set to be ignored by the CM15A/AHP, since it sees it as a powerline command at that point.

I have to ask - How does the Icon remote work? I assume it sends the X10 signal via RF. Are you picking that up with your CM15A, or do you have another transceiver for it?

I've gone to the IR34A Icon Remotes (aka Nstinct) because I have so many House Codes in use - and to allow test-triggering of macros.  Obviously, that would be overkill for a system that uses only one House Code... and it would require additonal transceivers or a "universal" transciver like the CM15A, to be worthwhile.  It's just that they didn't cost much more and they can also control the TV, VCR, etc. etc. in addition to the X10 - although I use mine mostly for X10 control.

Brian H. mentioned using them with the PowerMid;  I sure wish the CM15A had that capability, because I could use macros to control the TV monitor and VCR on my camera system that way - instead of the kludge job that I have now for that purpose!  But, we digress from the topic of this thread...