Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[michaelukusa]

Hi, I own quite a few pieces of x10 hardware and software and am having an issue I cannot figure out.

Almost a year ago we stopped using the activehome pro software and box, took out all batteries and packed away, uninstalled etc, but we left the socketrockets in our lights and some of the flat stick on wall buttons around the house to control them, which all worked good, we had one light in our livingroom which was set to code A1 which would constantly turn itself on or off every day (depending if it was on or off at the time) at the same exact time, until now we did nothing about it but recently we changed the livingroom and it now has 2 lights in there so I used socketrockets on them both, this time one set to A4 and one set to A9 both of which we were previously using in another room without any issues etc.

After a few days go by and I notice that yet again the livingroom lights are still going on/off at the exact same time every day even though there is now there is two of them using completely different codes than previously, codes which were in use elsewhere before without this daily on/off happening, so i figured i should check into it more, so I reinstalled all the software on the computer hooked up the big white box and replaced the batteries and checked the software, now obviously being that no controller box or software had been installed and running up until this point I did not think that it would have anything to do with it, but I watched it on the activity monitor today and exactly at 4:15 eastern time the time the lights had been turned on/off every day for a long time, I noticed a activity monitor log for code A1 Lights On and one a second later saying A off, and the word RECEIVE next to that, now I know for a fact that no one is pressing a button or remote for A1 at exactly 4:15 every day so I am confused as to why A1 is being triggered at the same time every day and what could be causing it, I have checked all the old equipment we have boxed away that we do not currently use and there is nothing with batteries in or anything and we have no timers or anything like that, and with the software being uninstalled and the transceiver control box being plugged for the last year that rules out any software based timers and macro events etc so I am confused as to where to look next.

It wouldn't be a problem other than the fact the way we have all the lights set up with those 3 button stick on switches etc we have to use A1 as livingroom and currently since updating to the two lights and using codes A4 and A9 I decided to set up a macro to make A1 trigger both of those, so we can keep using the switches setup the way they are without reprogramming all switches and lights to a different setup etc.

So where should i be looking to see what is sending a signal to code A1 at the same time every day, and I am 99.9% sure that no one anywhere near our house has any x10 in use so I do not think it is someone elses timer triggering the code etc.

Please advise.

Thanks

Michael

[michaelukusa]

Just to add after further investigation of the activity monitor

When a button somewhere is pressed it says RECEIVE RF

But when this daily event happens that is triggering code A1 there is no RECEIVE RF in the log just the RECEIVE so does this mean it is not an RF signal thats triggering it, well what else could trigger it? especially if all the boxes and software are removed from the equation and all that is left is the wall buttons and the socketrocket

[spval]

You indicated that the SS13A (rf wall switch) will successfully control the socketrockets in your living room, but what do you have plugged in that is receiving the rf codes from the SS13A and relaying those codes into the AC (plc)? In other words, there has to be something like a TM751A transceiver or CM15A or similar that is plugged in somewhere or has the "big white box"(cm15a) been plugged in all this time ?

[michaelukusa]

I have the big white box the CM15A i believe, but before that was re-plugged in I was just using a Monitor Plus supervised security system box which successfully worked to pick up the signals and transmit them to the socket rockets.

Let me briefly go into the back history of my setup.

First I had the AHP with CM15A big white box connected to the laptop and I had several eagle eye sensors, several socket rockets, an appliance module, lamp module and some of those flat stick on wall buttons and a camera with ninja pan and tilt.

I added the Monitor Plus security box because it was a free item that came with another purchase and it acted as a good extender to fill in some blank spots in my apartment where signal strength was weak for the remotes etc.

I got bored with that setup and found most of it unuseful for the moment so removed most of it, decided that I couldnt have a dedicated always plugged in laptop running x10 AHP so removed that and just kept the Monitor Plus device plugged in and left the socket rockets and wall buttons hooked up.

Basic i know simple on off for all the lights I used.

Now with this setup the way it was I would have assumed that no timed events or macros were still in effect since all software and CM15A were removed and packed away.

But yet this daily event of the lights being triggered on code A1 kept happening.

So after inspecting the activity logs, I notice this is exactly what I am seeing when it happens.

nothing happens in the logs and then at 4:15:23 pm today it says:

Receive A1 (LR Lights On)

Then 1 second later in the logs it says:

Receive A Off

When this happened i had the lights on at the time and it turned them off.

I notice that when a button is clicked to turn on a light the log entry says:

Receive RF A1 On
Receive RF A1 On
Receive     A1 (LR Lights On)
Receive     A On (LR Lights On)

So that would suggest to me what ever is happening is not some signal somewhere being relayed to the lights via RF or wouldnt it say RF next to the log entry the same as it does when a button or controller is used?

I just don't understand how this could be happening at the same exact time every day, if lights are on they go off if they are off they come on.

If there are no devices sending signals via RF no buttons being pressed, no macros or timers etc then what could it be?

[Dan Lawrence]

I take it you still have AHP running, don't you?    AHP will still run without the CM15A, although no timers will turn lights on or off.   Otherwise what are you using?

[spval]

Thanks for the info. I am not familiar with the security console and I don't use AHP, but this is how I would troubleshoot this problem: about 10 minutes before the event is going to happen, unplug the cm15a and the security console, along with all batteries. If the event does occur, then the code is coming from another apartment or you still have another x10 device plugged in somewhere that you have forgot about. I'm curious to hear what happens.

[michaelukusa]

Yeah i will check into that and see tomorrow.

Not sure what it could be coz the AHP software has a feature that detects house codes and stuff that should be avoided because of bad signal or other devices running on codes and it doesnt show anything except mine.

I know the CM15A is not the cause coz for the last year I have had it unplugged and batteries removed and stuff.

To Dan, until Friday just past I did not have any AHP or any software running for the last year, I was simply using socket rockets with wall buttons and what x10 gave me free and described as a transceiver (in reality its a Monitor Plus Security System DC821) but said it can be used to help relay signal from switches to devices using x10 without need for the CM15A or other transceiver modules etc.

So it may well be outside interference as I know for a fact I have no other x10 devices that are capable of sending commands to the devices on a specific schedule or time etc

Also as I mentioned when a remote or a wall switch or what ever sends a command to turn a light on as i press the button it mentions RF in the logs, so why does this mystery event not mention RF in the logs? how else could a signal to the socket rockets be given if no RF command was sent initially and relayed to them?

[Noam]

You might have a neighbor with X10, and a timer set.
Change your stuff to a different HouseCode, and that should fix it.

[michaelukusa]

Doesn't the x10 software tell you when other devices are using certain codes and not part of your system? i checked the map of codes to avoid etc but not sure about that.

I'm thinking of just changing it all to B instead of A or something just a hassle taking all my socket rockets down and reprogramming them how it tells you to etc.

[michaelukusa]

If someone near by is using house code A and triggering my lights with a timer at 4:15 every day, i wonder what they are controlling with that as I flip the switch dozens of times throughout the day lol controlling their stuff for the last year, maybe they are scratching their head just like me lol

[Dan Lawrence]

You have to have a neighbor who has X10 on the same transformer as your house. If that's the case you and your neighbor have to decide what house codes you two will use.  Neither  can use the same housecodes.  BTW the odds of 2 houses having X10 is something like 5000-1 since X10 has never mass marketed since it started.

[cjhallx]

Never, ever use the default house code "A". People buy security lights from home depot and radio shack not knowing they are x-10 and that is where all the trouble begins.  Use a letter easy to remember like an initial in your name.

[Dan Lawrence]

I've never had a problem with housecode A since I first got X10 back in the late 1980's.  Nobody else on my street (or my transformer) has X10.  I have 5 modules of varying types on housecode A and they all work fine.  Just for the record,  X10 has NEVER mass marketed since it got started.

[JeffVolp]

X10 has NEVER mass marketed since it got started.

X10 devices being available in Sears and Radio Shack in the 80's was not mass marketing?

My first two Maxi Controllers came from Sears.

Jeff

[dhouston]

X10 devices being available in Sears and Radio Shack in the 80's was not mass marketing?

And then there were IBM, RCA and other branded X10 devices with most, if not all, being manufactured by X10. IIRC, I even bought some RCA versions of the RR501 directly from X10 when RCA ended their association.