CM15A not dimming properly

[Tom G.]

So my CM15A and Activehome have been working well for years. No real problems until this last week. Suddenly, lamps won't dim. They come on and stay on at full brightness. When this happened in the past, I could reset the computer and the CM15A and all worked well afterwards. Not this time. Resetting the CM15A now seems to do some dimming. But it is not properly reflected in Activehome on the % sliders. For instance, if I drag a lamp slider to 45% the lamp does seem to dim to that amount. Activehome shows the slider starting at 45% where I put it, then it briefly jumps up to 100% while the lamp is actually dimming. Then the slider drops to 0% even though the lamp seems to be dimmed to 45.

Anyone have any idea what is going on? I haven't replaced or added anything. No new electrical items in the house. I thinks it's the Activehome software, not the CM15A because I have two of them and they both do this. Could it be related to the end of Daylight Savings? I seem to have trouble every year around this time since the dates of DST changed.

Tom G.

[Dan Lawrence]

1. Are all your modules "old style" or Soft-Start? 

2. It's not the end of Daylight Savings Time until this Sunday morning at 2:00 AM.

3. What version of AHP are you using?

[Tom G.]

Hi Dan

1. I'm not really sure. Most modules are old ones. In any case, they are the same modules that all worked fine all year - until last week.

2. The problems began on the 3rd weekend of October. That was the original end date of DST for many years.

3. Not certain, but I think it is 3.236  I tried a more recent version but it caused many problems for me. So much so that my only option was to completely uninstall and remove that newer version, restore the computer to an earleir date, then reload the version I am using. This version has worked without trouble for at least two years or more. That is, until the end of October.

Tom G.

[Dan Lawrence]

3.236 is OLD!!!  I use 3.310 with no problems whatsoever.   Do you live in the USA?  DST dates have changed here. As an example, Sunday (November 4) at 2:00 AM we go back on Standard Time.

3:310 can handle both old style modules and Soft-Start modules with no problems.

[Brian H]

 1. If the modules don't ramp On and Off they are not soft start.
  3.236 may not have the correct DST dates in it. Not sure.
I can say even 3.318 will get it incorrect. The smallest number of date chunks is 16 days {1% Memory Use}.
Mine shows 10/31 as the dusk time goes from 17:44 to 16:28 

[Tom G.]

Can I download a newer version of Activehome from somewhere and do I need to get new activation codes?
What is the exact process to check the modules soft soft start? Would this matter if I update the software to 3.310?

I looked at the activity log this morning and see something that looks strange to me. When I adjust a dimming slider in Activehome to say 40%, it briefly jumps to 100%, then it drops all the way down to say 18%. But the lamp appears to actually be dimmed to 40%. The activity log shows both a transmit and receive for two slightly different percentages, Like this:

976 11/3/2012 6:18:09
AM
Transmit A7 (Fountain)
977 11/3/2012 6:18:10
AM
Transmit A On (Fountain)
978
11/3/2012 6:18:20
AM Transmit A Dim 40% (Fountain)
979
11/3/2012 6:18:22
AM Receive A Dim 42% (Fountain)
980
11/3/2012 6:18:33
AM Transmit A15 (Laundry Room)
981
11/3/2012 6:18:34
AM Transmit A Off (Laundry Room)
982
11/3/2012 6:18:39
AM Transmit A15 (Laundry Room)
983
11/3/2012 6:18:39
AM Transmit A On (Laundry Room)
984
11/3/2012 6:18:42
AM
Transmit A Dim 53% (Laundry Room)
985 11/3/2012 6:18:44
AM
Receive A Dim 58% (Laundry Room)

I never notive there would be both a transmit Dim and receive dim.

Tom G.

[Brian H]

If you turn the lamp or wall switch On. If it goes instantly On. It is the older before soft start. If it slowly {2 seconds roughly} ramps On. It is a soft start version.
http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/SoftStart

Here is the revision history.
http://www.x10.com/support/rev_ahp.htm

Download software page. No the updater will not need a new registration code.
http://www.x10.com/support/support_soft1.htm

Do you have an active X10 Repeater Coupler?
Where the received messages may have been from its repeating the power line signals?

[Tom G.]

I think I may have one wall switch that is soft start. I bought it from Smart Home a few years ago.

Thanks for the software link. I might try a newer version. I can always restore the older version, if it doesn't work out.

I have a phase coupler plugged into an unused 220 dryer outlet. I also have 3 of the Smart Home Booster Lincs plugged in in various rooms. I don't think I have any repeaters. Are those the newer Smart Home modules?

[Brian H]

You may have received back one of the BoosterLincs resent message.
If the wall switch from Smarthome was a SwitchLinc. It may have soft start but not the same as an X10 soft start wall switch that used Extended Messaging to set the dim levels. Smarthome chose to use the older X10 %dim protocol that AHP didn't use.

[Tom G.]

Ok, I think I may have solved it. I believe it was one of the Booster Lincs possibly gone bad. I unplugged all of them and Activehome behaved normally. I added back one Booster Linc at a time until I found one that caused those double transmit/receive messages. I left that one unplugged for now and I will see how the system works tonight.

I appreciate everyone's advice. And I still would like to know what other unit might be a good replacement for the CM15A. They won't last forever.

Tom G.

[Brian H]

Let us know if the BoosterLinc was part of the problem.
I know early models actually stepped on their own Insteon power line signals.

CM15A is being made again. The release date was delayed according to the message thread but not an excessive delay.
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=27440.0

[Tom G.]

Wish I saw your post a bit earlier. I just bought a "new" CM15A on EBay for $98. I sure hope it works like new.
I will also be very interested to see what the new X10 units are like. Maybe identical to what we have now?

[Brian H]

I believe in the thread. It was indicated it was basically the same as what was being sold originally.

[Tom G.]

Well, that's okay. I was fine with the CM15A as it was.
Of course, it would have been nice to have had some improvements of some sort.
But, it is easy to use and it works (usually).

Tom G.

[Brian H]

X10 will probably not say anything on any changes that where done.
They didn't even tell us when the Soft Start features where added to the LM465s. We just got messages here. On why is my module slowly going On and Off.

It will take someone with a knowledge of a CM15A. Taking one apart, observing and testing with AHP.