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[cajunrc]

I only have light modules and one wall switch for my front door.  About 3 weeks ago I changed the On time for the front door and it hasn't worked since.  Sometimes I can't even active it from the program,  I can always turn it on with an RF remote.  When I turn it on with remote most of the time if will go Off at the right time.  Some times it has come on at odd hours during the day.  Last week I upgraded to ver. 3.318 and since then other lamp modules will not come on.  I have no idea how to correct this problem

[Tom G.]

Are you using a CM15A to run Activehome? That's the white box with the USB connector on the bottom and the little white antenna on the left side.

If you are, try resetting the CM15A. Unplug it from the electrical outlet and from the USB. Take out the 4 batteries. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. Put the batteries back in and plug it back inot the electrical and the USB. Open up Activehome software on the computer/ Use the menu up top to go to Hardware Configuration. Hit the "Batter Reset" time on the right hand side (it should then show 48 hours). Download your timers to the interface. That might do it.

[Brian H]

Are the light modules that don't go On Soft Start where they slowly ramp On and Off?
If they go On instantly. In 3.318 they should be defined from the Before Soft Start Lamp Tab.

[cajunrc]

All the lights are instant on.  When I posted this yesterday, none of the lights came on.  I had to activate them with the RF remote.  They all went off as scheduled automatically.  I am trying to recylcle the module now and will report back if that works.

[Brian H]

3.318 Supports Soft Start and Older Lamp Modules in separate lists.
You may have to redefine all the lamp modules from the Before Soft Start List for the On commands to work.

[dave w]

OPEN SUGGESTION TO X10.

Do yourself a favor and clarify in the instructions for the new CM15A that SoftStart Lamp Modules and switches and older non SoftStart devices MUST be differentiated in the AHP software. Quit relying on the forum and the Wiki to spell this out.

This confusion in the field probably accounts for 30% of the questions in the home automation catagories of the forum. Confused customers blame the products, and then they aren't customers any more.

[Noam]

OPEN SUGGESTION TO X10.

Do yourself a favor and clarify in the instructions for the new CM15A that SoftStart Lamp Modules and switches and older non SoftStart devices MUST be differentiated in the AHP software. Quit relying on the forum and the Wiki to spell this out.

This confusion in the field probably accounts for 30% of the questions in the home automation catagories of the forum. Confused customers blame the products, and then they aren't customers any more.

Unfortunately, they don't listen to suggestions like this one. It has been made many times before.
Their mistake was to use the same module number for the redesigned SoftStart modules, which really are very different.
When they released the version of AHP that could handle SoftStart, their second mistake (by my count, others might count them differently) was to assume that most users would be using the newer SoftStart ones. They should have written some sort of wizard to help the user test each of their affected modules, and indicate which were older, and which were SoftStart.
They didn't do that.

[dave w]

Unfortunately, they don't listen to suggestions like this one. It has been made many times before.
Their mistake was to use the same module number for the redesigned SoftStart modules, which really are very different.
When they released the version of AHP that could handle SoftStart, their second mistake (by my count, others might count them differently) was to assume that most users would be using the newer SoftStart ones. They should have written some sort of wizard to help the user test each of their affected modules, and indicate which were older, and which were SoftStart.
They didn't do that.

Yes I agree. But history tells us X10 is weak at software development, and has a high enough turnover that the "recipe secrets" are not passed on. I'm hoping for a simple "note" on the printed instructions shipped with the CM15A that clearly identifies the problem and can then point the user to Wiki's, etc.

X10 ain't gonna spend money to put a solution in AHP, but a note on the simple instruction sheet could be handled relatively cheaply.

[cajunrc]

I just changed all modules to old no soft start,  hoping that this will work.   I have been using x-10 modules and software for over 18 yrs.

[Dan Lawrence]

OPEN SUGGESTION TO X10.

Do yourself a favor and clarify in the instructions for the new CM15A that SoftStart Lamp Modules and switches and older non SoftStart devices MUST be differentiated in the AHP software. Quit relying on the forum and the Wiki to spell this out.

This confusion in the field probably accounts for 30% of the questions in the home automation catagories of the forum. Confused customers blame the products, and then they aren't customers any more.

Dave,

AHP has been putting SoftStart and Old Style modules for a good while now.  I run 3.310 and the two are not in the same place. Soft-Start are in Lamps and older ones are in Older Lamps (no SoftStart).

[dave w]

Dave,

AHP has been putting SoftStart and Old Style modules for a good while now.  I run 3.310 and the two are not in the same place. Soft-Start are in Lamps and older ones are in Older Lamps (no SoftStart).

Yes. But the forum still gets regular questions about lights not operating from AHP but work fine with a remote transmitting to the CM15A. To me, that says X10 isn't getting the message to the customer about the different modules with the same part number.

[Dan Lawrence]

Dave, we have been over this several times.  X10 does stupid things, not giving SoftStart modules different part numbers  was one of the biggest.  They ain't going to correct it now. That's why a lot of versions in the 300 series have both old style and SoftStart modules in their own sections.                                   

[cajunrc]

Okay, all lamps are coming on and going off with the exception of the Wall switch Model WS467, if I turn it on remotely it will turn off at right time.  I just edited the module to older lamps (no soft start) and put the module as wall switch module.  I will see if this works.  Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

[dave w]

Dave, we have been over this several times.  X10 does stupid things, not giving SoftStart modules different part numbers  was one of the biggest.  They ain't going to correct it now.

I agree. But we keep carring their water on this issue. After four or five years of us repeating the same thing to confused users,   one would think X10 could add a simple note to the instructions about two different module setups, run a few thousand copies on the xerox and ship them to China.

[cajunrc]

Well all modules are working with the exception of the front door wall module which I have set as wall switch module older lamps no soft start.  I don't know what to try next.