Print

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

[dave w]

I have not heard of the PR511 causing noise, but who know(?). I had a synapse fire this morning. You said in OP that everything worked fine for two years, so I never considered a phase coupling problem, but now not so sure. You do not have a phase coupler, correct? So, have you made any changes in your 220V appliances? In other words I'm wonder if what ever WAS coupling signal between your two 120V lines is not now, for some reason.

[Easttexasdragon]

Hey Dave, The 2 year thing was wrong, X10 tech said that it was 2007 when I bought the AHP so its been 5 to 6 years, Man Time flys...... Well I origanally thought it was the CM15A that had gone out because it locked up on me the day after Daylight savings changed but after a reset it was working fine again. Then that morning around 2 am the bedroom lights came on and I just turned them off with the wired controller and went back to sleep thinking it was just the batteries going out on a outside sensor because the bedside lamps are on A-1 and the sensors default is A-1, thought that something had triggered the sensor. then that morning the CM15A hung again in the same mode.

What was weird was when I would turn the lights off with the wired controller they would come back on in a few seconds and the CM15A wasnt responding at all. I had to unplug the CM15A to get it to stop. The X10 tech had me do another hard reset and said that should fix it. It didnt, this time I never got it to respond to any functions. Then the remote and wired Controller stopped responding also. So I knew I had something going BAD and causing line noise but I just couldnt find it, plus I thought that maybe that was also causing the CM15A to act up. Then found the eco-i-light was bad and sucking up signal so I canned it but this is all old news.

No I havent made any changes in the 220 appliances and no I dont have a phase coupler, But I diffidently have an interment line noise that seams to be located or affecting the couch breaker as I labeled it in the breaker box. Last night at midnight the timer didnt turn off the couch lamps but it did turn off the lamp next to my recliner I had to use the remote to turn them off. Then This morning I had a break thru... When I got home the couch lamps were still on and they were suppose to have gone off at 8am. I turned them off with the remote, Then I got to thinking the timers are set to turn the bedroom lamps on at 10pm and the couch and recliner lamps off at 11pm, at midnight the couch lamps were still on so were the bedroom lamps, then this morning the timers are suppose to turn on the couch and bedroom lights at 7am and off at 8am but the couch lamps were still on...    so I just checked and found that the bedroom lamps have CFL blubs in them so as soon as I can I will replace them and see if it makes a difference.

[Easttexasdragon]

Well changing out the CFL bulbs in the bedroom helped with the couch Lamp modules, Last night and this morning the lights came on and went off just like planned, But I still cant control the porch light from AHP, But I can with the remote so I can live with that, As long as the outside motion sensors can turn the porch light off and on thats why I put the TM751 on the porch. But I also noticed last night the appliance module in the livingroom that controls my wireless printer has quit responding to the timer but I can still turn it off and on with the remote. So I have now removed the CFL bulbs from all light fixtures except the kitchen lights because they stay off most of the time. I still have noise in the lines because I still have a delay when using the remote. So I am giving up and will use things the way they are until I figure whats causing the noise.

[dhouston]

A couple of points to note. The RR501 (and older TM751) output about 10Vpp PLC while the CM15A only outputs about 6Vpp. The difference in signal strength might explain why the remote works better than AHP.

[Easttexasdragon]

Well i just figured the line noise was slowing or sucking up the signal coming from the CM15A. so I figured if I put the TM571 close to the module that would cut down on the noise,

So which is better the TM571 or the RR501?

[Brian H]

If you can find one. An RR501 or X10Pro PAT01.
They have a power line receiver in them and its internal appliance module feature. Can be controlled by both an X10 RF or power line signal.
Also listens to the power line and tries to be polite and not step on a X10 command being sent by another X10 controller.

TM751 has only an RF receiver in it. No polite feature or power line control of its appliance module feature. Also the old and real new TM751's have the appliance module feature. There was a time when the TM751 did not have that feature and the outlet on the bottom was hard wired ON.

[Easttexasdragon]

Thanks Brian H, I have both, a TM571 (new) and a RR501, I'm not using the RR501 anymore, I just got the TM571 because I wasnt sure the RR501 was working right because for a while I could only control what was plugged into it from the remote.

[PK]

I have a similar issue… I purchased a CM15A to replace one that I thought was defective.  It stopped working around the change to daylight savings time.  Both the new and old units do not work correctly.  They will not turn the lights on but will turn them off later that evening per the timer schedule.  I can turn the lights on and off using a HR12A via the CM15A.  So the signals are being transmitted via the power-lines.  I cannot turn the lights on or off via ActiveHome Pro when my PC is connected to the CM15A.  The USB drivers and ActiveHome software appear to be correctly loaded.  I’ve reset the CM15A a few times by unplugging it and removing the batteries for 15 minutes.  I removed the ActiveHome software and installed it on another computer, no difference.  Any thoughts?

A little more info... I can turn the lights on using a HR12A.  I can turn them off using the HR12A or ActiveHome Pro via the CM15A.  ActiveHome Pro will not turn the lights on via timer or manually.

[dave w]

Don't know what version AHP you are using, but do you have yourLamp and Wall Switch modules configured as  "SoftStart" and old lamp modules correctly?
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=27671.0
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=24615.0

[PK]

I haven't changed my timer types or settings over the last couple of years but I recently upgraded to the latest version of ActiveHome software.  All my modules are more than a few years old.  I will reconfigure them for the older non-softstart version and post the results.  Thanks for your reply.

[dave w]

10 cents says that will fix it.

[Easttexasdragon]

PK, Dave w is right, with all the trouble shooting I have done, I deleted AHP and downloaded the New version and set EVERYTHING up New, Had the same problems as you could turn stuff off but not on, In AHP got to the top right hand corner click turn all lights on and they came on but I couldnt turn them on one at a time, I like to have went crazy trying to figure it out, while in AHP, if you look on the left under the Modules Tab it says Lamps then under that it says older lamps (not soft start) I had to use the older lamp modules (LM465) then everything worked. (till the line noise came back)

[Easttexasdragon]

Well the %##%&* line noise is back,  I cant access the couch lamps now from AHP, but still can from the remote but just takes several seconds for them to respond, still cant control the porch light ether but the outside sensors and remote can, So I'm going over every plug and light fixture looking for whats causing it this time.  About 6 months ago the power company's Transformer got hit by lightening and blew right behind my house, I'm wondering if it might have started the chain of events I am now going through?

[dave w]

About 6 months ago the power company's Transformer got hit by lightening and blew right behind my house, I'm wondering if it might have started the chain of events I am now going through?

Anything is possible, but a new transformer *shouldn't* be the problem.
 
Review:The CM15A can't control coach lights at certain times of day. The TM751 or RR501 can (on a different circuit) control the lights. RF can control the porch light, so is the RF being picked up by the TM751 (RR501) or the CM15A? Finding which transceiver is actually doing the controlling of the porch light may help you troubleshoot. Unplug the CM15A and see if porch light still works.

I guess phase coupling problem has been eliminated so it still points to a "intermitant" or periodic noise problem. (Signal suckers usually can not be intermitant, other than when unplugged).

[Easttexasdragon]

Dave W, Wasnt thinking about the NEW Transformer, Was thinking of the lightening strike that blew the Transformer and sent a surge through my wiring, Well anyway just looking at motives, because everything had been working fine until a few weeks ago and so far I have found the eco-i-light had gone bad and was sucking x10 signal, then found a led night light in my daughters bedroom that was also blocking signal, moved CFL blubs around trying to get them off the troubled circuits, unplugged cell phone transformers that weren't being used, etc. etc.

I'm not using the RR501 anymore, But put a TM751 on the same circuit as the couch lamps and the porch lights and thats the reason I can control the couch/porch lights with an RF signal but for some reason something is still sucking up the signal via the CM15A, I thought it was the CFL bulbs in the bedroom lamps so I removed them and I had control of the couch lamps again with the timers, then last night and today the timers didnt turn on or off the couch lamps, as far as I know nothing has been changed or added this weekend that would be blocking the x10 signal so I guess just like eco-i- light its getting worse day by day so I'm just waiting for it to go out....