Print

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

[rljames]

Recently my PR511 floods stopped lighting. Motion detection works OK - I can hear the "sensing clunk" and unit sends signals to linked lights and chimes but no flood light. Direct flood unit X10 address activation from wired controller causes what sounds like a double "clunk", almost like an "On/Off" cycle but no flood light. I did see one of the floods blink on very quickly using the wired controller. Checked bulb seating, alternative bulbs and rewired all connections.

[dave w]

I would try rotating the Time Delay switch several times through it's time selections, hoping the switch contacts have become oxidized. Otherwise it sounds like it may be "poo-poo, pee-pee, caa-caa" (a highly technical term but seemingly universally recognized).

[rljames]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll give your suggestion a try...

Are these units still available? If so, best place to buy?
Reasonably pleased w/PR511 and would be interested in direct drop-in mounting and wiring replacement.

[dave w]

Are these units still available?

They are scarce. Try Googling, or Amazon, Ebay, etc.
An alternative is to use the PR511 as a motion sensor only and wire a X10 "appliance module" (i.e. XPFM which is available on Ebay, etc. http://www.x10pro.com/pro/catalog/receivers.html#wire ) or a "lamp module" (XPDF) or wall switch module, etc. to actually power the fixture. Using a lamp or wall switch module will limit you to incandescent only flood lights. Even the XPFM may cause CFLs and LED bulbs to flicker, depending on whether X10 changed their XPFM design to what they called "CFL Friendly".

[Brian H]

Did you by chance. Recently change the bulbs in them?
Are they incandescent or another type bulb?

The symptoms sound like the sensing circuit that tell the electronics if it is On or Off is not working. Thus it pulses a few times hoping it will change states.
If the bulbs are CFL or LED some make noise that also can trigger the sensing circuit.

[Dan Lawrence]

RJames is not alone.  My PRS511 also stopped totally.  I tried changing the bulbs, no luck, so to the friendly trash bin went the PRS511.  X10 no longer makes the PRS511, so we are out if luck for a new one. 

[rljames]

OK, I tried DaveW's idea of "exercising" the various X10 controls without any luck.

And I did change the bulbs but they are simple incandescent type meant for this type of flood. Also tried ordinary 100W bulb and floods w/o the weather ring just to make sure the problem wasn't caused by a socket seating issue.

Any other ideas?

Bugs me that everything else (dusk & motion sensing, linked X10 control, etc) seems to be working fine.

Thanks again for all the feedback...

[Brian H]

I would suspect a component has or is in the process of failing.
Maybe the ratchet On Off switch or the circuit that senses if the ratchet switch is On or Off.
Maybe the power supplies and the On Off function is the first function to have a problem.
There is some technical data on the PR511A on this web site. http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/index.htm

[rljames]

Thanks - Not looking good for my unit...

Here are a couple webSites that appear to still offer the PR511.
I know NOTHING about either of these vendors!

http://www.smarthomediscounts.com/proddetail.aspx?id=26
http://homessecuritysystems.net/X10/homeautomation/motion_floodlight.html