Print

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

[fishfun83]

I just purchased the X10 Transceiver Module RR501 along with the Relay Wall Switch WS469 and Motion Sensor MS16A in order to turn on my front porch lights when someone comes up the stairs.  Everything works well, except that I would like to porch lights to go off after 5 minutes or so.  Presently, when activated, the porch lights stay on indefinitely.  Is there a module I could use that would limit the amount of time the lights stay on?

[dave w]

http://www.authinx.com/x10/manuals/MS16A.pdf

The MS16A should send an X10 "OFF" signal some (programmable) time period after motion ceases. Try this: open the battery cover of the MS16A and if the porch light is not ON, force it on by pressing the "ON" button under the battery cover. Wait a couple of seconds and then press the "OFF" button. If the porch light does not turn off, you may have a noise problem generated by the porch light.

What kind of bulb is in the light? CFL and LED bulbs can generate noise when on. If this is the case, there are work-arounds, but subbing an incandescent bulb is the easiest.

Here is more information on noise and troubleshooting.

http://jvde.us/x10_troubleshooting.htm

[fishfun83]

That was it.  Just removed the cover on the motion sensor and did what you said.  Works perfectly now. Thanks alot.

[bkenobi]

What was suggested was a test.  It should not have fixed anything.  If it worked now (daytime presumably) and not last night, I'd suspect there is something that is causing noise on your power line that is turned off during the day.  I would suspect a phone charger as most people seem to charge them as soon as they get home and take them off first thing in the morning.

[Brian H]

If you look at the sensors manual.
You will see it has some settings that can be changed with set button sequences.
You may have set it to a different mode than the normal default.

[dave w]

Won't be the first time X10 made us scratch our heads.