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[mike]

I know I am  beating a dead horse, but I am spinning my wheels and wasting many hours trying to get AHP to work on a different computer...   

I used to be able to make lifejacket work but I cannot get it to talk to x10nets now.

I swear you guys came up with an all in one AHP_318 install program that is just preregisted, but I'll be darn if I can find it.  Every install I try is non registered.

I need this to find an errant x10 device polluting my power lines or RF device doing it.  Just started and all my x10 has stopped working (use HG & Pi).  Thank goodness for my XTBR!  It is showing the constant activity blinding my power line with its red LED. 

[JeffVolp]

I need this to find an errant x10 device polluting my power lines or RF device doing it.  Just started and all my x10 has stopped working (use HG & Pi).  Thank goodness for my XTBR!  It is showing the constant activity blinding my power line with its red LED.

If there is another repeater on the same utility transformer, you may be experiencing "command ping-pong", which is when two repeaters bounce a command back and forth between each other.

Another not so random occurrence is a wireless remote being accidentally triggered by either setting something heavy down on it or it being stuck in a location where one or more buttons are pressed.  Years ago one person reported a Maxi Controller was transmitting continuously because a water leak had dripped onto it.

A third possibility is a TM751 or RR501 getting stuck in a loop after a bright or dim command.  I had that happen myself.

And of course, it could be the controller program stuck in a transmit loop.

Jeff

[mike]

Thanks for ideas Jeff.

I have experienced ping-pong many times in the past;  this is different.  It is like random noise blanketing the PLC  signals. 
-  My Monteray signal analyzer shows a steady 90-100mv noise floor, which IIRC is perfectly fine for here.  Nothing showing while the XTRB is flashing away.
-  My Elk automation signal meter shows nothing.
- In trying to get access to cm15a with ahp, I saw F2 list had about 10 C3/C5/C7 RF rcvd signals, but I think they were accurate as I was walking thru the rooms they are associated with.  Nothing else.  In the past, ping-pong here shows up clearly in the history list.


A friend recently gave me a box of about 30 X10 modules and things, mostly new, that he has had for 20-30 years; I DID put batteries in the two HR12a remotes, and neither worked although they flashed the light - I think they are too far off frequency.  I figured no led, no output so left batteries in them on the workbench.  Just removed them to see next time I test.  I need to get an ahp running I can plug into it at the offending location ;  then I could easily see in history...

I do have some TM751's around;  perhaps I should unplug them for test - thanks.

The cm15a has no program in it and XTRB continues same random flashing every 1 sec or so with USB cable unplugged.

I am getting by for now by unplugging the cm15a from the XTRB outlet and instead plugging it into an outlet 5 feet away.  This should give me some clue but I do not see it yet other than guessing the noise/signal issue is on the other side of the 220...

I plan to try to get a working copy of AHP going to replug into the XTRB in the next couple days to continuue testing.  Thanks again for your help!

[brobin]

Another thing to look at are the multitude of wall warts throughout your home.  I recently found that a Tivo Mini wall wart that's been fine for 6 years started pumping out X10 killing noise. 

[Brian H]

I picked up a few different brand. Deformable Overhead LED Lights. That install in a standard ceiling light socket.
One gives me a .99V noise reading on my XTBM but no valid X10 messages seen.
Another has a .2uF cap measured across the screw plug. It acts like a signal sucker.

[Tuicemen]

AHP-Lifejacket never talks to x10 nets.
It tells windows to stop the X10nets service allowing registration changes to be made.
Try manual stopping the x10nets service then run Life jacket.
It is possible that a Windows update has added a security feature that is disabling a third party program from tell windows to perform program stoppages. It is possible to perform all the lifejacket actions manualy. I believe these steps are posted on my forum in the Lifejacket thread.

[mike]

Thank you all for ideas and suggestions!  I hope to get time to dig back in soon!

[mike]

Yae, received my $12  50ft active USB extension cable.  So ran it from the cm15a to my workshop computer with working copy of ahp & XTRB programmer.  Replugged cm15 into the XXRTB outplet and immediately began the LED blinks showing random something going on, and lost all communications to the cm15.  Nothing worked due to the 'noise.'

Checked noise floor and it is below 80mv!  So whatever is causing XTRB to blink away a couple times a second does not show up in Monteray tester. 

But I can see a clue: I have an XRB-ANR noise blanker;  I think it is detecting what the issue is:  very repeatably, on about 1 second cycle, there are 2-4 blips of the LED.  Very consistent.  I am convinced these are the things causing the XRTB to repeat and blanket my power line so NOTHING works.  Even AHP switch change from OFF to ON or vice versa, takes 3-4 seconds to send the PLC as AHP tries to wait for an open power line to send;  and even then it does not make it thru to the switch.

I turned off every breaker in the outbuildings one at a time while watching the heartbeat XRB-ANR, but none made it go away.  I tried uplugging everything I could in the house and nothing stopped the rythmic 1 sec 2-4 blips...

I again gave up for now and moved the cm15 to a nearby outlet just so it works - at least it works about 90% of the time.  Doing that, I can interrogate the XTRB and will see if Jeff would have a chance to look at my list to see if perhaps I can just shut off some setting to stop the plastering of the power line with nonsense?

My settings are:

4:00:18 PM: Option P1 is Off
4:14:00 PM: Option P2 is On
3:29:19 PM: Option P3 is On
4:00:28 PM: Option P4 is On
4:00:33 PM: Option P5 is Off
4:00:37 PM: Option P6 is On
4:00:43 PM: Option P7 is Off
4:00:55 PM: Option P8 is Off
4:01:02 PM: Option P9 is On
4:01:07 PM: Option P10 is Off
4:01:12 PM: Option P11 is Off
4:01:17 PM: Option P12 is Off
4:01:22 PM: Option P13 is Off
4:01:29 PM: Option P14 is Off
4:01:34 PM: Option P15 is Off
4:01:38 PM: Option P16 is On

[brobin]

Do you have any Maxi or Mini controllers? I once had one that would spontaneously send a continous stream of signals until it was unplugged.

[Tuicemen]

Have a look at anything that is set to transmit on house code P and unplug it.
If you have several unplug one at a time untill the ocurances stop. Then plug each back in checking each time that occurrences don't  return.  Since it looks like it is house code P that is only being transmitted  try switching devices that can send that to a different house code as well.

[mike]

Do you have any Maxi or Mini controllers? I once had one that would spontaneously send a continous stream of signals until it was unplugged.

Thanks for idea;  I do have a maxi controller on the workbench but it is not plugged in.

[mike]

Have a look at anything that is set to transmit on house code P and unplug it.
If you have several unplug one at a time untill the ocurances stop. Then plug each back in checking each time that occurrences don't  return.  Since it looks like it is house code P that is only being transmitted  try switching devices that can send that to a different house code as well.

I have nothing on P house code except XRTB unit.

I have had power line anti rodent things plugged in forever, and I added 3 new style ones a year ago.  these supposedly transmitt a signal over the power lines that causes rodent nervous systems to go beserk.  I think they really work as we have zero mice in our house and no problem in the outbuildings either...  I tried unplugging some but there are too many too dispersed to find them all and unplug them all at the same time...

I had to go back to an outlet next to the XTRB 220 unit to make my system work 90%...

[brobin]

Probably best to resort to flipping off each breaker till you find the circuit with the problem.

[mike]

yep, that is what I did in outbuildings;  can't do easily with wife in house tho - will be next when she is gone on an appointment!   Thanks.

[Tuicemen]

Since House code P is not used look at transmitters that have a selectable house code like a security console. It could be one is failing.
I had a motion sensor that would send all kinds of codes when batteries were failing but thouse signals were RF.