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X10 odd but consistent behavior help

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mr coffee:
Here's the setup that is acting oddly. I have LED 12v lights along my walk that are powered by a big old wire and iron 120v to 12v transformer. The transformer is plugged into an X10 3-pin appliance module. I have the X10 Pro PAT03 transceiver and use a motion sensor to cut them on when we walk up the walk.

Here's what's weird. If I use a palm pad and push the on button, the lights come on just fine. If I push the off button, the lights don't turn off. But if I push the off button again in a few seconds, the lights do turn off.

I put a powerline repeater PLC01 in place since it re-broadcasts the x10 signal twice in hopes that would make a difference, and it doesn't make the two-times-to-turn-off problem go away.

Theories? Suggestions? Ideas?

Thanks in advance for any helpful thoughts.

mr coffee

 

Brian H:
On but not off. Can be a signal problem or the load is making noise. Like a signal sucker or noise maker.
Do you have any phase coupling between the incoming lines?
Or are the appliance module,PLC01  and PAT03 on the same phase and maybe even the same branch circuit?
As a test you may want to try the PAT03 or PLC01 to a few locations and see if things change. That could give a clue to finding the issue.

brobin:
To start, have you tried fresh batteries in the Palm Pad?

mr coffee:
I have tried new fresh batteries just to be sure. No change.

All the x10 stuff is on the same circuit, although there is a GFI between the walk lights and the transceiver. See more below about the GFI line.

But I have remembered some other pertinent details of the system which has been in place for probably 15 years or more.

My walk lights that are run by a transformer are on the same unit number as my porch lights, which are gu10 compact fluorescent bulbs run on a line controlled by another x10 module. The porch lights have built-in photocell controls that prevent them turning on during daylight hours.

Tonight, I noticed that, now that it is dark, the first push of the off button turns off the porch lights, and the second push of the off button turns off the walk lights!

There is also a GFI outlet that the appliance module plugs into (and the cord for the transformer plugs into that) which might be significant. There are also 3 other appliance modules controlling transformers on a different unit number hung off that line that comes through that same GFI. But those x10 appliance modules with transformers turn on and off with a single press.

I hope the additional info helps make this less perplexing for some of the gurus around here.

Thanks!!

brobin:
CFL bulbs can cause problems for X10 particularly as they get older prior to failure. As a next step I'd remove them and test again. Or just turn them off manually and then see if the transformers respond on the first press.

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