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Author Topic: copy of tech help letter part 1  (Read 6660 times)

capple

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copy of tech help letter part 1
« on: January 20, 2006, 11:15:05 PM »

I don't halve trouble now but I do for see
one.

SCENARIO #1
I planed to install a EagleEye motion
detector out side the front door to turn on
my our side lights from dusk to dawn.
EagleEye set at M2 out side lights switch
module set to M3. Ok everything is good. Now
I was going to set my garage light wall
switch module to M2. So now every time I
drive up to the house and park in the drive
way the garage light come on. Nice now I
don't have dark garage to park in. 5 minutes
latter the light shut off. Now where the
trouble starts. I'm going out in the garage
one night changing the oil in my truck. Turn
on the light via the wall switch. Now any
given time latter my wife come home, As she
pulls into the drive way and parks the car
in the garage she trips the EagleEye motion
sensor. The sensor send out a ON command to
the M2 coded wall switch. Then 5 mints
latter an OFF command. I am now in a dark
garage under the truck with oil poring all
over the ground.

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capple

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Re: copy of tech help letter part 1
« Reply #1 on: January 20, 2006, 11:15:53 PM »

     PART 2


SCENARIO #2 (If I had Active Home Pro)
I activate movie macro to dim/turn off the
lights to watch the movie. I stand up to get
some popcorn. The motion detector that
normally turns the lights on when I enter a
room see me and turn the light on.

I would like to have  a program that would
give me more flexibility. I am a PLC
Technician (PLC Programmable Logic
controller) in that I could use the
functions of these inputs and output to do
gust about any thing.

In SCENARIO #1 I would only let the EagleEye
motion detector turn OFF the light if it was
the unit that commanded the light ON
originally.

Can you guide me. Seems to me your product
designers engineered the modules to be to
simple in use that they sacrificed allot of
flexibility

frustrated tech Corey A
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poursha

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Re: copy of tech help letter part 1
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2006, 02:31:34 PM »

Corey,

I have the same prob in scen #1.  I have
motion in the laundry room.  I have been
putting cermic tile on the floor in there.
And, the motion keeps on turning off the
lights on me.

Temporary fix, I just changed the programming.

If I were to want a permanent fix, might use
flags to disable to motion sensor off signal.

Main problem is that the wall switch does NOT
send ANY signal out along the lines, when you
switch on locally.  So, without a major
modification to the wall switch, you can't do
it, by using the wall switch alone.

Here are a few ideas that should work.

#1 idea:  Use smart macros, and set a flag
conditional in front of every macro that you
want to disable at certain times, such as the
driveway motion sensor.  Normally the flag is
set to OK, and the signal works.  Then, you
use another signal of some sort (either a min
controller, or an RF controller, or remote)
to trigger a macro which first sets the FLAG
OFF, then it turns on the garage light.  A
slim sticky switch might be your best bet,
since you can leave it mounted to the garage
wall, and it won't get misplaced.  You can
use the other 2 buttons on the switch for
other functions in the garage (maybe the
opener, an outside light, garage attic light,
etc..)

The other option I thought about as I was
typing this.  It would require a power flash
module, and a 6vac power supply.  Instead of
exlaining, I'll just post the modification
link.  http://www.laureanno.com/x10-pwr.html

I used this in my living room on a switched
outlet, trigger by a NORMAL wall switch.  It
works great, and one flip of the switch turns
on all 4 lamp modules in the living room.
Plus, it uses the regular wall switch.

In your case, you'd need to tap into the
power at the light.  Best way to do this is
with a standard screw-in light outlet.  One
of those stupid things that you screw into a
light fixture - it has an outlet on it, and
you screw a light bulb on top of it.  Can buy
at regular hardware store, probably for a few
bucks.  Then, you plug in a 6 VAC power
supply to this light-outlet.  Make sure to
keep the wires off of the ligth bulb.  Then,
run wires from the 6 vac PS to a powerflash
interface.  Plug the powerface interface into
another outlet.  In the garage, usually,
there is a garage door out let in the ceiling
near the lights.  Set the power flash module
to a code which triggers a macro with the
flags described in #1.  The advantage of
adding this method is that you don't have to
have extra remotes.

One thing though.  For all the external
triggers for the LIGHT ON, you are going to
have to add macros to DISABLE the PowerFlash
(temporarily at least). Otherwise the motion
sensor will do the same thing as the wall
switch, and ultimately disable itself.  The
flags and macros might get messy, but it
should work.

Similar usage of Flags in your second dilema.

RoB
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capple

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Re: copy of tech help letter part 1
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2006, 09:28:15 PM »

Seems to me after this short experience with
X10 I see the advertisements for this stuff
is a lot of hog wash. If I even try to get
this stuff to function just with in there
limits as remote momentary lighting control
I will not be buying any more. It is to bad.
They (X10) are so close to having something
here they just haven't got it yet. Really if
you are using a program like AHP. The system
should know if you turn on a light locally.
Why have wall switches at all. With this
stuff you are totally dependent on making
the macros work only if you use remote-
controls. How many of you can find a TV
remote 100% of the time? Heck my VCR time
has been of for over a year now because I
don't halve the original remote and the
universal one will not get me to the time
program.
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poursha

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Re: copy of tech help letter part 1
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2006, 11:40:19 PM »

It costs more to make a device two-way
(when it talks back to AHP).  I don't own
any two-way, so I don't know the
capabilities.  But, when you pay $10 for a
light switch that can turn on with RF
remote, and with AHP you can setup macros,
and timers, etc..  You get what you pay for.

Now, if you want to fork out $40 a pc, or
more, for two way modules, then you get
what you pay for then.

BTW, totally agree that their advertising
is distracting, and borderline
misrepresenting...

RoB
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Brian H

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Re: copy of tech help letter part 1
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2006, 07:52:28 AM »

There is another brand of wall switch that
can send an X10 ON or OFF back on the line
when actuated. About $19.99 ea.
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poursha

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Re: copy of tech help letter part 1
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2006, 11:28:20 AM »

$19.99 2-way communication?  I've never
seen it.

Cheapest I've seen is the 2476D INSTEON
SWITCHLINC V2 DIMMER $39.99 (2-Way
communication ensures reliability
).

Which are you thinking for $19.99?

Regardless...  Try outfitting a whole house
(20+ switches) for $5 to $10 a piece.  I
was able to outfit my whole house for aroun
$5 a switch - $100 total.  Then go to $20 a
piece - $400 total.  $40 a piece - $800
total.

Rob




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Brian H

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Re: copy of tech help letter part 1
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2006, 03:03:42 PM »

Though not as full of features. Both the
ICON wall switches also can do an X10
Primary Address and when turned on or off
they send an X10 signal back on the line.
Like if I have my ICON on A3. It also will
turn my A3 bedroom light on and off and it
goes on and off with the bedroom switch that
is a 2476S. Only thing that may not be 100%
with an X10 Interface like the cm15a. The
ICON Dimmer when dimmed also sends a Preset
Dim% back over the powerline, that may not
be correctly processed.
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poursha

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Re: copy of tech help letter part 1
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2006, 08:12:24 PM »

That's weird.  I go to the Smart home
page.  <switches><decora><dimmer>  Then
sort my prices (low to high).  And, the
Icon $19.99 doesn't show up.  I thought
that there was a $19.99 Icon switch.
Didn't know if it was 2-way though.

I'd go with it personally, except both the
wife and myself hate the decora styling.
So, we stick with the W367 styles instead.

RoB
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