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[nfm1]

 

OK...  So everybody loves macros.. cook breakfast for the family..  turn on the microwave...  roast the dog..

I have now built 8 of them...  or it looks like I did......  HOWEVER, none of them, except the one that turns on the garage light and the interior light when I walk by the sensor semms to work...

I read the forums..  added delays, set timers.. and here is an example of my lack of expertise..

Worse, my wife has taken a strong disliking to the whole thing, and is sick of all the wasted effort and time she's seen me spend. "Why don't we just turn everything on/off like everybody else???"

"Work Out Mornings"...  ha ha..yeah sure.. just trying to get my sorry ass outta bed..

The timer is set on the macro to start at 4:30am daily  start date 01/01  and end 12/31

Conditions....

TRIGGER CONDITIONS   M15 on and
DAY OF THE WEEK is M,T,W,T,F and
it's exactly 5:00 am or
the date is between 01/01 and 12/31
END TRIGGER CONDITIONS

WAIT 4 seconds
Turn office light ON and dim to 35%
WAIT 2 minutes
Turn Hall Lights on and dim to 35%
WAIT 2 Minutes
Turn Hall Lights ON and dim to 45%
Turn Gym Lights ON and dim to 50%
Turn TV ON
WAIT for 5 minutes
Turn Gym Lights ON and dim to 75%
Wait for 55 minutes          (assuming I'm actually in there doin somethin)
Turn ALL UNITS OFF in the Gym


I have more outrageous stuff if anybody needs to laugh..

Thank You all  !!

Nico

[Mystyx]

Start simpler and get more complicated, you will see what doesn't work compared to what is working.

there are a few problems with the buildup of that macro...

why the delays?
whats the trigger? sensor, monitored HC (housecode)?
so many conditions? KISS 



turn lights on 5 days a week if its 5am? or 4:30?
turn lights off 55min later?

would be easier to use timers to turn on at specific times?
your macro is all turn ons at specific times?
what is M15 on for? a sensor? or light switch?

more specifics please

[Tuicemen]

nfm1: As Mystyx stated start smaller.
The one thing I tell all newbies "Take Baby steps" There is a learning curve to all this. Once you have a simple macro working you can then start adding conditions and seeing how they all work or don't.When making macroswith conditions and elses treat them as though you are talking to a three year old. eg: "Pick up the ball then throw it!"
 There are many things which can go wrong as you have found thus far, tring to jump into the deep end when you can't swim is suicide!

[nfm1]

If I want a light to come on and dim up slowly over time - how is that done?

baby step #1



You guys are great !!  Thanks for the support and assistance..  While I'm a newbie.. I actually used the "Radioshack" version of X-10 in the 80's and the 1st computer interface....
My wife hated the lights coming on and off..  oh well.

[Mystyx]

Buy 2 way modules? check the features? different switches different features.

you can get around it but the switches go full on then dim to the level.

[roger1818]

TRIGGER CONDITIONS   M15 on and
DAY OF THE WEEK is M,T,W,T,F and
it's exactly 5:00 am or
the date is between 01/01 and 12/31
END TRIGGER CONDITIONS

Exactly 5:00am?  What are the odds of it being exactly 5:00am when you trigger the macro?

Date between 01/01 and 12/31??? Isn't that every day of the year?

It might help if we understood when you wanted the macro work so that we can help you with the conditions.  I agree with others that you should start off simple and gradually try things more complicated.

[Tuicemen]

If I want a light to come on and dim up slowly over time - how is that done?

baby step #1

I know there was a post on how to do this on the old boardin the AHP general section hopefully it wasn't lost.
As I  have 99% CFLs in use I don't use the dim function perhaps someone who has done this will chime in else do a search in the AHP general section not from the help and troubleshooting section or you won't find it. Also read the read me first post in that section as there is a link explaining dims.

[roger1818]

If I want a light to come on and dim up slowly over time - how is that done?

baby step #1

I know there was a post on how to do this on the old boardin the AHP general section hopefully it wasn't lost.
As I  have 99% CFLs in use I don't use the dim function perhaps someone who has done this will chime in else do a search in the AHP general section not from the help and troubleshooting section or you won't find it. Also read the read me first post in that section as there is a link explaining dims.

Ya there was a post over a year about doing this, but I can't seem to find it so I will try to answer it again.

The cheap X10 brand modules have some limitations (described in the thread ON/Off vs brightness option?) that make this difficult but not impossible.  What you need to do is dim the module to 0% instead of turning it off.  This can be done in a macro by sending a DIM 99%.  You can then create a macro which will slowly brighten a module as follows:

Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%
wait 1 minute
Brigten 10%

This will cause the module to slowly brighten over a 10 minute period.  You can adjust the length of the wait and the percentage (and the number of steps accordingly) to meet your needs.

The 2-way modules made by X10 don't have any of the limitations that I described so they might be a better choice.  Also, since they accept a PresetDim command, you can use an Absolute brightness (instead of the relative Brighten) to tell the module what brightness to become if you prefer.

The best option would be to use a SmartHome Plus, 2-way or Insteon module as you can program the fade rate in them (up to 9 minutes).  This way you don't even need to create a macro but instead can get the module to do all the work for you.  Even if you only occasionally want the module to slowly brighen, they all support scenes so that they respond differently to commands from different addresses.  Note the PLC module has a maximum fade rate of 9 seconds and the ICON and Econo modules don't have an adjustable fade rate.

[nfm1]

Ah ha !!!  the "cheap X-10 modules"......  NOW I am beginning to understand some of the (shall we say MY) limitations..

Yes I admit, I bought the WS-12 switches, thinking oh wow!!  Lutron, Leviton Decora,,  only to find the OLD X-10 push button from the 80's hiding behind some expensive Chinese plastic gizmo.

Are you guys using other switches as you said Smarthome etc with the AHP software?

Also, when trying to dim a light, it does not seem work as a "preset" under 30% ? JUst Full,,, then Off.. or maybe that was the DIM 99 you refer too?

NEXT PROBLEM !!!!

My receptacle modules do not seem to turn on with the timer?  I have 6 installed currently and one hooked into a macro, which is triggered by a motion sensor.  This is the only "receptacle" that functions. 

They all turn on and off as I click the icon in AHP...  dammm noisy clicks... but none of the others work with the timers?

[Mystyx]

Yea, Smarthome has X10 Compatible Stuffs.

timers in a macro or timer on the module itself?

[roger1818]

Ah ha !!!  the "cheap X-10 modules"......  NOW I am beginning to understand some of the (shall we say MY) limitations..

Yes I admit, I bought the WS-12 switches, thinking oh wow!!  Lutron, Leviton Decora,,  only to find the OLD X-10 push button from the 80's hiding behind some expensive Chinese plastic gizmo.

Yes, it is a lot cheaper to change plastics on an existing product than it is to design a new one.

Are you guys using other switches as you said Smarthome etc with the AHP software?

Yes, SmartHome, Leviton and ACT all make good quality, X10 compatible switches.  The SmartHome switches unfortunately use the old PresetDim and the AHP software doesn't currently support it.  The SDK does support the PresetDim though and there are workarounds to let you do most things.

Also, when trying to dim a light, it does not seem work as a "preset" under 30% ? JUst Full,,, then Off.. or maybe that was the DIM 99 you refer too?

I am not quite sure what you mean.

NEXT PROBLEM !!!!

My receptacle modules do not seem to turn on with the timer?  I have 6 installed currently and one hooked into a macro, which is triggered by a motion sensor.  This is the only "receptacle" that functions. 

They all turn on and off as I click the icon in AHP...  dammm noisy clicks... but none of the others work with the timers?

What type of module have you defined them as in the AHP software?  They don't respond to bright and dim commands so if you define them as a lamp module they won't work.

[nfm1]

Yea, Smarthome has X10 Compatible Stuffs.

timers in a macro or timer on the module itself?

 

Timer is set in AHP on the individual "Module" itself - 

Also, when trying to dim a light, it does not seem work as a "preset" under 30% ? JUst Full,,, then Off.. or maybe that was the DIM 99 you refer too?

I am not quite sure what you mean.

If you use the dimmer slide switch in AHP - any setting under 30% seems to give you 0 light!!  - even in complete darkness - I sense that 30% or less does not supply enough "juice" to the light?

My receptacle modules do not seem to turn on with the timer? I have 6 installed currently and one hooked into a macro, which is triggered by a motion sensor. This is the only "receptacle" that functions.

They all turn on and off as I click the icon in AHP... dammm noisy clicks... but none of the others work with the timers?

What type of module have you defined them as in the AHP software? They don't respond to bright and dim commands so if you define them as a lamp module they won't work.

I have them as the "receptacle module"  and I realized that they do not work as lamp modules in my learning curve, just simple on and off switches.

However, they do not want to respond to their own timers set on the AHP module?

[roger1818]

Also, when trying to dim a light, it does not seem work as a "preset" under 30% ? Just Full,,, then Off.. or maybe that was the DIM 99 you refer too?

I am not quite sure what you mean.

If you use the dimmer slide switch in AHP - any setting under 30% seems to give you 0 light!!  - even in complete darkness - I sense that 30% or less does not supply enough "juice" to the light?

Low power bulbs tend to be extremely dim at low brightness settings (the filament might glow, but not give off any noticeable light).  The higher the power bulb, the lower the dim level that will actually produce light.  At the dimmest setting, most bulbs won't give off any light, so by dimming it by 99% the bulb will be effectively off (though there will be a small current traveling through the bulb).  You could set it on at 1%, but this will first brighen it to 100% so a better way to do this is in a macro dim it by 99% (you will notice that dimable modules have 3 buttons: absolute, bright and dim)

My receptacle modules do not seem to turn on with the timer? I have 6 installed currently and one hooked into a macro, which is triggered by a motion sensor. This is the only "receptacle" that functions.

They all turn on and off as I click the icon in AHP... dammm noisy clicks... but none of the others work with the timers?

What type of module have you defined them as in the AHP software? They don't respond to bright and dim commands so if you define them as a lamp module they won't work.

I have them as the "receptacle module"  and I realized that they do not work as lamp modules in my learning curve, just simple on and off switches.

However, they do not want to respond to their own timers set on the AHP module?

That is strange.  Do you have the timer set to be downloaded into the interface?

[nfm1]

So should I always have the bulbs that I want to brighten set to 99% dim (effectively off) and then use timers to brighten them when I want them to come on?

That way I do not have that "shock" in the morning when they come on at 5am 100% then dim down so I'm not blinded?

[roger1818]

So should I always have the bulbs that I want to brighten set to 99% dim (effectively off) and then use timers to brighten them when I want them to come on?

That way I do not have that "shock" in the morning when they come on at 5am 100% then dim down so I'm not blinded?

If you want to you can.  Just remember if the module accidentally gets turned off, it will turn on to 100%.  If you are wanting to brighen the lights to something other than 100%, you might want to have the macro dim by 99% before brightening the light to ensure that you are going to the desired brokenness.  Doing this will create a couple seconds of delay before the light actually starts to brighten.