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[tom j]

Hi guys all the timers I've created are off by exactly 10 minutes. I complained about this about a month ago and support finally told me that it was a hardware problem so I sent back my CM15A for a new one. I just received the new one today and whata you know this one is also not executing the timers I created properly. For example I have a dinning room timer that is suppose to come on at dusk and dim to 50%. Dust in my part of the country is at 8:56 all my dust timers come on at exactly 8:46 which is ten minutes early. Not a big thing but what this thing to work as advertised and there are some timers that being off ten minutes would make them useless. So once again I'm coming here hat in hand hoping someone can help. I checked my computers clock and it's fine also checked the interface time and it's the same as the computer. Even for x10 two defective units in a row wold probably be a stretch so I'm now thinking this might be a software issue I just updated my software but don't have anymore timer scheduled until the morning. But I was just wondering  if anybody has had similar problems and what the fix is for this very frustrating what I now believe might be a software glitch. Really like the unit and software overall and thought by waiting a year that by the time I got mine all the major hardware/software bugs would be a thing of the past but I see that strategy didn't work out. Guess I should consider myself lucky when this thing first came out I remember that everyone was complaining that the timers didn't work at all, mine work just not on time, go figure. Thanks

Tcj

[steven r]

...For example I have a dinning room timer that is suppose to come on at dusk and dim to 50%. Dust in my part of the country is at 8:56 all my dust timers come on at exactly 8:46 which is ten minutes early....

First question: What time does AHP say dusk is for your area? Look under "Tools" and then "Hardware Configuration". Make sure your Dusk/Dawn resolution is set to "Every 8 days ~ 1.5%" for maximum accuracy of Dusk & Dawn times. If your timers are not responding at those times, then you have a problem. If the times there are wrong, you may need to fine tune your location. Use a GPS or Google Earth to find your exact location and enter those Longitude & Latitude values.

[tom j]

First question: What time does AHP say dusk is for your area? Look under "Tools" and then "Hardware Configuration". Make sure your Dusk/Dawn resolution is set to "Every 8 days ~ 1.5%" for maximum accuracy of Dusk & Dawn times. If your timers are not responding at those times, then you have a problem. If the times there are wrong, you may need to fine tune your location. Use a GPS or Google Earth to find your exact location and enter those Longitude & Latitude values.

Hi Steven well I do have it set to every 8 days ~ 1.5% I'll check tonight to see if downloading the latest update has made any difference. Really don't understand this if I go to Hardware configuration the time there is the same as my time on my computer, and at that setting every 8 days dawn is occurring at 8:53 here in Michigan. What would you guess is this hardware or software related. Thanks!!

Tcj

[tom j]

I just don't get this the interface matches the clock on my computer perfectly but all my timers are all early. Could someone tell me if they think this is software or a hardware problem, I'm on my second interface that's why I'm thinking this must be a software issue. Say I've spent a ton of money on this stuff I got all the plugin's cameras you name it so would it be asking to much to ask x10 support to step in here and give me a hand here. I need to get this resolved some of my timers need to be accurate to make them useful. Thanks

Tcj

[steven r]

Ok I'm baffled. Just to clarify. AHP is telling you dusk is at 8:56, all your dusk timers are coming on at exactly 8:46 and timers were not set for 10 minutes before dusk?

If so, my guess and it is a guess is that it's a hardware problem. If it were a software problem, I expect more people would be having the same problem.

Do you keep the CM15A attached to the computer? Try clearing out the memory (unplug & remove batteries) and then download again. Do this about 20 minutes before dusk. Watch the activity monitor and let us know what happens.

The straw I'm grasping at with this test is to attempt to see if the internal clock in the CM15A is running fast. The idea being that if it's taking a day say to be 10 minutes early maybe this short period of time will show less of a time difference.

[tom j]

Ok I'm baffled. Just to clarify. AHP is telling you dusk is at 8:56, all your dusk timers are coming on at exactly 8:46 and timers were not set for 10 minutes before dusk?

If so, my guess and it is a guess is that it's a hardware problem. If it were a software problem, I expect more people would be having the same problem.

Do you keep the CM15A attached to the computer? Try clearing out the memory (unplug & remove batteries) and then download again. Do this about 20 minutes before dusk. Watch the activity monitor and let us know what happens.

The straw I'm grasping at with this test is to attempt to see if the internal clock in the CM15A is running fast. The idea being that if it's taking a day say to be 10 minutes early maybe this short period of time will show less of a time difference.

Hi well not exactly, dusk is according to the software is now at 8:50 all my dust to dawn timers are coming on around 8:40 and no these timers are not set to come on 10 minutes early, I'm actually looking at the "ON OFF" time. I actually do have one delay timer scheduled to come on thirty minutes early and it also is off by approximately 10 minuted. I'll try to do a fresh install from my computer at work with the same interface to see what happens. You know the thing that I don't understand is if this were a hardware issue wouldn't the internal clock of the CM15A also be off? but when I go into tools hardware configuration the time in the interface is identical to my computer. Also what's the likely hood of getting two with this problem seems like someone else would of gotten one of these defective units. Well thanks for your help! glad there's someone out there that's willing to help me.

Tcj

[steven r]

...but when I go into tools hardware configuration the time in the interface is identical to my computer...

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe bringing up AHP syncs it with your computer time. Also AHP doesn't display the time in the CM15A. So you're faced with a "catch 22". The only true way to check the time is to set a timer and compare it with your watch.

[tom j]

Also AHP doesn't display the time in the CM15A

I thought it did, hopeful someone will clear this up. Thanks

Tcj

[jawaid]

What is time displayed in the Activity Monitor of AHP? My guess is that it displays the event time stored in AHP. I just checked the Activity Monitor and manually turned on a light. The time displayed is almost identical to the PC time and I am not sure where this time is coming from.

[steven r]

What is time displayed in the Activity Monitor of AHP?... ...The time displayed is almost identical to the PC time...

Ideally the computer & AHP times should be virtually identical and the CM15A should be within a minute of the other two.
As I understand it, AHP gets its time from the computer. The CM15A then gets its time, rounded/truncated to the minute from AHP during a download. (It's not synced to the second.)

[tom j]

Tech support has answered my e-mail and hopefully someone will be able to discover whats going on, really kind of frustrated with my timed events this is my second CM15A and it's been over a month now that I've had to put up with this. Just wondering what the chances are of getting two of these things with the same defect.

Tcj