X10 affecting TV Signals

[travisdh]

I will have a look and see if there are cables running near the power lines. To be honest i don't actually know but have a suspicion given the issue only occurs when lights are actually on in a specific area. If it were the PLC system, when other lights were being turned on or off i would expect the same issue to occur, and interestingly, the house is wired to the max with coax etc, when i unplug the unused coax from the distribution hub the signal gets (a little) better, which is what makes me think maybe that is where the interference is coming from.

Hopefully there is enough length in the coax cables to be able to lift them, i was thinking if there is enough length the easiest thing would be to string them from the rafters which should have a fair bit of distance away from the power lines (and try and not have them run parallel).

The coax cable i have is foil wrapped, but i doubt it is the greatest quality cable (next time i will make sure I pick the cable, not let others do that).

[Wadenut]

I am using x10 PLC but not RF, interestingly it is when the lights are on.
The modules are designed for my market , I am wondering if a power cable running in the roof or wall is too close to a coax cable

Now, that's a possibility. The power lines no doubt will radiate and could affect the TV if run along side the coax (this is never recommended for just this reason).
Does this problem occur without the X10 modules in place and the lights/appliances normally plugged into them turned on? If that's the case, the only option would be to move the coax. You might also want to check all of the connections on the coax. If theres a loose one or a badly connected shield it would be more susceptible. Some of the cheaper coax out there isn't all that well shielded as well. A better grade of coax might help. A foil shield is known as 100%, whereas a braided shield can open when the coax is bent or flexed.

Check too that the antenna itself isn't too close to some AC wiring.

[travisdh]

I am using x10 PLC but not RF, interestingly it is when the lights are on.
The modules are designed for my market , I am wondering if a power cable running in the roof or wall is too close to a coax cable

[Wadenut]

That's very odd, since when an X10 powerline module is sitting On or Off (not being actively switched), there should be no activity on the powerline at all unless it's reporting it's status in response to a poll. Even X10-RF operates on a completely different band than TV signals.
In any case, an X10 filter (not sure of the Aussie model #) on the TV power supply should block anything getting through. A UPS powering the TV might have the same effect.
Is there any sound coming from these modules? A chattering relay perhaps? This could generate some RF.
By any chance are you using any X10 (powerline or RF) not intended for your market? RF especially might interfere with other equipment.

[travisdh]

Hi All,

Wondering if anyone has had any problems with X10 signals having an effect on their TV aerials, I have in wall modules controlled by a TI213-RS232, and in a specific area of the house, if any modules are turned on (in this area there is a total of three), the digital TV signal goes haywire.

I spoke to a local TV guy, who said moving the aerial will have very little affect since the interference is coming from the house, and when the lights are off, there is no affect.

Wondering if anyone has had something similar, it will likely be the catalyst for me moving to Z-Wave, but i would much rather do a phased implementation, bit by bit rather than having to turn off all 24 X10 modules, if you have had a similar problem how did you get Around the interference?

Thanks