Will this solve my X-10 Woes?

[affeking]

Hi Folks -

I've got a decent amount of X-10 modules throughout my house, including a security system, and a number of appliance and light modules. I'm having issues with a number of them being unresponsive or randomly turning on for unapparent reasons. The whole thing is on 1 house code and controlled by the security module.

Right now I'm sort of disenchanted by X-10 products and the problems I've had with them. However, I'm thinking that buying the W800 MIGHT solve some problems. My thought is that I could place some of my extra transceivers throughout the house (on different codes) to reduce the chance of interference. I'd then basicaly control all of them with the W800 so I could still use a single controller to control most of my modules. Does this make sense, and sound feasable?

Thx,
Jeff

[Rupp]

Jeff,
I'm a bit confused because the W800 is an RF receiver and can't really "control" anything. If you have a bunch of RR501's and TM751 receiving many RF signals then yes it could be causing noise on the powerline and thus the random lights on. As for as unresponsive lights this is normally cause by the dual phase in your homes electrical system and needs to be handled by installing a good coupler/repeater. The reliable ones are installed at the circuit panel.

[Oman]

Hi Folks -

I've got a decent amount of X-10 modules throughout my house, including a security system, and a number of appliance and light modules. I'm having issues with a number of them being unresponsive or randomly turning on for unapparent reasons. The whole thing is on 1 house code and controlled by the security module.

Right now I'm sort of disenchanted by X-10 products and the problems I've had with them. However, I'm thinking that buying the W800 MIGHT solve some problems. My thought is that I could place some of my extra transceivers throughout the house (on different codes) to reduce the chance of interference. I'd then basicaly control all of them with the W800 so I could still use a single controller to control most of my modules. Does this make sense, and sound feasable?

Thx,
Jeff

You could have several different problems BUT having mutiple transcievers in the house on the same housecode is just looking for trouble. Bad mojo in a major X10 way.

If you describe your system with just a bit of detail (what you have and what you want it to do) we will be able to answer your question with some certainty.

Jon

[griffined]

I noticed a night and day difference in my X-10 stuff responsiveness and reliability after I did the following.

1. Removed all RR501's and TM751's and installed W800 on HS to handle all housecodes RF. Configured W800 plugin to not retransmit on power line for most house codes, and use HS events to send X10 commands only when needed.

2. Installed X10 PLC phase coupler and repeater. I used the kind that plugs into the dryer outlet, but many kinds are available.

3. Used trial and error to identify noisy devices, and placed X10 filters on them.

Other than the lamp on the same circuit as my widescreen projection TV(which has a filter), everything works the first time. The events that signal that lamp repeat the signal three times, 5 seconds apart. The brute force method is working.

Ed

[dhk]

.
3. Used trial and error to identify noisy devices, and placed X10 filters on them.
.
Ed

Ed, what did you find were the types of things that most warranted your putting an X10 filter on them? If one can not afford a filter for every item that 'should' probably have a filter which would be the 2 or 3 items that you would most likely put a filter on?
.

[Oman]

Ed, what did you find were the types of things that most warranted your putting an X10 filter on them? If one can not afford a filter for every item that 'should' probably have a filter which would be the 2 or 3 items that you would most likely put a filter on?
.

Unplug the device and see if lights that were not working now do. If plugging the device back in decreases reliability again then it needs a filter.

Jon

[griffined]

Ed, what did you find were the types of things that most warranted your putting an X10 filter on them? If one can not afford a filter for every item that 'should' probably have a filter which would be the 2 or 3 items that you would most likely put a filter on?
.

I was seeing the RED LED on my bridge/coupler staying illuminated a lot when the widescreen projection TV was on. That's where I put the large ACT filter.

I also got a small X-10 signal meter, and figured out which of my power strips blocked X10 signals, and which didn't. I also bought some smaller SmartHome filters and while I wasn't able to identify any other sources of noise, I put them on some computers and and powerstrips that had a bunch of electronics on them, and didn't seem to block X10 signals on their own.

I was able to verify that anything plugged into my UPS doesn't see any X10 signals from the house.

Ed

[Chakara]

I'd recomend getting a tester. I have one of these that I'm not sure I'm gonna send back. There is no clear timeline on the loan, but I've had it for about a month now.

http://www.automatedoutlet.com/produ...&cat=44&page=1

It makes it pretty easy to find the suckers and noise makers as you can see the signal get better or worse as you plug/unplug the suspect devices. I found a bunch of suckers here and a couple of noise makers.

[affeking]

having mutiple transcievers in the house on the same housecode is just looking for trouble. Bad mojo in a major X10 way.

I think you misread my post. I definately wouldn't do this!

If you describe your system with just a bit of detail (what you have and what you want it to do) we will be able to answer your question with some certainty.

Not too sure what other info you need. I have the DS7000(?) security tranceiver that is controlling everything on 1 housecode. I have about a dozen lights / appliance modules hooked up. Problems I'm having is that the basement lights randomly turn themselves on, and the patio light only works (on or off) about 25% of the time.

I was thinking about getting a W800 so I could automate a few things, and I also had some thought that it might help with some of my issues mentioned above. With the W800 / Homeseer I could use a different tranceiver (on a differet house code) for each floor of the house. My hope is that this would reduce any issues I have with interference / weak signals. Does this make sense?

I'm a bit confused because the W800 is an RF receiver and can't really "control" anything.

The W800 receives from controllers / sensors, but it also transmits to tranceivers, right? Or am I completely confused?

Thanks,
Jeff

[griffined]

I had a DS7000 but have removed it, and use the functionality of HS and the W800 hardware and plug in to do almost everything it was capable of doing. The exception was calling out on the phone line. HS can send us emails and send an SMS to our cellphones, so I don't really care about no longer having it call.

AFAIK, the DS7000 received RF signals on it's antenna, and could send and receive X-10 on the power line. You could have it flash lights, cut on a designated light, and sound a alarm. Arming was done on the console or by remote. I found the range at which it could pick up my security devices was not quite enough to cover my home. I bought an X-10 RF repeater that retransmitted (RF) signals including security ones, and after placing it on the other side of my house, found the sensors would then stay in contact with the DS7000.

If you remove it and replace it with a W800 and plugin, the W800 receives all of the X-10 RF signals in your home, across all house codes, including the security devices. You'd have events and scripts to tell HS to flash lights, cut on designated lights, or sound alarms. The W800 (now ACRF for HS 2.0) plugin can create a software security config with devices, that receives signals from your security remotes, security motion detectors, and security door and window switches.

The W800 doesn't transmit any RF, ever. Whether the X-10 signals it receives are mearly acted on by HS, or are passed through and transmitted on your power line by HS is dependant on how you configure the plug in. So, yeah you could hit A1 ON on a remote, have it received by the W800, whose plug in could be configured to transmit any "A" house code signals on to the powerline, and then HS would transmit A1 ON across the powerline and cut on the lamp module in your house (or whatever) that was set to A1.

I think a W800 would help with your automation efforts, and it might help with reliability issues if you have RF reception or too much X-10 traffic on the powerline issues. If there's noise on the powerline, or phase coupling issues, then the benefit of adding a W800 probably wouldn't be as great.

Ed

p.s. Some confusion may be due to "transceivers" possibly being an X-10 module, or one of the X-10 and RF combo devices.

[affeking]

Ed -


Thanks for clearing a lot of this up for me. I may still not completely understand, however. If I were to configure HS to control all of my X-10 Devices, do I need to purchase an X-10 module that HS will use to transmit X-10 commands to the devices?

Thanks,
Jeff

[griffined]

Yes, some form of a interface between your computer running HS and the powerline.

There are a handful of companies that make them. Some use serial ports and some use USB. I'm using the X-10 made CM11A on my PC's COM 1 serial port.

Ed

[affeking]

Wow, this brings me full circle in what I've been looking at for HA options. I believe I started out looking at the CM11A a while back and somehow came under the impression that the W800 could take its place. Now I realize that the W800 receives RF from sensors and the CM11A transmits from the PC to X-10 devices. Man, I wish there was 1 device that could do both.

Thx
Jeff

[Oman]

You want them to be separate. You don't want most RF commands going over the power line and a wall outlet is not a good place to get good RF reception.

Jon

Wow, this brings me full circle in what I've been looking at for HA options. I believe I started out looking at the CM11A a while back and somehow came under the impression that the W800 could take its place. Now I realize that the W800 receives RF from sensors and the CM11A transmits from the PC to X-10 devices. Man, I wish there was 1 device that could do both.

Thx
Jeff

[affeking]

I have a firecracker (CM17A) already. Can this be used in place of the CM11A for Homeseer (in conjunction with the W800)? Will I be getting anything more out of the 11A?