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X-10 Wall Switch WS467 mod for use with LED bulbs [Not plugin related, but good info]

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    X-10 Wall Switch WS467 mod for use with LED bulbs [Not plugin related, but good info]

    For those who still have some x-10 wall switch/dimmers in their HS environment, I have a mod that some might be interested in.
    Both the old and new versions of the WS467 are not very usable with LED light bulbs. Depending on the brand of the LED, they may not dim very much. Or they may dim down and not go completely off. Or they may "pulse" when dimmed down to a low level. All of these problems are due to the fact that they don't have a neutral wire. After adding a neutral wire, all the above problems go away. I have tried several brands of LED dimmable LED bulbs and all work just great.
    The mod for adding a neutral wire is pretty easy but requires disassembly of the module and some soldering. If there is interest in this mod let me know and I will post instructions as well as pictures.

    #2
    +1
    Steve

    (System configuration is in my profile)

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      #3
      +2

      Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

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        #4
        Please do post. How did you make the discovery?

        Barry

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          #5
          Good work on the modifications. I am interested in a link to the modification instructions if you have it. Would be nice if it applied to RWS-17 and 19 switches which I have all over the house. So far I'm using the "leave one incandescent light in the fixture" method to use LED lights.

          I've ordered a few 25 watt 1.5kohm resistors to see if that method will allow me to resolve issues with the few single light fixtures that I have too. I tried testing with 20k to 33k ohm resistors and didn't have much luck. I know the RWS-17's pull about 33 mamps so probably makes since the high impedance resistors didn't work.

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            #6
            Originally posted by jryan15 View Post
            Good work on the modifications. I am interested in a link to the modification instructions if you have it. Would be nice if it applied to RWS-17 and 19 switches which I have all over the house. So far I'm using the "leave one incandescent light in the fixture" method to use LED lights.

            I've ordered a few 25 watt 1.5kohm resistors to see if that method will allow me to resolve issues with the few single light fixtures that I have too. I tried testing with 20k to 33k ohm resistors and didn't have much luck. I know the RWS-17's pull about 33 mamps so probably makes since the high impedance resistors didn't work.
            I sent you a PM with mod instructions.

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              #7
              jimbell I am interested in your mod

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                #8
                Thanks again for the extra help Jim. It was a pleasure talking to you. BTW I picked up a Chromecast audio last night and hooked it up. It is EXACTLY what I've been looking for for my whole home audio system for a long time. Much better than the bluetooth adapter that I had been using.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by jryan15 View Post
                  Thanks again for the extra help Jim. It was a pleasure talking to you. BTW I picked up a Chromecast audio last night and hooked it up. It is EXACTLY what I've been looking for for my whole home audio system for a long time. Much better than the bluetooth adapter that I had been using.
                  hmm that maybe something worth its own thread for us to know how you did this!!!!
                  HW - i5 4570T @2.9ghz runs @11w | 8gb ram | 128gb ssd OS - Win10 x64

                  HS - HS3 Pro Edition 3.0.0.435

                  Plugins - BLRF 2.0.94.0 | Concord 4 3.1.13.10 | HSBuddy 3.9.605.5 | HSTouch Server 3.0.0.68 | RFXCOM 30.0.0.36 | X10 3.0.0.36 | Z-Wave 3.0.1.190

                  Hardware - EdgePort/4 DB9 Serial | RFXCOM 433MHz USB Transceiver | Superbus 2000 for Concord 4 | TI103 X-10 Interface | WGL Designs W800 RF | Z-Net Z-Wave Interface

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                    #10
                    Ah, nothing fancy. I've had a couple russound ca6.4's for a long time and never made it super functional. A few years ago picked up a simple bluetooth adapter which was great for streaming pandora through the house, but keeping the active phone within bluetooth range was a real pain.

                    Basically the chromecast works like a bluetooth adapter except uses wifi. Now I can play music on my phone, stream it to my chromecast and list over the whole house audio. It also opened the door for my kids to connect to the chrome cast from their bedrooms upstairs and listen to the speakers in their room. My youngest actually had music on in her room yesterday which was probably a 10 year first.

                    Actually ordered a 2nd chromecast to connect to a second channel on the russound unit so we can have a couple different streams going if needed.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by jimbell View Post
                      The mod for adding a neutral wire is pretty easy but requires disassembly of the module and some soldering. If there is interest in this mod let me know and I will post instructions as well as pictures.
                      I'd like to receive the link. I searched for such mod, but most links are dead and I could not find anything.

                      Thanks J Guy

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                        #12
                        Sent info

                        Originally posted by jgveill View Post
                        I'd like to receive the link. I searched for such mod, but most links are dead and I could not find anything.

                        Thanks J Guy
                        Guy,

                        Sent the info via a PM.

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                          #13
                          Please send me the info also. Thanks.

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                            #14
                            Mod instructions

                            I have had around 1/2 dozen or so inquires about this mod. Since the response was so low, I sent the instructions out one at a time. However, upon reflection, that seems to be a pretty inefficient way to do it. So here are the instructions......

                            After disassembling the module, only 3 steps are needed. Desolder the end of the choke that is close to the blue capacitor. In the hole that is now empty, solder in a new wire that is around the same length as the 2 others. The wire size is not critical. I am using 18 stranded.
                            This wire becomes the neutral.
                            *
                            Cut the blue wire near the circuit board. Solder the cut-off blue wire to the end of the choke that you had disconnected before. This connection should be insulated. I use heat shrink tubing. That is it. The little pieces of the front switch will probably get lost, but this does not matter. This mod by-passes the switch.

                            The blue wire must be connected to the load. In the original switch, it did not matter which wire was connected to the load, but now it does. So black to hot, blue to load, and new wire to neutral.

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                              #15
                              FWIW Although slightly different procedure, the wall switch mod is shown schematically in this mod http://www.laureanno.com/ .

                              Having an older home, most of my wall switch boxes do not have a neutral, but a simple workaround where space in the fixture allows it, is to put a four or seven watt nightlight in parallel with the LED bulb.
                              I use a "two outlet socket adaptor" and plug the nightlight in one of the sockets. The nightlight dribbles enough power back to the X10 switch that it thinks it is looking at an incandescent bulb.

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