UPB or Insteon and other questions

[Oman]

The passive couplers don't regenerate the signal, they just couple the phases together. Therefore there is no delay added with the coupler (other than the extra time it takes for the signal to travel down some extra wire)

As I said before I would not do a UPB installation without a coupler. They simply take it from 98% to 99.99% chance of having every single leg of wiring get a good signal in the house.

The 4 microseconds is a joke. Actually, there is really no discernible difference. However, with UPStart and a PIM, the software can actually determine if the UPB device is on the same phase or opposite phase as the PIM. Theoretically, there would be a delay. I wanted a coupler for reliability, and did not want to deal with things outside of my control, like a leaky feed line or an ancient transformer.


Michael

[MRTaylor]

Jon, I agree that the couplers are passive. I meant that there would be a theoretical delay without a coupler. And, reliability is the reason I installed a coupler.

Michael

[DC]

OK, what am I doing wrong?

I read all these posts about UPB signal strength being great and noise not being a problem. It's not working for me. I have four lamp modules installed. UPStart can't even find one of them. (It's not a bad module because I can move it and it works fine). My house has multiple breaker panels. Should UPB work if the PIM is on one panel and some modules are on another one? I also have a detached shop on a separate meter (but same transformer). X10 works OK (but not 100%). I can't get a UPB signal to a device in my shop at all. I've read that the "range" of UPB is anywhere from 1000' to a mile. My shop is about 80 feet from my house.

[Rupp]

DC,
Keep in mind that UPB is still powerline based so while it's not as flaky as X10 it's still going to suffer from the same "kinds" of problems and interference. While most haven't mentioned it UPB needs a coupler/repeater as well. So like X10 no UPB installation is complete with the coupler/repeater.

This is the beauty of Z-Wave. The more modules you add the better it works. Just the opposite of most PLC products.


http://www.hometech.com/plc/couplers.html

[Oman]

I've got on main panel and two subs. One extra meter (off peak). Without the coupler I could get to everything on the same phase but very little on the other. With the coupler I'm good even to the off-peak appliances.

I've got a Matrix 5000 UPS as well as a few smaller ones, a bunch of shop equipment for working on cars (large compressor, etc).

There is something doing a good job of eating signal there at your place. I don't know where to start because usually I have a signal-unfriendly house and it is working just fine.

I have heard that some over-agressive spike protectors can attenuate the UPB signal. Do you have a whole-house surge protector? Do you have a buch of X10 filters? X10 repeater that could somehow be stepping on the UPB signal?

I know it is frustrating but I would think that it could be just one thing that is causing most of the problems.

I read all these posts about UPB signal strength being great and noise not being a problem. It's not working for me. I have four lamp modules installed. UPStart can't even find one of them. (It's not a bad module because I can move it and it works fine). My house has multiple breaker panels. Should UPB work if the PIM is on one panel and some modules are on another one? I also have a detached shop on a separate meter (but same transformer). X10 works OK (but not 100%). I can't get a UPB signal to a device in my shop at all. I've read that the "range" of UPB is anywhere from 1000' to a mile. My shop is about 80 feet from my house.

[GreenAcres]

Here is a Phase Coupler that does both X-10 and UPB


http://store.youautomateit.com/siauphcobrbo.html