RE: Help with X10 signal strength - Leviton Meter

["Phil Harris" <phillip.harris1@xxxxxxx>]

> I had some trouble with X10 signals not getting various sockets
> around my house (on/off would work but dim/brighten would not at
> some sockets). Li from Laser kindly lent me his Leviton 6386 signal
> strength meter but I need some help interpreting the results and how
> to fix weak signals.

Ditto ... I have had (and do still have) similar problems and again Li
loaned me the tester for a while.

> The house is quite big (5 bed) and AFAIK on single phase. Of course,
> I do have various AV kit plugged in and loads of computer kit which
> I guess could be causing noise etc. Strange thing is that the poor
> strength indications don't seem to be physically located next to any
> of this kit.

The PC kit is definitely a suspect ... I now have all my PC kit plugged
into a UPS in my "computer room" and suddenly I can turn on and
off my
computer room lights from the IR543AHs in the living room and main
bedroom which I never could before.

I had a very poor signal level at the mains socket in the living room by
the kitchen door ... Turns out that unplugging the diswasher, fridge and
washing machine in the kitchen resored that sockets level and so now the
dishwasher, fridge and washing machine now all run on filters. (Still
attenuates to the living room socket but by nowhere near as much!)

I still have problems around the back on my AV kit where there are two
eight way stripblocks screwed to the wall running off an MK triple
switched socket (does anyone know where I can get triple width dry
lining boxes?) Those modules can only be reached from the IR543AH in the
living room - not by the TW7223 on HomeVision upstairs!

> I will try unplugging everything (when guests leave tomorrow!) and
> testing this way which, I guess, is the first thing I should try.
> However, I wondered if anyone had experience with this Leviton
> tester and how much emphasis should be placed on the two range
> readings. Should I ideally get -200mV and 2V readings or are these
> going to naturally vary around the house?

We're close enough to each other to have that get together we keep
promising and try to work it all out...

Phil