Re: Best appliance module ?

[not_real@xxxxxxx (Beachcomber)]

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 21:34:31 -0800, George Pontis
<gpontis@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>I have been trying to use a grounded appliance module to switch fish tank lights
>on and off. It has been unreliable. I put an X10 analyzer on the line and found
>very good X10 signal strength (900mV), but quite a bit of noise (up to 120mV).
>
>I traced the noise to an in-wall light dimmer, and replaced the dimmer with a
>simple non-X10 on-off switch. The noise came down to less than 15mV. Two of the
>three modules that I have tried are still not reliable. The one that seems to be
>working well is an X-10 Pro. The ones that are not working reliably are a
>Honeywell HSA-111 and a Smarthome ApplianceLinc 2002SHL3.
>
>I should note that this house has a variety of in-wall X-10 receivers (Leviton,
>PCS) that have been working very reliably for almost five years. Whatever PCS or
>Leviton uses in the 16xxx switches seems pretty good elsewhere in this house. If
>only there was an appliance module with the same discrimination. Maybe there is
>something funny about this one socket, but I don't know what.
>
>Is it a known fact that the X-10 Pro is a great appliance module and the others
>are not ?
>
>George

Maybe a dumb question since you seem to be familiar with X-10 signals,
but are the two Hot Wires in your home wiring bridged for X-10
signals?

Home Automation Labs makes a Dryer Plug and other products that do
this.  They also make X10 amplifier relay devices that amplify weak
X10 signals to 7 volts or so.  Maybe something like that would solve
your problem.

Beachcomber