Re: Current mid-range technology?

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

Russ in San Diego <russgoog@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>On Jul 4, 12:47 pm, nob...@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston) wrote:
>> Russ in San Diego <russg...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> >The reason I'm reserving judgment on XTB is that, while it ought to
>> >ensure devices turn on or off when commanded, I don't see how it would
>> >help with one of the worst X10 problems, that of devices switching on
>> >or off when NOT commanded, i.e., after having recognized a code within
>> >line noise.
>>
>> Noise, per se, is seldom the reason for random switch ons. Collisions
>> between two valid codes, spikes on the powerline (e.g. UPB data, fluorescent
>> ballasts, motors) and brownouts (e.g. sags from motors starting) causing the
>> microcontroller to reset are the most likely causes. The probability that
>> random noise can create a valid Manchester code is near zero.
>
>I sure wish I could figure out what's causing my problem, then. I've
>got a pair of sconce lights (CFLs) switched by an appliance module
>(not a dimmer module) that, just this morning, were turning on by
>themselves.  Nothing else in the house should be generating any codes,
>and there are no code collisions.  No other fluorescents were turned
>on in the house.
>
>There's no brownout or spikes -- I've got a photovoltaic system that
>produces a very clean, very precise power waveform (necessary for a
>grid-interactive inverter).
>
>There are no motors in our house that would be starting when the
>lights go on -- the only motors in the house are the vacuum cleaner
>(not in use) and refrigerator compressor, which is nearby, but the
>activity of which is NOT correlated with this behavior.
>
>This is kind of frustrating.

The trickle current in X10 switches and modules (including appliance
modules) can cause some CFLs to turn on. Have you tried incandescents in the
same fixtures? This will tell you whether it's CFL related.