Re: The problems with X10 ...

["accidental plumber" <aplayerinla@xxxxxxxxx>]

There are two type of noise effect, the analytical effect of noise that
can be compensated with a strong x10 signal.  And now I know what they
are talking about, the other effect is on the electrical/electronic
design of the switch themselves.  It's like a bad power supply to the
switch.  A power surge spike will make the internal electronics go
crazy.  If this is not that rare, a quality switch should reduce the
problem.  I remembered the brownout stuff, but forget that it's totally
self inflicting.  But that should trigger the manual override to my
timed, dust to dawn, PIR outdoor lantern two.  But I won't be awake to
see it.

So the biggest enemy is signal attenuation by your own appliances, that
x10 didn't mention.

Dave Houston wrote:
> invalid@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Beachcomber) wrote:
>
> >On 4 Nov 2006 13:20:18 -0800, "accidental plumber"
> ><aplayerinla@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >>I always wonder this: have you unplug all your electronic and
> >>electrical appliances and tested?
> >>
> >>Because your neighbors typically have the same things as you do.  If
> >>you have a clean strong signal in your house, it's harder for outside
> >>devices' effect to travel far and affect your house.
> >>
> >>The exception is brownouts and power surge.  Brownouts are hard to deal
> >>with unless your device have high capacitance to buffer momentarily
> >>brownouts.  As far as noise goes, the chance of looking like a valid
> >>X10 code shouldn't be likely, unless it's constant bombardment, not
> >>surges.
> >>
> >
> >Well... strictly speaking, it's your utility company might use a
> >capacitor bank to minimize a drop in line voltage, but that's only if
> >you are having problems with low power factor and that is generally
> >not a problem with residential service unless you live in a factory
> >district.  In most cases, it's a power company problem and there are
> >few, if any residences that switch in capacitance to correct for low
> >power factor.
> >
> >A brownout is an extended-time drop in voltage to your service usually
> >caused by heavy loads (like summer-time peak air conditioning).
> >There is not much you can do about them unless you have a line
> >conditioner, which might also be described as a variable buck-boost
> >transformer that effectively changes taps on-the-fly.   Some power
> >company substation transformers will do this for you.  Not sure what
> >you mean by buffering capacitance unless you are speaking in a very,
> >very general sense, as in the stored energy of a ferro-resonant
> >transformer or a mechanical flywheel.
> >Beachcomber
>
> Well, strictly speaking, I was referring to very short term dips that cau=
se
> the =B5Controller used in X-10 switches and modules to reset such as X-10
> documents here...
>
>      http://www.x10.com/support/x10trou.htm#on
>
> http://davehouston.net
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/roZetta/
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