Re: X10 Commands From A PC?

[Jim <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On May 4, 2:08=EF=BF=BDpm, "(PeteCresswell)" <x...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I've got an Insteon interface module that will relay commands
> from a PC to the AC wiring.
>
> Using mControl, I can make it turn X10 devices on and off.
>
> But all I really want to do is issue an "All Units Off" command
> every twenty minutes or so during the daytime or, lacking that,
> turn a single X10 device off.
>
> The agenda is that it seems like somewhere in the area somebody's
> got X10 devices on the same letter-designated network that we do
> and keeps issuing an "On" command that turns one of or
> floodlights on during the daytime.
>
> We *could* change the letter on our system - but that would
> involve quite a bit of work getting to the area where our X10
> modules are located.
>
> mControl seems like overkill for this. =EF=BF=BD Does anybody know of
> something leaner/meaner?
> --
> PeteCresswell


Hi Pete,
I don't know what "mControl is so I don't know if my suggestion will
work with that device.

That one flood light that's turning on, are you controling it with a
seperarte X10 module or an Insteon module?
If it's an Insteon module, you can erase the X10 code and just program
it to accept Insteon codes instead. This would eminate someone elses
X10 signal from turning it on.

I'm guessing that you know that it doesn't necessarily have to be
someone else in the neighborhood that's causing this to happen. I've
learned that with X10, anything is possible.  It could be that  your
refrigerator sends a spike that under certain conditions will cause an
X10 module to trip. You can simply try changing the X10 device or
change the number code of the X10 device. That could work even if it
is coming from a neighbor.

Since it sounds as if you've got a lot of X10 in your home, the
suggestion of putting a signal blocker in your main elecrical panel is
good and something that you should have done to begin with, once you
committed to using the technology. If you think about it, without the
blocker, you too are sending signals down the line to other
neighbors.

You say that some of your modules would be hard to get to and  I'd
suggest that as you begin to replace modules make them more accessable
and that you use Insteon modules which can be programed for both X10
and Insteon code.  I don't know how long you've been using the
technology but it is far from being flawless and you can count on
having more problems as time goes on as more and more electronics are
installed in homes.