Re: 2 100amp panel coupler help needed

[Frank Olson <Use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marc F Hult wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 05:46:53 GMT, Frank Olson
> <Use_the_email_links@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> <h98nf.96119$Eq5.71028@pd7tw1no>:
>
>
>>carlford wrote:
>>
>>>I have 2 100 amp panels side by side and each of them has a sub panel
>>>off of them.  I have intermittent problems from time to time but it is
>>>also a vacation home so I'm not there all of the time.  There is a
>>>leviton whole house blocker coupler (4851) in each of the 100 amp
>>>panels and I have been using one leviton coupler repeater (6201) and a
>>>capacitor in the other 100 amp panel and a capacitor in each of the sub
>>>panels.  This gives me the best performance so far but it is not
>>>perfect. Yes I know it will never be but I'm pretty sure it can be
>>>better.  My elk meter shows at least 1/2 of the scal lit up on 80 to
>>>85% of the house's outlets and of coure then we get very weak on
>>>others.  This place is about 4500 sq ft and 3 stories but less than 5
>>>years old.  The furtherest point from the panels is very weak which is
>>>after the sub panel that runs off of the panel without the repeater.
>>>Do you think somethin like an ACT CR134 would boost the signal enough
>>>and since the 2 main panels have 4851's on them ???  I do have both
>>>4851's off for now anbd that gets me the best signal for now.  When i
>>>put both of them on it weakens the far end to the point that i loose a
>>>whole room totally.  "Uncle Phil" has never addressed the setup with 2
>>>100 amp panels with 2 blockers on them as of now and I have been
>>>waitn=ing for him to do in his next (if coming) article.  Again if you
>>>have a 2 panel setup and it is working good for you maybe you can give
>>>some pointers.  Is the ACT CR134 really an amplifier or should I just
>>>try an additional 6201 ??  Ther is one pr511 installed and under a
>>>certain condition it can be made to ping-pong with the repeater (6201)
>>>as my setup is now but I can live with or without the pr511 if
>>>necessary.
>>>Thanks in advance for any and all posts.
>>>Carl Ford
>>>PM accepted if requested here
>>>
>>
>>
>>Are these 100 amp panels fed off of one meter??  The blocker/couplers
>>has to go on the first panel downstream from the meter and my X-10
>>design book states you should only use one.  You might want to remove
>>one of the blockers to see if the signal strength improves. Get rid of
>>the capacitors.  Install a surge suppressor.
>
>
> What is Frank's (anonymous?) "X-10 design book"  that "states you should
> only use one" ?

It's called X-10 Pro Design Book, Published by "Silent Servant Home
Control, Inc."  Authored by Robert N. Bucceri.

>
> Why should anyone take that advice instead of  Phil Kingery's from Advanced
> Control Technologies (ACT) who authoritatively goes into considerable detail
> on why and how to deploy multiple couplers?
>
> See http://www.act-solutions.com/kingery03.htm
> http://www.act-solutions.com/kingery04.htm
> http://www.act-solutions.com/kingery20.htm

Thanks for the links, Marc.