Re: Dave Houston....I need your help!

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

I'm not sure how much help I can offer. I'm not a fan of any pre-Insteon
*Linc device but I doubt the KeypadLinc is the culprit.

Do you have a PC interface that can log the commands on the powerline? In
most cases like the one you describe there are no commands logged. The lack
of PLC activity points to spikes or brownouts directly affecting the chip in
the device that controls the problem light. Furnace blower motors may be the
source of such spikes and they will not register on the ESM1.

When there is PLC activity that coincides with the incidents, it's often
evidence of PLC collisions resulting in a valid code.

mike2711@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

>I put this in another thread but didn't know if you would find it...
>
>Hi Dave! Thanks for all the informative posts over the last few weeks
>while trying to get this X10 project under control.... I posted a
>question before that went unanswered regarding a keypadlinc that
>somehow shuts off a device on it's own! It is a keypadlinc 6 with a
>built in dimer. The dimmer is controlling my porch lights, while the 4
>middle buttons control other exterior lighting as well as my landscape
>transformers that are mounted in my garage. The transformers (plugged
>into X10 receptacles) are controlled by a Leviton 6308 photocell
>mounted on the outside of my house, but is very flaky (that is another
>problem I'll relate below). When it works, it turns on the transformers
>
>at dark, turns on the status indicator on the keypadlinc, then turns
>them off at dawn, and the status indicator goes off. BUT about every
>other night, the transformers turn off by themselves after a few hours.
>
>Sometimes the keypadlinc status light remains lit, when the
>transformers turn off prematurely. I have had the Leviton 6308
>controlling the transformers for a couple years, with varying degrees
>of success, but they never turned off by themselves until I installed
>the keypadlinc. It isn't stray signals from neighbors because I tried
>multiple house and unit codes and the behavior is the same! I have
>tried it with "boosterlinc" enabled and disabled, no difference.
>"Boosterlinc" is currently disabled. *Problem 2* The reason I installed
>
>the keypadlinc in the first place was to have a way of controlling the
>transformers easily since the Leviton 6308 wasn't turning on and off
>the transformers reliably on a daily basis. I have determined that the
>Leviton 6308 is sending a strong signal every time as evidenced by my
>Elk meter. The Leviton 6308 and the X10 receptacles that control the
>transformers are on the same circuit. They get strong, robust signals
>every time. I turned on many appliances, lights, tv's, space heaters,
>etc. to try and determine if any noise is generated.....no difference,
>a very strong signal! I let my furnace cycle 3 times while watching the
>
>Elk meter, no noise. I continually sent commands with the furnace
>cycling, no problem, strong signal! I also duplicated the electrical
>state the house is in the morning, no lights, 3 space heaters going and
>
>the furnace cycling, still a strong signal! I'm at a loss and am ready
>to buy Intermatic astronomic digital timers to control the transformers
>
>and just simply take the transformers out of the X10 equation... The
>Elk meter did show that I have a phase coupling issue, it is a 3000 sq
>foot house BUT the Leviton 6308 and the transformers are on the same
>circuit!! HELP!!!