Re: X-10, GFCI, outdoor lights & problems

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

These URLs may also aid understanding.

     http://www.mbx-usa.com/noise.htm
     http://www.mbx-usa.com/x10-sig.htm

You can find more pleonastic explanations by Googling on "Phil Kingery X-10
Articles".

"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

><neergqj@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>
>> Thanks for the feedback.  Suppose I get an ESM1, how involved is the
>> diagosis?
>
>Quite simple.  You may need a screw-in adapter (an outlet that screws into a
>lamp base) and an extension cord to use the ESM1 on an outdoor lamp circuit.
>The idea is to plug the ESM1 as close to the offending circuit as possible.
>If the X-10 signal it attenuated, not many bars will light up on the LED
>display.  If there's noise present, bars will light up, but the "X-10 Good"
>LED will not.  When plugged in right next to a X-10 transmitter almost all
>the bars will light up (depending on which transmitter, of course - they
>output substantially different levels with the CM11A being one of the
>weakest).  From there, the signal will get weaker and weaker the further you
>go from the transmitter.  Readings near signal suckers will be dramatically
>lower.  Readings near noisemakers will show constant LED bargraph activity
>without the "X-10 Good" LED lit.
>
>The idea is to locate and filter devices that produce noise or attenuate the
>signal.  If you get a long enough extension cord, you can take the ESM1 to
>the electrical panel and shut off each breaker in turn until you find one
>that either kills the noise or increases the signal level.  If you're into
>high tech, you've doubtless got at least a few X-10 unfriendly devices.
>It's becoming a more and more annoying problem as there's really no way
>other than plugging it into the home wiring whether something's going to
>affect the X-10 signal.