Re: Insteon now or wait?

["Bill Stock" <me7@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:O4SdnfTwRddOQl_ZnZ2dnUVZ_vidnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxx
>
> "Bill Stock" <me7@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>
>> My X10 setup has been going to hell in a hand-basket over the past year,
>> lights not responding, sending one code and getting another (?)
>
> <stuff snipped>
>
> Are you using more than one housecode in your house?  It sounds like
> you're
> having collisions.   There are lots of potential causes, but the ActiveEye
> series of RF PIR motion detectors seems to head the list.  Are there any
> X-10 devices that can transmit at the same time in your house?  Have you
> reviewed your transformational (IF X, then Y) Cmax code for errors?  (What
> joy!)  One of the most pervasive problems with CMax seems to be "dropping
> through" the ladder logic so that conditionals are not properly evaluated.
> It's not a fault of the system, but of people bringing expectations
> learned
> from other programming languages to CMax.

Housecodes A-Primary, C-Stanley Garage door sensors and G-Secondary. Don't
use any RF motion sensors. I found the ActiveEyes useless, but the DM10s
weren't bad at all. My first thought was an Ocelot (code) issue, but this
same code has been running without issue for three years. The Ocelot code is
pretty much restricted to the hardwired motion sensors and I use HomeSeer
for the more mundane stuff, because it's so much easier to set up.

Did a walk test of the sensors today and the lights did not come on, which
is as it should be. Although they seemed to come on in the past with
visitors arriving (anecdotal). It could still be an intermitent problem.
I've unplugged the RF transmitter temporarily to see if that's the culprit.

>>  it' either some code hidden somewhere I've forgotten about or a
>>  wonky coupler/repeater. Either way I'm going to have to
>> spend some time and $$s to get it working again.
>
> Elsewhere you say you have an XPCR repeater.  Does the problem still occur
> when you power this unit down?

Haven't tried it yet, but I have considered it. The weird thing is that this
does not happen when the event runs in HomeSeer, only when I launch it
manually from HomeSeer.

>> So I thought I might replace some of the X10 modules with Insteons to try
>> and improve the CFL problems.
>
> I doubt the X-10 mode of the switch will perform any better than what
> you've
> got.  You've got demons in your house and only a meter will properly
> excise
> them.  I'm betting you've got at least two or three completely undetected
> but severe signal "sinks" going.  They can be as small as a plug in AA
> battery charger and as big as a whole house AC unit.  Only a meter will
> tell
> you the extent of their impact on your X-10 setup.  It will probably
> enable
> you to redeploy your existing filters to items that really need them.  Not
> all fluorescents or UPS's are X-10 unfriendly.

Yes I got FilterLincs on the aquariums and AF-120s on the larger UPSs.

> If you filter some of the massive sinks, the rest of the system improves
> immediately.  Throw an XTB or two into the mix, use X-10 friendly CFL's
> where you can't install series filters and I'll bet you'll see a dramatic
> change.
>

My XTB s/b in the mail soon I hope. :)


>> But the Insteons only repeat Insteon codes,
>> not X10 codes. So unless I have a Translator for the Ocelot I don't see
> much
>> value in upgrading now.
>
> They'll work their kinks out - eventually - but for now, you're probably
> better off trying to fix what you have since it seems that you have some
> serious money invested in X-10.  Give Insteon some more time to work the
> kinks out and to get the redesigned switches approved and out into the
> field.  In the meantime, an ESM-1 meter and Jeff's XTB will do a lot for
> you.

I've had an ESM for a while and recently added a TesterLinc. But I can't say
the TesterLinc showed any noise, so it must be a sink issue.

> Even with those two tools, it may take either $100 worth of filters or
> finding non-interfering CFLs to clear up the issues caused by the CFLs,
> depending on how many you have and how they're wired.
>
> X-10 *should* sell X-10 friendly CFL's on their site.  I'm surprised  HA
> vendors that frequent CHA have not bought an inventory of X-10 friendly
> CFL's to resell.  It would be nice if someone designed a simple "button"
> screw-in filter that you could put between the bulb and the socket that
> would fix errant CFL bulbs, X-10 wise.  But X-10 friendly bulbs *are* out
> there.  They're just not 5 for $10 at Walmart.  :-(


I was wishful thinking about the button filter today.  But I imagine it
would be difficult to make it thin enough.


>> I did check the Smarthome site for a translator, but
>> it looks like it was never produced.
>
> I believe it appeared briefly in beta form which could lead one to believe
> the operational problems were so enormous that development ceased.
> Something spooked them, although it could be as simple as a prediction
> that
> demand would not cover manufacturing costs.
>
> I'll leave it to Dave to describe all the potential gotchas making two
> less-than-perfect protocols behave together perfectly.
>
> --
> Bobby G.
>
>
>