Re: Insteon/X10

["Jeff Volp" <JeffVolp@xxxxxxx>]

"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:-_adnZ_PWK1LxpnbnZ2dnUVZ_sWdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxx
> "Paul" <PAUL_R_JACOBS@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>
>> The biggest problem that I have is with things turning off randomly.
>> At this point it happens at various places throughout the house.
>
> That's not a typical failure mode.  The reverse is usually the case where
> devices no longer turn on remotely.
>
>> If I'm understanding all that I read, and I'm no electrical engineer,
>> it seems that the XTB or any signal booster (multiple Insteon device)
>> would help with this issue.  DO I have that right?
>
> Jeff Volp will have to weigh in on this but I expect you have problems
> that
> may not be cured by the XTBs.

The XTB will only help if commands are not getting through.  If control is
marginal, the XTB will help when a light is commanded to switch either ON or
OFF.

If your lights are turning off randomly when no X10 signal is sent, that is
something else.  Some  controllers, such as the CM11A, provide the ability
to monitor line traffic.  It would be interesting to see if there are any
X10 commands on the line that could cause the lights to switch off.

I recall the CM11A had a quirk that was called the "haunted house syndrome".
It could send random commands if the memory wasn't cleared when a new
program was downloaded.  It might be something like that.  It is possible
that your lights are responding to external commands coming in either over
the powerline or via RF.  Or you might have some particularly nasty CFLs
that are radiating noise that looks like X10 OFF commands.

Were any new electrical devices installed around the time the problem
started?  How about a new neighbor, or one who might have bought some X10
equipment?

Jeff