Re: No X-10 in dining room

[JimH <JimH@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

David White wrote:
  > Can you put a controller unit in the dining room and test to see if
X-10
> works in a different outlet? I am not sure what this would prove, but it
> could at least show if X-10 can work at all on that same circuit.
>
> One other thing is that I tried a passive coupler unit on my clothes
> drier and it didn't help that much. I have heard that the
> coupler/repeaters work much better.

Thanks to your idea, I think I have figured it out.

I attached the X-10 controller to my laptop, and installed the software
there. I then hooked it up in the dining room, and plugged in a lamp and
module. It worked in the dining room, but could not control modules in
the other rooms.

That was when I realized that my dryer is on a sub-panel. When building
the house, I went over the 200 amps that the panel provided. I had a
choice of digging the power line trench again, and running a bigger
cable, along with installing a 400 amp panel. This option would have
cost $4,000. I also had the option of adding a 100 amp sub-panel in my
laundry room which cost $400. The choice was clear. Now, the dryer is on
the sub-panel, and so is the phase coupler. I'd bet that doesn't solve
the coupling problem for the main panel.

I suspect the only fix would be to put a phase coupler on the main
panel. But, I'm not an expert, so if others know better, I'm open to any
input.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and help.

--
Jim