Re: X-10 RF home automation being overwhelmed by M2 OFF, C2 OFF and Gxx DIM signals

["Robert Green" <robert_green1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"The Daring Dufas" <the-daring-dufas@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:j3gi0g$89e$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> On 8/29/2011 9:06 AM, Robert Green wrote:
> > Howdy all,
> >
> > Slowly but surely, my X-10 RF reception is being knocked out by endless
> > streams of these commands broadcast on different days at different
times.
> >
> > M2 OFFs
> > C2 OFFs
> > Gxx DIMs
> >
> > At first, when only C2 OFFs appeared, I searched in vain for a stuck
> > transmitter button or some other internal cause.  I could find none.
The
> > problem occurred with TM751's, the WGL all-house code unit and with
RR501's,
> > too.  Setting the WGL to ignore those three housecodes was all but
useless -
> > the constant strong signal overwhelmed any X-10 transmitter not within a
> > foot or less of the transceiver.   This interference started out slowly
over
> > time, and now forces me to shutdown the RF section of my X-10 system
almost
> > daily.
> >
> > I'm in the Washington, DC area.  Has anyone else seen anything similar?
Any
> > ideas where to look for the transmission source.  Could the RF signal
"ride"
> > the powerlines that an X-10 transmitter could receive?  Even putting the
> > receiver in a metal coffee can doesn't seem to point to a potential
source
> > of the signal.  It seems to be very uniformly distributed throughout the
> > house.  If I can't get it to stop, I'll have to hardwire a lot of things
I'd
> > rather not.  )-:
> >
> > TIA for any help.
> >
> > --
> > Bobby G.
> >
> >
>
> Back in the late 1980's I was working and living in the country of
> Californiastan when the community I was in at the time started having
> problems with their electric garage doors opening and closing as if
> possessed by some evil door opener. It turned out that the US Navy
> was testing the big search radars on some ships in the bay. Those big
> powerful radars were producing an RF harmonic signal that was just right
> to screw with the RF remote controls for a lot of openers. :-)
>
> TDD

There's a lot of likely sources for this.  Two that seem to be the most
likely are IED jammers because this is the Washington DC and is clearly a
"rich target."  The second is something coming in on the powerlines that the
power company uses to read, control or in some other way interact with
meters and remote controls that allow them to shut down your central AC
during a brownout (you get a rebate for letting them install the box).

The signal disappeared completely after 9/11, leading me to believe it's an
anti-IED transmission.

--
Bobby G.