x10 arrrrrrrrrrrrggggg

Are you also using a Hawkeye motion detector? Tell us more about what you have plugged in and how it's plugged in.

The Hawkeye motion detectors will turn a lamp on (E16 in your case) but when they see that it's dark out, they well turn ON the next unit code. Since there's no E17, the Hawkeye "rolls over" and goes back to the start. That's E1 in your setup.

A good rule of thumb with Hawkeyes is to leave the next unit unassigned. Set your lights to respond to either unit codes 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15 or

2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16. This way, the +1 "feature" acts on an unassigned unit code and does nothing.

IIRC, on the later models of Hawkeyes you can defeat the dawn/dusk feature either via a setting or by covering the internal photocell with black tape or shrink tubing.

-- Bobby G.

Hello. Thank you for taking your time to help me. It's fixed !!!! (dancing on the ceiling.) I do have two motion detectors however they are currently not set to trigger as they don't work. (a future question) I took your advice Bobby G and changed the code on the light switch to 15 and now it works fine. I should tell you that the switch worked as a "Stand alone" The problem only presented itself when using the fine software known as Activehome professional. I am guessing that it for some silly reason is sending the E1 signal when I turn the E16 switch on and off. For whatever reason it now works and I thank you. Here is a list of what I have. Activehome pro with the white box and usb thing. 2 cameras one color one black and white. 2 lamp modules. 1 three way in wall switch. 1 wall switch (now working thanks to Mr. G). 1 Socket rocket. 1 brown motion detector. 1 white. 1 220v coupler on my dryer. 1 ninja pan and tilt turtle. 1 appliance module. 1 TM (the thing that now stays on). I'm in a two bedroom home. Now all the lights seem to work. The socket rocket is on a shelf. I don't care to mess with that now. Here is my next question.

The ninja pan and tilt works well with the remote control however it does not always work with Activehome Iwitness. Sometimes it works most times it does not. The camera works (when my D-link is off) but the motion does not. I have unplugged everything in the house except my computer as it controls the camera. (If you ever try this don't forget to switch the hotwater heater back on.) Trust me it's easy to forget to do that. My computer is on a very nice surge protector. (so I'm told) I have moved the plug and camera around the house. I have moved the TM around the house. I have pluged the ninja into the same outlet as white usb box. I have purchased 24 feet of usb cable and moved the white box thing around the house. (I can now put my Labtec Web cam in every room of the house with 24 feet why do I want to do this?) How does the ninja pan work? Is it RF or the line signal? Does the white box on the usb send RF signals? Why might it not work with active home? Thank you all for taking the time to read this. I promise future questions will be shorter. Magicj (turning my working light on and off)

What make is the switch. If it's a SwitchLinc they send their state when there is a change.

The TM751 does not react to powerline commands but only to RF so if it was turning off, something was sending an RF signal - it was not reacting to the switch.

The CM15A has only a wire wrapped around the inside of the case to act as an antenna for its 310MHz transmitter which is what controls the Ninja movement. The positioning commands are RF only and do not travel over the powerline. You most likely have an RF range problem as the Ninja doesn't have a very efficient antenna either.

USB is limited to about 12' unless you are talk>Hello. Thank you for taking your time to help me. It's fixed !!!!

Hello. Thank you for your time Mr. Houston. I did have a 16' and 8' USB cable on the CM15A not a repeater I have an adapter about 2'' that connects them. However I took the box off the cables and used the short one only. I also placed it on another outlet more in line with the ninja. I also took the time and moved the ninja next to a window. Guess what? It is working fine right now. (can it move faster?) Maybe I shouldn't have had the long cable on it. For now I am not going to touch another thing. Next. The video recording does not work on the computer. Sometimes yes sometimes no. Sometimes crashes. Sometimes I can actually see the files it makes but can not play them. ect.. Same with the snapshots. Any luck in getting this to be reliable? Thanks for your time. Magicj

New? Just new? More like "all X-10 software". The stuff's just junk. And so's the hardware.

Great! I can add another notch to my powerline analyzer!

Lots of people report troubles with socket rockets. Try to use it upright and use it with low wattage bulbs.

I did it and managed to blit out the programming on the VCR causing my wife to miss the series finale of one of her favorite TV shows. Not good! I bought a UPS for the stinking VCR after that.

I'm sorry I can't help you with this. I was so unimpressed by X-10 software and camera offerings that I never investigated further after a buying a few of them. All I can say is good luck!

-- Bobby G.

>

I'll agree that some of the HW and most of the SW is junk, but if you understand the limitations of the system, there's nothing that even touches the price point. It's an entry level system that most people can afford. A lot of people can't handle anything much more complex than X-10, either. Insteon will probably supplant it, but very, very slowly. The endless tide of used X-10 goods on Ebay tells me that there's an enormous amount of X-10 stuff in circulation. I think people will still have X10 gear running 10 and maybe even 20 years from now. I still have units that have been running that long.

-- Bobby G.

I asked for a rundown of the various switches that were available, a few months back. All responded very helpfully.

The price point is what did it for me. I ended up getting SwitchLinc+ two ways. Scene capable, variable ramp rate, etc. Every feature I wanted. I spent around $70 a piece on mine. They're now down to $40 as Smarthome pushes the Insteon stuff. I didn't get insteon at the time because of the relatively few number of devices available for it.

Anyway, I love my X10 stuff. The switchlincs blow the socks off the old pushbutton guys. I have terrible power problems in my area, and the *lincs haven't lost their address yet.

So. To each his own.:)

Oh. I did just buy a phase coupler from Martin, since I couldn't get my projector lift* to respond properly.

*New thread on that coming soon. I know at least one person was interested.

E. Lee Dickinson Entertainment Design and Technology