I am stomped!

Setup:
MX-3000 => (RF) => MSC-400 => (IR) => devices (various AV components, Lutron Lighting, X10, Soleus space heater – all hooked up to individual/unshared IR ports). Furthermore (1) voltage sensor for the space heater.

Situation:
Control for most devices is simple pass-through mode and is working fine.
Where I have problems with is the MSC-400 macro programming. I have created (2) sets of macro groups, one for lighting (mix of Lutron and X10) and one to control a space heater. Since the later does not have discrete on/off I am using the ‘if’ command and a voltage sensor. I have programmed the macros in the MSC editor and imported them with the MX-3000 editor/Universal browser into the MX-3000. Most of the time everything works just fine. Now here is the mystery, occasionally and completely randomly, when I send a lighting macro command the lights do not respond, but the space heater gets turned on instead. When I try any of the other lighting macros the lights remain non-responsive, but I get occasionally beeps from the heater, signaling that it has received a command. After a few minutes of wait/not touching anything, the macro commands work completely normal again.

Here is what I have done so far:
- tried different IR ports for the devices on the MSC-400
- recreated the MSC file (I thought the initial one may have been corrupted)
- ensured that I do not have 2 buttons sitting on top of each other (MX-3000 editor)
- ensured that only ‘Normal’ not ‘Time Press’ modes are used (MX-3000 editor)

Any idea what could be the issue?

Maybe it would be easier of one of you experts could take a brief look at the actual MX and MSC file to see if there is anything weird going on…

Thanks!

I see there have been lots of views but no replies to my post yet.

I could really use some help here!

Thanks much!

I can't think of anything that would cause this. The really strange part is that the space heater sometimes responds to the lighting commands. I take it the space heater has its own IR receiver independent of the MSC-400?

My only other thought is that a space heater draws a tremendous amount of current. It could be dipping the voltage on the line when it turns on. It probably throws out quite a bit of RF interference when turning on and off too. Any chance you could plug the space heater into a different circuit and see if it affects anything?

Sean

Thanks Sean;

Yes, the space heater has its own IR receiver. I have set up all communication from the MX-3000 to the MSC-400 as RF signals only - no IR. Also the IR emitters for the lighting are far away from the space heater. Nevertheless, I'll give it a shot and cover up spacer heater's receiver.

On the 'current/RF' idea, the heater is actually on another circuit. Nevertheless should that interference issue not be the other way around? In my case triggering the light macro causes the heater to turn on. But along those lines, I have only a few 'normal' lamps (maybe a total of 400 watts).

BTW, before I got the MSC-400 I was using a MRF-350 instead. The lighting macros resided in the 3000. I never experiences any such issues there.


All;
Please keep those ideas coming.....

Thanks!

We can't really help you if you don't have the editors installed correctly, your editor & your computer are all intertwined; you may think your doing something but in essence its not taking effect b/c of how its installed

Info based from this same thread u started
[Link: remotecentral.com]

remotejr;

In general I would fully agree with you. However, you must have missed my PS in the other thread where I wrote that I did neither edit nor create any of the files with the USB Stick editors, because of that risk/uncertainty. In other words those files with the macro mystery are from properly installed editors.


Any other ideas what could cause this?

Thanks!

Update
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In the meantime I was able to further narrow down the issue:
I have (2) MX-3000. Using the very same rcc file I noticed that the issue only happens with one of the units. The other one works 100% reliable. Also I was able to create very simplified rcc and msf files, while still being able to duplicate the issue.
I spoke with URC Tech Support about a week ago and emailed him the rcc and msf file he had requested to do some investigation. (He said he did not need any further info, e.g. MFD, firmware, etc. about the hardware though). I assume I should hear back soon from him.

In the meantime, maybe someone else has across this issue as well and can chime in....