I tried to install x10 wall switches in my house, and failed (after buying noice filters and ton of toys, still some work and many not) I am in need for some pro x-10 installer/elect.
I live in zip code 91436 (Encino, CA). It is in the Los Angeles area (San fernando valley)
Do you know any pro that I can contact in that area?
Thanks, Shai

How far are you from Northridge (91324)? I know someone there.

Shai,

I have not forgot your problem just have been extremely busy lately. I plan to take a very noisy PC power supply I have and hook it to a AF100 to figure the attenuation. Your problem is that the filter you added could only filter so much noise before it becomes saturated. The best filters offer about 40 to 1 attenuation. Which does the job on most everything, but the specs are not listed on the AF100 so I want to test one out and see what I get.

The one missing factor is you have no idea of the magnitude of noise you are dealing with. If I understand things right it's your Linux PC that is the problem. You may be far better off dumping the really poor power supply a lot of the PC’s are coming with.

Also switches and modules with AGC, automatic gain control, handle noise a lot better than the non-AGC, what are yours?

I know you are frustrated but this forum gives you access to people with a whole lot more experience than most experts. The one thing an expert could offer though is power line signal analyzer to tell you what you are dealing with, I don’t know how people with a lot of X10 survive without one.


Bill
www.homeautomationnet.com

Bill, thank you for taking the extra time to write back to me. I got 6 wall switches from x10.com the model number is WS12A ( [Link: x10.com] )
1. I insall the 1st one and nothing controlled it so I assume the phase of this cirute just wasn't richable.
2. I moved the switch and install it to controll one 60W light. I can't do the ON (I can do the Off/Dim/Bright but not On) when my Linux is On (with or without the AF100 I got from you).
3. I installed the 2nd switch - all good! this one do On/Off/Dim/Bright (I left the AF100, so maybe it doing something to make this switch work beter)
I was happy for 2 minutes....until....
4. I install the 3th one. This one it out of wuck. It going dimmed to off when I click dim and I can not do On or bright?! (The AF100 is on all the time)
- I stoped!
I don't want to spend more time or money until some one can check what is going on, or tell me what is wrong :-(

My house is a new one (completed in Jan 2001)
2 stories, in Encino California
[Larry, - It is close to Northridge]
most of the light are in 3-way setup, but the few that are not is the one I started converting to X10 switches.

The goal is to have all lights arround the TV-room controlled from the prono, and all other posiable x10 toys controlled via RF/Phone/Web or a computer program

I budget it for about $4,000 and didn't yet spend more than $250 (not including the pronto...)

Shai,

I did do some testing on an AF100 and a PC power supply, I got slightly less than a 40 to 1 noise attenuation (reduction). What this means is your noise from your PC must be greater than 2.8 Volts to be causing the problems. On your switch choice unfortunately you really went with the lower end. You would have had a lot less problem with PCS or Leviton switches as they have some built in noise rejection capability. Not that the X10 powerhouse stuff is bad, it’s just not that sophisticated, therefor it is a bit less tolerant of signal problems.

I did talk to ACT about the problem and they were saying lots of people call and say, I filtered my PC but it did not help. They said most of the time that people forget to filter the monitor and the rest of the peripherals. You could easily take care of all of them on a strip.

All your problems are clearly pointing toward noise. If you could find a professional in you area with a good signal analyzer it may be worth having them spend an hour or two tracking down noise sources. Also with a two-story house you probable should have a coupler repeater, but find your noise first.

Bill
www.homeautomationnet.com