I have two PCS Smartswitches (three-way set up at the top and bottom of my staircase). I am not really interested in the modes I can set within the switch. Rather, I want to control it with my Maxi Controller (and IR543) to set some macros up with my remote. How do I get the switch to work off the controller? i.e. recognize it's house and unit code from the controller? Thanks

From my very limited experience (I just installed my PCS switches yesterday), I simply plugged the maxi-controller in the wall (it was set on "A") and hit "1" and started pushing the maxi controllers buttons and it would control the swtiches I installed.

I wanted the switches on different codes so I kept the family room on 1, and programmed the kitchen on 2. Now when I hit 1 on the maxi controller it controls the family room, and when I hit 2 on the maxi controller it controls the kitchen. Of course, hitting the "all on" or "all off" turns both 1 and 2 on or off.

My question to you is you mentioned that you want to control the lights with your Maxi Controller (and IR543) to set some macros up with my remote. Can the a remote (not sure what you have - I have the MX-500) learn from the maxi-controller???

A couple of things to report. I called Smart Home and they told me that most likely the problem I was having was a phase issue and so I have ordered a coupler to plug into my drier outlet that they tell me will allow one phase to "jump" to another. The salesman explained that most houses are wired in two different phases - one lights and one outlets and they typically only cross paths at 220 outlets like drier plugs. So, another words there was no way for the signal from my maxicontroller to get to the PCS switch to program it. Once I get this I'll certainly report back on whether it worked. Lastly, I have an MX500 too and you can program it using the AUX codes from the manual. It does a good job of the basics but you're stuck with where the buttons are. I wish I had an X10 remote so I could program them where I want them. But I suppose it won't matter once I get my macros done. Set it and forget it! :-) Anyway, we'll see where we go from here. If anyone has some input here...PLEASE chime in. Thanks!

Not hardly! Either can be on either phase, and any circuit (other than a kitchen or dedicated appliance circuit) can have mixed load types.

In most residential and some commercial electrical services, there are two hot wires and a neutral (some have three hots. There is 240 volts between the two hots, and there is 120 volts between either hot and the neutral). The neutral is always grounded; this assures that, even on 240-volt circuits, the voltage-to-ground never exceeds 120 volts.

While all circuits share the neutral (since all neutrals are tied together in the panel), the circuits throughout the house could be on either hot wire (often called a "phase"), so the coupler suggested is a high-pass filter that provides a low-impedance (at high frequencies) pathway for the high-frequency X-10 signals, while not passing the 60-Hz power.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com