Re: CBus / X10 Opinions please

[Gerry Duprey <gerry@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howdy,

> Before thinking about scraping your X-10 system, it might be worth
> considering the installation of an X-10 signal repeat/amplifier to
boost
> the signal level to, hopefully, above the noise floor.

I actually did this too.  Just before I put the noise block in, I replaced
my passive X10 coupler with an ACT CR234 repeater/coupler with the hope
that
it would boost the X10 signals to levels higher than the noise.

It did help, as did the noise block, but the problem still persists, just
to
a lesser extent.

In fact, I even made a mod to my HomeVisions TW523 to directly feed the X10
send/receive data to the repeater (so HV signals never hit the powerline
before getting to the repeater).  The repeater has a low-voltage
input/output that is coupled to the powerline.  So the HV sends commands
out, they travel over the low volt wire to the repeater where it blasts
them
out at the full 5 volts X10 allows with no delays (if HV broadcast normally
via the TW523, there are additional delays in the repeater action).  And HV
gets X10 signals in right from the repeater at the circuit box.

Basically, each thing I did (add repeater, add blocker, mod TW523 to
directly send HV X10 to the repeater) helped a little and got the system to
the state where things work most of the time.  But I want to get back to
the
near 100% reliability we've come to expect in the house.  In the 8 1/2
years
preceding this, I honestly can count on my hands how many times we noticed
an oddity with X10.  It was rock solid.   Now we wake up in the morning and
find lights that should have been shut off the previous night still on.
Other lights do not always come when they should.  I'd say the system is
about 85% reliable now.

The cost of the UPB thing is going to make me hold off for a bit and I'm
going to keep badgering the power company, but I'm coming to believe this
is
just how things are going to be until I refit.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

Gerry

--
Gerry Duprey
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
http://www.cdp1802.org