"Art Todesco" wrote in message
...
On 9/9/2010 12:43 AM, Robert Green wrote:
"Mark wrote in message
...
[snip]

But not another CFL load!

Right. The setup in my bedroom is a lamp with 100W CFL and a TV (I got
a
small Visio LCD TV that is not "power amnesiac" (comes on with power))

The Green Police are making those non-amnesiac devices harder to find.
My
RCA TV is one, and when you turn it back on with the IR after shutting
it
down via X-10 it covers the lower half of the screen with a whiny
warning
about the clock losing its settings. Hey, you're a TV, not a clock!!!!
STFU. (-:

connected to a receptacle module (SR227) which does not have "local
control" and the TV provides enough load.

"Flashing" is also dependent on the type of lamp. I have some GE's that
don't flash but that are X-10 signal suckers and some N:Vision (HD
brand)
bulbs that flash like demented fireflies. X-10 needs to make a CFL
friendly
control module.

[snip[

OK - just checked with X-10's live support. They are still pushing
AM466 modules which flash and relight like crazy! The actually called
me on the phone (sales, not techie) sent me three useless links, said
it
was "noise on the line" (tell that to three different X-10 meters I
own
that say "no noise") and were pleasant, friendly and yet totally
unhelpful in solving the flashing problem.

I seldom find "customer service" to be helpful, but at least you got
someone you could talk to. I just had a really bad experience with a
wireless (CDMA) broadband carrier, where the person ignored 90% of what
I
said.

I've found if you're even moderately knowledgeable about a product it
takes
two escalations to get someone who's not reading from an IF THEN ELSE
chart
and who can actually troubleshoot. X-10's tech support came in as
"Unknown
name/Unknown number" on caller ID, FWIW. Once I heard her speaking I
knew I
was not going to get a good answer. I hope I don't regret giving them
my
phone number.

--
Bobby G.

Two possibilities he
I have a whole load of the Universal
Modules, which I used in a previous
life, for Halloween animation. I
modified the UM to remove the screw
terminals and I then added a 1 foot
pigtail with a female receptacle.
Actually, it was cut off from an
extension cord, so there were 3 outlets.
The wire went into the place where the
screws were, formerly. I've read that
the contacts are rated for line voltage,
but because of the exposed screw
terminals, the unit was only rated for
low voltage. Anyway, as this is just a
plain make contact in series with the
load, it works good on the CFLs that
where blinking with the module off. I
am now presently using this on in my
living room. One sort-of problem, these
modules click REAL LOUD.

I have a bunch of UM's, and they do indeed clack, but I am too much of a
pussy to pass 110VAC through a contact spec'ed for 33VAC. You're proving
that it can be done. I'm saying "Hey, X-10, why are you forcing people like
Art to do your design engineering for you?"

The 2nd possibility is regular
lamp/appliance module modification. I
have seen modifications that make a lamp
module into a click-free appliance
module. One uses a solid state relay.
The other uses some other parts. These
modification eliminate the sense current
completely. Google click free or quiet
module modifications.

The SSR mode looked interesting, but I am reluctant to do much more than
snip a wire or cut a surface trace. X-10's final solution was to use a 7W
nightlight to counteract the flashback of a bulb I am using to saving
electricity. Add in the 4 watts for the X-10 module and another 4 watts for
the controller and the economics start to sour. A fully equipped X-10 house
draws considerable standby current. I remember measuring mine at close to
400 watts. In a lot of places, the flashing hardly matters and it's
actually the most efficient low leveling night lighting you can get (if
you're not epileptic). I''ve tried a lot of the mods, and while they do
eliminate the local control, they don't stop the current trickle!!!!!

The twin bulb 40W fixture in the workshop finally failed so I replaced it
with a new, high eff. unit. Now it flashes with the same intensity as
nearby lightning does. Surprisingly, you can navigate quite easily if you
move slowly. More than enough light to see a black cat sleeping on a dark
rug. Seeing a white dog is no problem. Low SAF and neighbor approval
factor, though. Went back to a manual switch (shudder) for the time being.

--
Bobby G.