On Sep 24, 6:13*pm, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 12:59:02 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03



wrote:
On Sep 18, 5:39*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
I installed someX10components today and have someissues.

First, it's interesting that the specs for the MS16A Wireless MotionSensorgiven on theX10site make no mention of the transmission
range. Wouldn't you think that that is a pretty important number to
know?

http://www.x10.com/products/x10_ms16a.htm

However, you can find them here and they state the transmission range
is100'.

http://kbase.x10.com/wiki/MS16A

Using the test buttons on thesensor, I can trigger an RR501 receiver
consistently within 40', intermittently within 40' - 50' and not at
all above 50' - and that's with nothing obstructing the line of site
between the two units.

Put a garage wall between them, and I'm limited to a max of about 25',
less than 15' in some locations.

I've tried 2 different MS16A units and 2 different RR501's and got the
same results. Yes, they were brand new batteries. I even tested them
to eliminate the batteries as the problem.

Next issue: When using the dimmer feature of the WS4777 3-way switch
or WS467 single switch, the bulbs do not dim to nothing. You can still
see the light in a 65W outdoor spot even when the sun is up. I don't
know how often I'd want to dim them to nothing, but I'm just wondering
if that is normal.

Lastly (for now) I seemed to get inconsistant operation of the system
when the RR501 were plugged into GFCI outlets. They seemed to work
about 90% of the time, but every now and then the test buttons on the
sensors wouldn't do anything even if I was standing right in front of
the RR501. If I move the RR501 to a standard receptacle it starts
working again. I tried two different GFCI's and got the same result.
What's up with that?

If this is normal operation, then I'm going to be very limited as to
where I place my sensors since I appear to be restricted by both
distance and receptacle type.

My new toys aren't making me happy!

Just an quick update.

I've been playing around with the best compromise for sensor vs.
receiver locations for my driveway.

The receiver is mounted on the back wall of the garage. I held the
sensor up against the outside front wall of the garage where it was
almost directly in line with the receiver and then pressed the test
buttons. Press - Click, the lights went on, Press-Click, the lights
went off. This worked multiple times.

I moved the sensor lest than 18" to the right and tested it again.
Press - Click, the lights went on, Press , press, press - nothing, the
lights won't turn off. I moved it back to the left about 6 inches,
Press - Click the light went off. On, off, on, off, no problem.

Move it 6 inches to the right and I get On only, never any Off.

Is the Off signal weaker than the On signal? Probably not, so it must
be a frequency interference issue.

I look inside the garage, and find that the spot where it won't turn
the light off is right in the middle of an empty stud bay. However,
the spot where it works has a king stud, some brackets for the garage
door rails, etc. In other words there's more stuff in between the 2
units in the spot where it works vs where it only responds to the On
command.

What's up with that?

Sometimes when "on" works, but "off" doesn't, the cause is noise
coming from the whatever device is being controlled. *For example,
florescent lights (regular or compact florescent) can create power
line and/or RF noise that interferes. *No noise when off, but once
they turn on, they interfere thereby keeping the off from working.

Thanks, but I'm using standard incandescent outdoor spots and a
standard incandescent bulb in a fixture.

Everything has been working fine for the last week and continues to
work now that I put the sensor back to where it's been all week.

I'm sure we'll agree that the placement of the sensor 1 foot to the
right isn't going to introduce noise into either fixture, so I'm
guessing noise isn't the issue here.

However, I'd like some clarification on your point for future
reference.

When you say "thereby keeping the off from working" do mean that the
RR501 will make it's audible Click but the lights won't go off or do
mean that the RR501 won't even Click.