i bought a radioshack light switch(tried 2, same result) and can not get it to turn on from a x-10 remote or the base. It will dim/brighten and respond to all off, unit off. The system is an old magnavox security system, only using it for basic lighting in my media room. I tried all house codes, still no luck. The switch turns the lights on fine. The switch is controling a outlet where i have a table lamp plugged in. From the base if i toggle on/off/on/off quickly it will work. From the remote for the x-10, 16address one, they will not turn back on. Also if i pause for a second or 2 toggling from the base the light will not turn back on. Could there be a wiring problem in my outlet that is switched?? any other ideas that may cause this??
I dont think i have any 220 devices in the house, (3 years old)

Thanks much for the time
Joel

JS,

Without a signal analyzer it is really hard to tell. Have you tried controlling this from an outlet on the same phase or better yet circuit as the one the module is plugged into? Also sometimes the RF transceivers go nuts and send out a bunch of signals, unplugging it for a few minutes normally resets them. You can also try the transceiver in an outlet on the same circuit. The fact that you can toggle the lamp and have it come on, only tells you that the sensing circuit in the module is working and nothing about your signal strength or noise.

Bill
www.homeautomationnet.com

This is a long shot, but if the unit dial loses contact the unit will default to number 13. If the house code dial loses contact it will default to house code M. Try M13, ?13, and M?? (filling in the ?? with whatever you have set on the dials) and see if anything works.

Update:
tried moving the tranciever(base station) all over my basement, had no effect on the switch. I am running 2 100w lamps from the switch that controls the outlet. So i figure if it wont turn on by remote, its not the end of the world. This morning i try to turn them on from the switch itself, nothing, switched to 1 40w lamp, still nothing. Had the wall switch i was going to return to radio shack still here, installed that and now im working again, still with no remote on though. I had my lights through the switch dimmed last night. Could dimming a $15 dollar switch have killed it ??
If i use a lamp module, the lights do everything and work great. are these switches junk ??? i know they are not as good as others, but 2 days, grrrrrrrr. heh

i would use the lamp module, but would like a wall switch to control something when i walk into the room.

if the switch is rated for 500w inc. do 2 100w bulbs fit in that spec, or am i missing something??

Thanks all for the time
Joel