X-10 Leviton Switch Help Needed

BraveSirRobbin

Moderator
I'm installing an outdoor magnetic door lock on my front gate. It is a half gate height and just keeps people back away from the front door (door bell button is out at the gate area). I hate opening the front door with someone "right there".

One pain though was that we had to manually unlock this gate. Well, I wanted to be able to control the gate lock via a switch by the front door. Since we had a switch controlling an outlet right at the front door, I just wired the outlet hot all the time and used that slot to control an X-10 receptacle (which I mounted outside near the gate area), which in turn turned on/off a wall wart which will control the power to the lock. Since this is not a security application (gate is only half height) I'm using X-10 as I didn't feel like punching a hole through the house stucco and running wires to my closet.

Anyway on a whim (due to having a local Worthington's store in town) I decided that I would like the switch to show the power status of the magnetic lock. Worthington's had a Leviton switch model HXM06-1TW that is normally used for lighting applications. Since this is a two way switch, I just wired up the hot and neutral and capped off the control wire.

Now here is where my problem starts. This switch has LED lights running vertically along the left side, plus an "OFF" status indicator light at the center bottom. The way I programmed it (held program button till OFF status light blinked, sent the ON code, then turned the switch ON) the LED's will ramp "up" if I turn it on, and ramp "down" if I turn it off, but when I turn it off the LED's status on the left will always leave its top LED lit.

In other words no matter if I turn it on or off, the LED's will "ramp" appropriately, but that top LED will stay lit after the ramping. The OFF indicator (at the center bottom) works as it should lighting only when the switch is off.

Why does this side bar LED lighting always have its top light lit after turning it OFF? Wouldn't you think the bottom light on that side bar would stay lit in an OFF situation rather then the top light?

Am I doing something wrong, or is this just the way it should work?

BTW: Below are some pics of the magnetic lock mounted on the gate FYI.


(Click on Picture for Full Sized Image)


(Click on Picture for Full Sized Image)

Another problem I'm having is the switch will send its on/off "STATUS", but can't control the X-10 outlet (on the same house and unit code). I have to have an event in HomeSeer send the X-10 on or off code based on if it "sees" that switch change to on or off. I guess the "status" the switch is sending is just that, status only and not a command.

Like I stated, I do have this working in HomeSeer, but will eventually want to use it with my Ocelot (stand alone). I'm not sure it will see this "status" but will try tomorrow (ran out of time today). :)
 
In other words no matter if I turn it on or off, the LED's will "ramp" appropriately, but that top LED will stay lit after the ramping.

I don't have that particular switch, but do have other Leviton switches with the LED indicator bars. The LED illuminated when the switch is off is the brightness setting the switch will ramp to when turned on. So, if the top LED is illuminated, then the switch would ramp up to be full on.

The ON/OFF "Status" is not the same X10 command used to turn something ON or OFF. That is why it will not control the outlet on the same code. The Status message only reports the condition of that particular switch.

There are other Leviton switches that are transmitters only, and they will send the ON or OFF command.

Jeff
 
Hi Jeff;

Thanks for the reply. I was going to get one of those "transmitter" only switches, but I thought it would be nice to have the "status" displayed via an LED(s) on the switch itself.

Oh well, at least I do have a work around. :)
 
Thanks for the reply. I was going to get one of those "transmitter" only switches, but I thought it would be nice to have the "status" displayed via an LED(s) on the switch itself.

You can have both. Take a look at the Leviton 16400 series. Those are transmitters with indicating rocker switches. We use them for our irrigation system, exterior lighting, and triggering various macros. They are also useful just as indicators. For example, the Ocelot lights up the indicators when irrigation zones are scheduled for that day.

Jeff
 
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