X10 and Fluorescents

[Rupp]

compuguru ,
If you use a controller like HomeSeer you can have it send IR in response to a Z-Wave command received. Can you elaborate on what you want to accomplish so we can offer some suggestions. I do this now. Push a Z-Wave switch on the wall and it turns on my TV. I use an Ocelot for my IR.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

I used those filters for all our compact fluroescent ceiling cans, and we haven't had any problems at all. Smarthome seems to be out of stock at this time.

We have plenty in stock.

 

[JeffVolp]

We have plenty in stock.

Clicking on the "Check for Availablility" gave:

"Orders for this item placed today online are expected to ship to customers the week of 8/7/2006"

"expected to ship" sounded like "out of stock" to me.

Sorry if I missinterperted your status message.

Jeff

 

[compuguru]

Alright, I seem to be confusing a few people, so I'll spell out what I want to do.

The Goal
To Fully Automate the Power Up, Down, and Operation of my Church's Theater

Overview
My Chrurch recently built a theater in their basement, and recruited me to wire it and install the Audio and Video Systems. Now that they are all installed, they realized how complicated it would be to operate it. There are 3 remote in all, one for the projector, one for the Surround Sound Receiver, and one for the DVD Player.

Want I want to do is create an "idiot proof" system. Basically, there is a keypad on the wall, labeled with buttons like "System On", "Play", "System Off", "Lights On" etc. so that the remotes can basically be removed totally (or consolidated down to one for basic play/pause and volume operation).

I would like to use this system to control the lights and equipment in the room. When someone presses one of the buttons, the approite actions happen. A button such as System On could turn on the sconces and lights in the back, power up the projector and amp, and open the DVD tray for the DVD to be placed in. Another one could do just the opposite and turn everything off. This elimates the risk of things being left on for hours at a time (such as the projector).

What Needs to Be Controlled

• Projector - IR
• Receiver - IR
• DVD Player - IR
• 2 3-Way Switches wired to about 4-6 Fluorsecent Ballasts each.
• 1 Switch for the Sconces on the Wall
• 1 Switch for the Stairway Ropelight

The Issues

• Cost - I am willing to spend some $$$, but not thousands of dollars for a system. X10 would've worked fine is there wasn't so much noise.
• Noise - Using an ELK Signal meter, there was .1V of noise on the line, with less than half of all the fluorescent ballasts turned on in the basement. This rules out X10 unless there is some way to eletrically isolate the room from the noise everything else generates.
• IR Control - There are many technologies out there that can control the lights, but not very many that can translate the language that is used to control the lights to an IR signal.

Hope that helps.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

What about putting filters on the lights causing the trouble?

 

[compuguru]

That was my inital idea, but when there are at least 15 different sets of switches that control various ballasts in different rooms, I think it would cost too much $$$ to put a filter on every one. This weekend I plan to test to see if it is only a certian set of lights that is causing the trouble, or just the amount of lights is causing the interference.

 

[compuguru]

After thinking about it, I should check and see where the breakers for the room are. I might be lucky and they are on their own breakers, so I can just install a noise blocker on the circuits (such as this one: http://www.smarthome.com/4846.html). That would filter out the noise correct?

Do the Smarthome switches filter out the noise from the ballasts? If not, I will need to get a couple more filters for the switches in the room.

 

[Rupp]

compuguru ,
I would suggest trying Z-Wave. Buy the time you buy all of these filters and mess with all of this you could have been done using Z-Wave. This is assuming the boxes aren't metal.

 

[upstatemike]

compuguru ,
I would suggest trying Z-Wave. Buy the time you buy all of these filters and mess with all of this you could have been done using Z-Wave. This is assuming the boxes aren't metal.

And you can put one of those slick Z-Wave keypad switches in for your simplified control. I think the metal box issue was debunked in another thread so that is probably not a concern.

 

[Rupp]

"slick Z-Wave keypad switches "

I didn't know these existed?

 

[upstatemike]

"slick Z-Wave keypad switches "

I didn't know these existed?

Exactly my point. This is about the third time this week where a situation has come up that Z-Wave would have been the ideal solution for somebody if there was a Z-Wave keypad available. What is the deal with that anyway? Is somebody going to release one any time soon?

But getting back to the problem at hand... I see two issues:

1- The control strategy for the lights where Z-Wave might be a good option.

2- The "idiot-proof" Keypad controller which sounds like a keypad designed for kicking off IR commands. Maybe something from Xantech?

 

[compuguru]

Looks like Insteon is the way to go. I did a bit more testing and still received .1V of noise even with all the lights in the basement of the Church on.

//Cliffnotes for those who don't like reading.
I installted the RF lincs and my lamp and controller were able to communicate across the room. It didn't work before because they were on seperate phases.
//End Cliffnotes.

I then connected a ApplianceLinc to one end of the room, and a RF-Linc in a nearby outlet. I placed my other RF-Linc in another outlet accross the room and linked the two together. I then plugged in my controller was able to control the light at the other end of the room with a slight delay (obvious the RF Lincs were being used).

Upon further investigation, I found out that the theater room was actually 2 different rooms, which happened to be on different breakers. One breakers on the left side and one on the right of the pannel. I beleive this means they are on different phases, correct? Therefore, the RF-Lincs conntected the two phases together and I was able to control the light across the room.

After thinking about it, most of the switches are 3 way, and all come back to a single box. So I may or may not need the RF-Lincs.

Now, I can use Insteon Keypads and Icons switches for the lights, but how to get a signal to my Ocleot to send Ir.........

I also have to call Circuit City because when someone was setting up our DVD player, they plugged the RCA Audio Out of the player to the Coaxial Digitial In on the Receiver, and now the receiver won't turn on. Good thing we bought the warranty

 

[BLH]

Both breakers maybe on the same phase but depends on the way the breaker panel is configured. Many times each phase goes to about half of each row. That way some next to each other can be a 220 one with a bridge between the handles of a ganged breaker to trip both hot wires in a 220 setup if one is overloaded. I have gotten nailed by two single breakers in a 220 setup and that are not ganged. One trips and you can still get a shock from the other hot wire.

 

[compuguru]

Well, when I linked the two SignalLincs together, the light blinked rapidly indicating (according to the manual) that they were on seperate phases.

 

[BLH]

Ok good test.