[7Music7]

I just installed the Activehome kit and have created basic macros. I have an x-10 wall switch and lamp module. The wall switch controlls the livingroom lights and the lamp module controls the lights on my audio rack.


I have created a macro to dim the lights and turn off the rack, and another to bring the lights to 50% and turn on the rack.


The problems are as follows:


First : The lights do not dim using the macro, they simply turn off. I was going for a theater feel...you know, when the movie starts the lights dim. How do I make them dim to 0%?


Second: When I activate the second macro the lights come on full, then dim to 50%; this is VERY blinding after spending two hours in a dark room watching a movie. Is there a way to have the lights go from zero to 50% without going to full?


Third: Is there a way to activate the macros via Windvd??


Thanks for your help.


Cary

 

[jkv]

Quote:

Originally posted by 7Music7 I just installed the Activehome kit and have created basic macros. I have an x-10 wall switch and lamp module. The wall switch controlls the livingroom lights and the lamp module controls the lights on my audio rack. I have created a macro to dim the lights and turn off the rack, and another to bring the lights to 50% and turn on the rack. The problems are as follows: First : The lights do not dim using the macro, they simply turn off. I was going for a theater feel...you know, when the movie starts the lights dim. How do I make them dim to 0%?

I don't use ActiveHome so I can't help you here (it may be the macro).

Quote:

Second: When I activate the second macro the lights come on full, then dim to 50%; this is VERY blinding after spending two hours in a dark room watching a movie. Is there a way to have the lights go from zero to 50% without going to full?

you need a 'better' switch; one with what is know as 'soft start'. The ones that I use throughout my house are from PCS Lighting ; check out the SmartSwitch, it supports the scene capability which is really cool, the lights in my theater have a 1 minute ramp rate and they will go from off to any dim level.


In fact, with the scene capability, you simply dim/brighten the light to the level you want and assign a x10 address to that scene; multiple lights can be set this way. Then you simply issue the x10 cmd and the lights will go to this level regardless of their current state (they will either dim or brighten).


Quote:

Third: Is there a way to activate the macros via Windvd??

can't help you here

 

[brettf]

You may have a problem between the ActiveHome controller and the X-10 switches. According to the Smarthome website, some switches don't function properly with the ActiveHome and Home Director X-10 kit macros, since those kits may not be sending true, X-10 defined signals. Your problem may not be caused by this, but it's one possibility. Check to see what types of switches you are using.


You can read more about this at Smarthome's page at http://www.smarthome.com/2384.html . Scroll about 3/4ths of the way down the page to the paragraph starting with "Note to Activehome and IBM Home Director users:"

 

[Movie Mike]

Hi Cary!


jkv is right - a "soft start" switch will solve your problem.


However, there was a discussion a few months back about dimming x10 modules to 0%. It was someone's opinion that 0% is the same as "off."


It seems to me like running your lights at 0% for a two hour movie won't hurt them. I do it all the time. I haven't noticed any bad effects.


Mike

 

[jkv]

Quote:

Originally posted by Movie Mike jkv is right - a "soft start" switch will solve your problem. However, there was a discussion a few months back about dimming x10 modules to 0%. It was someone's opinion that 0% is the same as "off."

that is correct

Quote:

It seems to me like running your lights at 0% for a two hour movie won't hurt them. I do it all the time. I haven't noticed any bad effects.

While dimming to 0% will work, you have to 'track' the state of the light, esp if the switch was changed manually. With the scene capabilty in the PCS switches, you simple send it the X10 cmd to go to that light level. For example, scene 1 is assigned to X10 address P1. For scene 1, the overhead lights are set to 35%, the rope lights at 80% and the desk lamp is set to 50% (you do this during setup). Then, regardless of any of the lights being on or off or their dim level, when you send out P1 ON, all of the lights will go to the dim level that you set during setup. And, in this example, each of these lights can have a different ramp rate.