GE Simon 3 HELP X-10 alarm not working

[WildIrish]

Let me start by saying I'm no X10 newbie, I have about
30 devices, customized them electronically, and have software
control working perfectly.

I have recently installed the Simon 3 and very happy except
that it CLAIMS to be able to run an X10 based siren control
durring an alarm state, but I sure can't get it to turn
on a siren.

Can someone please verify to me how they have set this up
in the past? Someone with experience? Ive read the manual
front to back, so has the reseller I got it from, and we've
been on the phone with GE twice and even they don't seem
to know their own product...

so I'm turning to the experts in the field like yourselves,
someone's switched an X10 device from the panel durring an alarm state.
I have tried moving the panel, putting X10 appliance,
lamps, universals, doorbells etc on the same circuit all
with no luck... tried A10, B10, every combo I can think of.

Can someone give me an exact rundown on how to setup
an X10 device to turn ON durring an alarm state, and turn
OFF who has actually had it WORK?

Thanks for your help! You'll prove you know more than GE!

=Brendan

 

[Mark Leuck]

Set the letter dial on the siren one letter higher and leave the number dial
at 1

 

[WildIrish]

I'm on housecode A for the unit, so I set the Appliance
Module on B1 that triggers a power supply ON to run a loud siren.

NO LUCK. Have you done this yourself? ANYONE ELSE DONE THIS?
Is it just me or my unit? GE can't even tell me straight!
Your help is appreciated imensely in getting this running!

-Brendan

 

[WildIrish]

When I called X10, they claimed that the PSH02 ran using standard
X10 commands.... I don't want to use the PSH02 I want to use
an appliance module. If X10 is right, which they should be... the
PSH02 should be receiving standard X10 commands and I should
thus be able to switch an appliance module no? thanks!

-Brendan

 

[A.J.]

It won't work with an appliance module.

When Simon goes into alarm, it does not send On or OFF command to the PSH02.
I If I remember right, the X10 command sent by the Simon in alarm is well
documented in the specs of the PSH02.

You may also want to check if the power adapter that comes with your Simon
is X10 compatible.

 

[WildIrish]

Could find no documentation anywhere on X10, X10 support said it
switches using "standard X10 on/off commands" twice now... they claimed
a level2 tech support would call me back in an hour; that was 5 hours
ago.

X10 light controls are working from my Simon3 so I know it sends
some form of commands.....

So can you tell me or share with me exactly why a PSH02 would
function different than an appliance module and why, as you said,
the appliance modules won't work? Will a lamp module work instead?
I just want to run an external X10 device without integrating a
Powerflash
module.

Thanks!
-Brendan

 

[A.J.]

When the alarm control panel goes into alarm condition, it puts out "ALL
LIGHTS ON / ALL LIGHTS OFF" X10 sequences. So it's pretty obvious that an
appliance module will never work. A lamp module "may" work if you have a
power bar connected to it and have a lamp plugged into it, then you can use
the other outputs on the power bar triggering whatever you want with it. But
then when you use the remote control from the Simon 3 to turn on the house
light, you end up turning on the external device also.

I think the easiest solution to your problem is to use the external siren
output on the Simon 3 to trigger whatever you want instead of doing it via
X10.

Or Simon 3 is the wrong guy for the job ?

 

[WildIrish]

For anyone following this thread, GE tech that actually knew something
about their X10
integration said that I can't do what I want; their device won't
control an appliance module
durring an alarm state (call me crazy, should be doable!) Anyhow, they
ultimately
suggested using an X10 Powerflash device to re-transmit the alarm
condition. It is in
and working great for my intended appliance controls. I can now run X10
macros durring
an alarm condition to turn on all my external floodlights, turn off my
noisy water fountain
outside, and turn on some light inside the house. -Brendan

 

[[email protected]]

For anyone following this thread, GE tech that actually knew something
about their X10
integration said that I can't do what I want; their device won't
control an appliance module
durring an alarm state (call me crazy, should be doable!) Anyhow, they
ultimately
suggested using an X10 Powerflash device to re-transmit the alarm
condition. It is in
and working great for my intended appliance controls. I can now run X10
macros durring
an alarm condition to turn on all my external floodlights, turn off my
noisy water fountain
outside, and turn on some light inside the house. -Brendan

When x10 transmitters such as Simon 3 or X10 Powerflash want to turn
more than one x10 receiver on, then off, they send the commands:

"Lights On" followed by "All units Off"

Please note that these commands are different from "All units On" and
"Lights Off". These latter two commands cannot be sent from Simon 3 or
X10 Powerflash. (Or many other X10 transmitters)

The reason this matters is because the "applicance module" does not
respond to "Lights On" command. It will respond to the "All units Off",
but that doesn't do much good.

If you used a "Light module" instead of an "applicance module" it would
respond to Simon 3's alarm state, however the "light module" has a
dimmer circuit which may be incompatible with the deivces you plan to
connect.

Your current solution, using Powerflash and Simon 3 seems like it would
be unreliable.
Both devices would be transmitting x10 commands over the same house
wires at the same time. They would interfere with each other and reduce
overall reliability.
Are you using Powerflash in mode 3? In this mode Powerflash only sends
an x10 command once. This could easily be lost if the Simon 3 was
transmitting X10 at the same time.

The X10 alerts should only supplement Simon 3's internal or external
hardwire siren and not replace it entirely in case of power failure.