XPTR Signal Strength Indicator

X10 PRO XPTR

Measures the strength of X10 command signals throughout the home. Plug-in device. Use in conjunction with XPTT Signal Test Transmitter.

• Electrical devices such as TV, VGA, stereo, low voltage power supplies, computers, monitors and power strips with surge protection all have a tendency to fdump" electrical noise on the power lines as broad band frequencies. Many new electronic devices available to the public use circuitry to "clean' their power supplies before supplying the power to its circuits. When this is done, the waste power or noise is dumped out of its plug and directly on the power lines of the structure.

• Because line carrier products use the power lines as a communications path they are susceptible to interference that can not be noticed or detected without the proper test equipment.

• When noise is placed on the power lines it can attenuate, corrupt and/or block the signals being transmitted or received over the entire house. Typically noise will cause intermittent operation of the receivers. An example would be if you can turn on a light from a transmitter but cannot turn it off from the transmitter or you can turn off a receiver but cannot turn it on. You may have a transmitter and a receiver seemingly only a few feet apart and not be able to get signal through because of power line noise being broadcast by a device all the way on the other side of the house or in the same room. The offending device does not even have to be turned on, because a TV or computer still has their power supplies on the power line when they are turned off.

• Noise on the power line is solvable. The proper way to trouble shoot for noise is to use an XPTT Test Transmitter and an XPTR Signal Strength indicator. The XPTT is plugged in at the transmission point where it will transmit a constant line carrier fFl" on/off command. Taking the XPTR you go from outlet to outlet in the home and fake a signal strength reading.

• The XPTT transmits a 2V signal and the XPTR can detect from 2V down to 25MV. The lowest possible signal that can make a module respond properly is I00MV. As you go around the structure and you see fluctuation in the signal you may have detected a noise-producing device. While leaving the XPTR plugged in you can systematically unplug a device (TV, VCR, computer or low voltage lighting power supply) and see if you detect any change in the signal amplitude. You may have to shut off a breaker if the device is hard wired without a plug. If no change is seen go on to the next device. When you see a signal increase upon unplugging a device, then you have detected an offending device. Now all that you have to do is purchase an XFPF plug-in filter. The XPPF is plugged into the wall where the offending device was plugged in and then plug the device into the XPPF. The X10 signal will now pass freely through the electrical system without the noise, blocked by the XPPF, passing onto the power line, if the offending device was a hard-wired device then a XPF wired in filter can be installed between the switch and the offending device.

• Sometimes low signal strength is directly related to Phase Shift of the two 120V lines that are present in all single-phase systems supplying 240V for appliances. You may have an outlet only a few feet from another but have one of the outlets on one side of the breaker pane! and another on the other side of the breaker panel. The X10 signal has to travel through one side of the breaker panel, out of the meter and back to the pole transformer on the street, then back around the windings of the transformer to your meter and to the other side of your breaker panel just to reach the rest of your structure.

• To allow the X10 signal to travel freely to both phases an XPCP Passive Phase Coupler should be installed in the breaker panel across a 240V breaker and to the neutral bar allowing the two phases to become one communications bus. In larger homes with long runs of electrical cable an XPCR Coupling Repeater should be installed that will receive the signals from either phase amplifying them and repeating throughout the home.

• CAUTION! You will be working with line voltages to test signal strength: USE CARE!