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BeachBum
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 13:33 | IP Logged
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I have a track controlled by an Insteon Dimmer that flickers when Insteon traffic is coming across the power line. I have tried both X10 and Insteon dimmers in the circuit and both have the same problem. You only notice this if the lights are dimmed. It flickers bright for each Insteon traffic. I have removed all low voltage lights from the track and still have the problem. I even tried to isolate it down to 1 light. A standard dimmer switch (non Smarthome ) on a lamp on the same circuit does not flicker. Other tracks on the same phase that have Insteon dimmers installed don’t flicker. The reason why I started to notice this is because I now have scan running. Anybody got any thoughts on this problem….
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Pete - X10 Oldie
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bhlonewolf
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 16:04 | IP Logged
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I see this on an old manual dimmer where I have a reasonably significant load (11x 40-watt) and it's dimmed to a low level. I haven't seen this on an insteon dimmer -- I would've thought they'd be "immune" to insteon traffic causing brightness spikes like that, but apparently not. Not much help, but I guess it's possible -- interesting that a standard dimmer does NOT show this...
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jeffw_00
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| Posted: March 29 2008 at 17:41 | IP Logged
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I have a ceiling fixture that has a couple of CFLs, and (for load) 1 incandescent bulb, controlled by an old-style RF remote control light switch (receiver in switch box w/local ctl, battery-powered transmitter located elsewhere). This is one of the 'two-channel (A or B) models you get at home depot for $20.
It flickers slightly whenever there is insteon traffic. (but not for X-10 traffic). Must be a filtering thing. Fortunately it doesn't bother my wife....
when insteon makes battery-powered remote control stick-on switches i may replace it....
Edited by jeffw_00 - March 29 2008 at 17:41
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BeachBum
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| Posted: March 30 2008 at 13:38 | IP Logged
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The only time it flickers is when Insteon traffic is present. X10 doesn’t bother it. The work around is anytime the track is on I run scan off and when off scan is running again. The load on the track is 470 Watts but what mystifies me is I don’t see it on any of the other ones. On another note, I run Micro-Brite dimmable CFLs with no load and I don’t get a flicker from anything including low dim.
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Pete - X10 Oldie
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ginigma
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| Posted: March 30 2008 at 13:54 | IP Logged
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I had load flickering issues before when the lamps were dimmed low. After a few calls to SH, they replaced them. No more flicker. Are they older Insteon switches? If so, there may have been a bad batch some where.
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Insteon (40 devices) ^ PowerHome (435 links) ^ Logitech Harmony 880
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BeachBum
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| Posted: March 30 2008 at 14:11 | IP Logged
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It is a new 600 Watt dimmer. I have tried others and they have the same problem. Right now I am running an X10 500 Watt dimmer on that circuit and it also gets the Insteon flicker. You won't see the flicker at full brightness.
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Pete - X10 Oldie
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jeffw_00
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| Posted: March 30 2008 at 14:45 | IP Logged
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it may not be the insteon module that causes the flicker, it's the traffic. I get flicker on lights not hooked into insteon modules
/j
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BeachBum
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| Posted: March 30 2008 at 14:53 | IP Logged
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The only common denominator is the track and the Insteon traffic. Different Insteon and X10 dimmers have the same problem. Again it does not flicker on other circuits on the same phase. The only thing I haven’t changed out is the circuit breaker. I have a hard time believing it is at fault.
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jbbtex
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| Posted: March 30 2008 at 16:08 | IP Logged
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I have flicker from Insteon traffic on two different switches. They both have multiple bulbs and the load is near the rated limit.
On mine the flicker is only noticable when dimmed.
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Brady
"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - Gen. George S. Patton
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BeachBum
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| Posted: March 30 2008 at 21:07 | IP Logged
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Ditto, now we’re getting close to the culprit. 
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patrickm
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 10:15 | IP Logged
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I had this happen with a few dimmers a while back. Smarthome acknowledged a problem with with dimmers with large loads and replaced them without any grief.
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BeachBum
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 10:44 | IP Logged
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The load is 2 tracks and I tried to isolate it down by disconnecting all low voltage devices and running only 4 R20 50 Watt bulbs. That would have given me 200 Watts on a 600 Watt dimmer but it still flickered. The other problem is the flicker also happens when using 500 Watts X10 dimmers. I have tried the ICON, which I think is rated at 300 Watts, and the 600 Watt SwitchLinc V2. Also in the same gang box I have another Insteon dimmer for another track with a 350 Watt load and it does NOT flicker.
I think you guys are right on with the culprit being the dimmer. Now all I need to do is find out which component(s) on the track are making the problem worse. I wonder if this is related to the triacs they use in both modules.
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patrickm
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 11:02 | IP Logged
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When I spoke to smarthome about the flickering problem I was told there was a problem with an inductor in the dimmer that was causing the problem. From my poking around inside keypadlincs, icon switches, and regular Insteon dimmers, the power supply and AC circuits look to be close to identical. I'd bet that the X10 stuff is probably similar circuitry, so it's likely it's the same inductor problem that they had with the switchlincs.
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WayneW
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| Posted: April 03 2008 at 10:56 | IP Logged
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This was a known issue a year or two ago. SmartHome eventually fixed the inductor. Search techmall.com or cocoontech.com or accessha.com for more details. No formal recall was ever issued, but I think SH swapped units if you complained under warranty. If I recall correctly, it was loads that were close to the max rating of the switch and deep dimming was used.
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Topic: Mysterious Flicker
