My X10 Chime has stopped working

[shadowb]

I have ONE remaining X10 device - a chime I use to report motion via an Insteon motion sensor on a rear door.  It has been working fine for years but recently stopped working.  I can run the Event Viewer and see the command being sent to the X10 device but it does not respond.  Tried plugging into several different outlets in case something was blocking the signal - no help.  It does chime when I unplug/plug it so I know that part of it is still working.  Has UDI/isy changed anything in the updates that would stop X10 from working?  Is there now an Insteon chime device - last I looked there was not.  Thanks.  I find this forum indispensable.  

 

[Geddy]

Take a look at this recent post...doubt the ultimate issue will resolve your issue (was GFCI outlet), but perhaps the information from @Brian H might help.

 

[Brian H]

Trying it in the same outlet as the PLM. Is a good idea. It would show if you have a power line signal to the Chime Module problem. If it chimes at the PLM location. You may have a new signal sucker or power line issue.

One easy thing to do. Rotate both the House and Unit Code wheels around a few times. They sometimes get dirty and make a bad connection. So the address set on the wheels. Is not the addresses the module is actually using. Rotating may clean up a poor connection.

The chiming at power up is normal but does not see if it actually will respond to an X10 On command.

Edited October 25, 2022 by Brian H

[Broyd]

I've had this problem with several X-10 chimes. The problem is tuning. Open the chime and you well see a small square tunable coil. It is in a shiny aluminum can. There is a threaded tuning slug in the can that you can access from the top of the can. Be very careful of the wires that connect to the piezo sounder; they are soldered to this sounder but will not take much flexing.

Obviously you must have the chime plugged into your 120Volt house wiring to do this test with the CASE OPEN - MEANING 120 VOLTS are exposed and you could make contact with those exposed connections if you aren't careful or watchful of what you are doing.

What I do is set up a X-10 trigger program in the ISY that I can trigger with a push button like a mini remote. (You can't use the power unplugging method to do this; it must be a real X-10 signal.) MARK the position of the slot in the tuning slug with a fine felt pen on the aluminum can so you can get back to your original position if necessary. Using a NON-METALLIC tool (the slug is magnetic, you can't use a metallic screwdriver with a iron or steel blade. a metallic tool drastically affects the magnetic properties of the slug. using a metal blade will render this testing useless.), having a plastic blade that fits in the tuning slug slot, rotate the tuning slug by very small amounts; TESTING the chime with every small rotation of the slug. You may find the chime starts to work again. You will likely have to try rotating the slug in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. If this doesn't fix the problem, the part of the chime that detects the X-10 signal may have failed. 

In my case, I have found these chimes are quite sensitive to temperature, particularly the summer heat. They quit working when my house gets hot. Tuning them slightly has fixed the problem for me. It may take more than one turn of the slug. COUNT the TURNS!

 

Edited October 25, 2022 by Broyd
added extra bits ... and more bits ...

[upstatemike]

I keep an X-10 plug-in controller around for this kind of testing. Cheap and takes the ISY out of the equation so you can easily do pure signal testing isolated from any PLM issues.

[Brian H]

Your second question.

The 2868-222 Siren Module It is  a very Loud Insteon triggered siren. I have one in use. I left the sound reducing plastic film over the siren output port. As  that is loud enough for me. It also has a chime function but I have no experience with the chime function. It may have been one of the early removed modules.

There was a 2867-222 alert module also. It was an very short production run before the later siren module was released. It had a chime like output sound.

Broyd made a very important point. The X10 chime module has a power line derived power supply. Either the + or - side of the power supply is directly connected to the HOT line input and logic supply.

Edited October 26, 2022 by Brian H
Correct a statement. Add something.

[Brian H]

3 hours ago, upstatemike said:

I keep an X-10 plug-in controller around for this kind of testing. Cheap and takes the ISY out of the equation so you can easily do pure signal testing isolated from any PLM issues.

Good idea. Though in my case it probably would not show much. I came from X10 use and have a JV Digital XTB-IIR. Coupler Repeater in use. It blasts over a 20 volt signal back on both phases of the house power. My lowest X10 signal is about 1.2V on an XTBM meter. It also knows enough to NOT see the end of an Insteon command and try and duplicate it as an false X10 command. I still have an X10 Palm Pad in use the control some of my Insteon modules that can have an X10 address added to them.

[shadowb]

Thanks to all for the great answers and suggestions!  I will now dig into them.  

[oskrypuch]

There is no Insteon chime that I know of, but I was in a similar situation and found a great Z-Wave chime that does that, and much more. Really like it.

Search here on Ecolink Chime.

* Orest

 

Edited October 27, 2022 by oskrypuch

[Brian H]

The closest Insteon modules. Would be the alert module and siren module. The siren module has a chime function also.

Of course both are no longer in production and the alert was a real short time production device.

You can still get the X10 chime module if you don't find something else.

Edited October 27, 2022 by Brian H

[shadowb]

Thanks to all for the excellent suggestions especially the one about the tuning slug.  I am very familiar with such tuning coils and slugs. 

BUT in the meantime, I found a wireless motion sensing door chime on Amazon for only $25.98.  It is simple and works great.  I still have the Insteon motion sensor and can use it to trigger other events if/when I want.