multiple upb networks

[guy999]

Is it easy to have multiple upb networks in one house and then have homeseer connect to thos multiple upb networks.
 
currently in my house i have about 80 dimmers but because of the size of the house 8000 square feet and the fact that it's a huge remodel, some switches I just cannot hit all from my plug.  I have phase coupler x 1 and repeater x 1 and still have this problem.  The recommendation has been to try and find noise on the line and eliminate it but in the interest of expediency, I would prefer to just buy a secondary homeseer controller buy a second pim and then  connect to those other switches via that second or third pim, much like I can do with zwave networks.
 
 
has anyone ever done this? is it possible?

 

[mikefamig]

My first thought is that the two PIM's would not be coordinated with each other and would interfere with each other. Have you done any signal strength or noise tests for the devices that are not working?  I would try the conventional methods before installing multiple pims. You might be surprised how much trouble a simple thing like a noisy device can cause. I had a coffee pot that took out half of my devices.
 
Mike.

 

[guy999]

My first thought is that the two PIM's would not be coordinated with each other and would interfere with each other. Have you done any signal strength or noise tests for the devices that are not working?  I would try the conventional methods before installing multiple pims. You might be surprised how much trouble a simple thing like a noisy device can cause. I had a coffee pot that took out half of my devices.

 
they did tell me that but i have tried unplugging everything that is easy to get to and no luck and most of the problem is a signal strength problem, plus stuff being on opposite phase which i can't understand if i have a phase coupler.
 
i bought a noise blocking device thing, but homeseer dimmers are 50 bucks, if it takes more more than couple of hours, i would rather just replace all of the switches i can't reach
 
 
 

Mike.

 

[mikefamig]

they did tell me that but i have tried unplugging everything that is easy to get to and no luck and most of the problem is a signal strength problem, plus stuff being on opposite phase which i can't understand if i have a phase coupler.
 
i bought a noise blocking device thing, but homeseer dimmers are 50 bucks, if it takes more more than couple of hours, i would rather just replace all of the switches i can't reach

The location of the phase coupler is critical. The normal practice is to put it at the main load center for the house but you can have more than one. Signal tests should show if one phase has stronger signals than the other and at what point the problem occurs.
 
Does Upstart show enough noise to be a problem? You can try turning off one circuit breaker at a time in the load center to locate noisy devices.
 
Mike.

 

[guy999]

The location of the phase coupler is critical. The normal practice is to put it at the main load center for the house but you can have more than one. Signal tests should show if one phase has stronger signals than the other and at what point the problem occurs.
 
Does Upstart show enough noise to be a problem? You can try turning off one circuit breaker at a time in the load center to locate noisy devices.
 
Mike.

 
 
i do have some noise, and currently yes the phase coupler is on the main breaker, but i have two main breakers and also a sub breaker, but i was afraid that I could make it to where my pim couldn't reach some devices if I coupled wrong, is that possible? 
 
i never thought about the turning the circuit breaker off one at a time, good idea.
 
but i will tell you some of my devices i cannot reach at all, but maybe my phase coupling isn't enough..
 
as scotty would say, i'm givving you all i've got captain, but maybe i need a little more
 
my upb switching are mostly simply automated with a few pulseworx filled in.

 

[mikefamig]

I have a detached garage that has a 225' cable run from the load center in the house to the load center in the garage and the upb is working perfectly. The distance between the pim and the devices in the garage is closer to 250'.
 
You mention that you have more than one main load center. Do you mean that there is power entering the building at more than one point? Noise can come from outside the house and it is good to have a phase coupler at any point that a source enters the house.

 

[pete_c]

Here have multiple HAI/SA UPB PIMs online.  That said all of the main lighting in wall switch UPB is controlled by the OmniPro2 panel.
 
Old UPB here is HAI and PCS and new UPB is all SA these days.
 
The Homeseer connected PIMs  and Homeseer OP2 UPB add more control.  Main UPB PIMs are all about a foot away from the panel and on their own circuit breakers.  The RS-232 wires (except for the OP2 panel) are using RS-232 ends to cat5e cable.  I also have the SA USB PIM and once tried to extend it with a Digi USB Anywhere device but it didn't work.
 
I have left 1-2 HAI PIMs connected to Quatech serial servers to just watch signals and I use a floater HAI UPB PIM with my laptop.
 
A few years ago here had a low signal issue but not really a noise issue. 
 
I then purchased a PCS and SA UPB phase coupler and an HAI UPB repeater.
 
It was the repeater that fixed my issues.
 
Thinking back the manual for the repeater mentions to using it between fuse panels and the manual for the phase couplers mentions using these in the panel for between phases.
 
I would purchase a testing / floater UPB PIM and as Mike mentions above use the floater with Upstart and check signals / noise from and to the PIMs to the devices and device to device stuff and test shut off breakers looking for PL noise.
 
Your OP had me looking this morning with Upstart.  Got a message of severe powerline noise.  I have never seen this before when starting Upstart. 
 
I can still get to my switches.  Randomly picking one switch to look at on the opposite side phase of the PIM see the attached.
 
Paying a bit of attention to Upstart I would like to see signal bars on both phases that the repeater is connected to.  Thinking it shows black or red (wires).  The noise I see is on the PIM side and the PIM is connected on the second floor to a Quatech / small Gb switch.  Wondering if the noise is coming from the little transformer that the Quatech is using.  This would be a modification of the software?
 

 

[BobS0327]

Got a message of severe powerline noise.  I have never seen this before when starting Upstart.

 
I also ran into this severe powerline noise message a while back while tinkerin' with UPB.  The source of my problem was a microwave oven.  I would get the message whenever I was using Upstart and someone decided to use the microwave.