Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

Posted on
Sun Nov 22, 2015 12:28 pm
WHTNUKL offline
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Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

I'm running Indigo 6.1.4 with OS X 10.10.5 and can't seem to get the sunrise / sunset functions to work properly. I've tried changing the +/- minute option (with no luck) and it still seems like it's working on the wrong timezone. I've double checked the latitude/longitude setting and time on the computer and in Indigo. My connections is a CM15A, I'm getting green (indicating it's working fine), and I'm able to turn the lights on and off thru my iMac. It has the feel that it downloaded the correct times a long time ago and never updated. I double checked the daylight savings function, which was correct.

I attached a copy of my event log from 11/21. You'll see the activity at 15:40, at which time the lights did turn on. I have the settings to sunset plus 60 minutes (17:40, trying to force the function), but here in Los Angeles, sunset was 16:40. Bottom line is it's off by 2 hours and I can't figure out how to get it to read the correct time.

Thoughts?
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Posted on
Sun Nov 22, 2015 4:40 pm
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

Just trying to understand--are you using Indigo to manage sunrise/sunset or are you using the CM15A? If the latter, I would strongly encourage you to consider letting Indigo manage these for you. I use Indigo's sunrise/sunset feature and have added schedules for dusk (sunset minus 12 minutes) and dawn (sunrise plus 12 minutes) and it works extremely well.

Dave

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Posted on
Mon Nov 23, 2015 1:34 am
howartp offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

There's nothing in that log at 15:40 related to sunset or lights turning on/off? Just general CM15a chatter.

Screenshot your schedule settings and attach them here. It sounds like you're doing it all right, with Indigo's sunrise/sunset scheduling +/- 60 minutes.


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Posted on
Mon Nov 23, 2015 8:45 pm
WHTNUKL offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

Thanks for the quick replies. It appears I'm missing something in understanding the way the system works. I thought Indigo managed sunrise/sunset and the CM15A was simply a benign interface. Attached is a screen shot of the schedule window. Please let me know if there's another schedule screen shot that would help.

Thanks......John
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Indigo Schedule.tiff
Indigo Schedule.tiff (130.08 KiB) Viewed 6526 times

Posted on
Mon Nov 23, 2015 9:31 pm
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

Hi John - Think of sunrise/sunset as an event. When sunset happens, do something. So set a schedule for sunset (which it looks like you've done.)
Screen Shot 2015-11-23 at 9.21.05 PM.png
Screen Shot 2015-11-23 at 9.21.05 PM.png (108.17 KiB) Viewed 6516 times

Then set something to happen when sunset actually takes place:
Screen Shot 2015-11-23 at 9.21.29 PM.png
Screen Shot 2015-11-23 at 9.21.29 PM.png (66.21 KiB) Viewed 6516 times

You can also add conditions--only do the action when the condition is true/false/etc.

If you can get the CM15A to do things by direct interaction, then there may be something amiss with the way you've set up your conditions, or actions.

Dave

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Posted on
Mon Nov 23, 2015 9:44 pm
RogueProeliator offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

It sounds as if you have overridden the Latitude and Longitude in the Indigo settings? If so, try unchecking that so that it utilizes the system Time Zone. Then, don't just go off the time, check in System Preferences to be sure that your Time Zone (found in the Date & Time settings) is set for Pacific Time.

You may want to restart Indigo server after this and then check things out; in the Indigo settings it will tell you when the next scheduled sunrise/sunset is (let's ignore the +/- an hour adjustment for now).

Adam

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2015 1:25 am
howartp offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

John,

Combining your last post and Dave and Adam's replies:

I think you're understanding Sunrise and Sunset perfectly correctly, and yes the CM15a is a benign interface to your X10 network.

Your two schedules based on Sunrise/Sunset look correct from that screenshot - maybe a screenshot of the edit window (like Dave's first one) just to confirm.

I think Adam is probably on the right lines in that either your system time is in the wrong time zone, or you've inadvertently set lat/long wrong - please look in the places he's said.

Image

Peter


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Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2015 6:58 am
matt (support) offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

It also looks like your Mac is trying to go to sleep, so double check your Mac OS system settings and make sure that the Mac is set to never sleep.

Image

Posted on
Tue Nov 24, 2015 7:33 am
WHTNUKL offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

Great feedback. I included a bunch of screen shots. It appears my settings are OK. I triple checked the lat/long. However, I checked my iMac and it was set to go to sleep after less than an hour. I set the sleep function to "Never", so I'll see what that does at sunset tonight.
Attachments
Indigo Sunrise Sunset.tiff
Indigo Sunrise Sunset.tiff (97.52 KiB) Viewed 6409 times
Indigo Schedule Action.tiff
Indigo Schedule Action.tiff (48.88 KiB) Viewed 6409 times
Indigo Schedule Schedule.tiff
Indigo Schedule Schedule.tiff (103.81 KiB) Viewed 6409 times

Posted on
Fri Nov 27, 2015 5:55 pm
WHTNUKL offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

Curses! Still no luck. The lights are coming on way too early. Should I reset the CM15A? Or is there a way to reset the individual switches? One thing that I think happened was that the lights came on too early and I manually turned them off. Then they came on again at close to the correct time. Unfortunately, timing was such that I did not get exact times. We also had a brief power outage overnight, just enough to set off the home alarm warning and reset a few clocks. It was not related to any time settings in Indigo, but might that have affected anything?

I will be offline for a few weeks, but any thoughts would still be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.....

Posted on
Fri Nov 27, 2015 6:01 pm
howartp offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

Try changing the actions from running your lights, to doing something like setting a (new/unused) variable - then monitor the 'last updated' time of that variable?


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Posted on
Fri Nov 27, 2015 6:39 pm
DaveL17 offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

Also, it seems that you have added some customization to your sunset time. The setting shows 60 minutes after sunset (which doesn't explain your problem) but you could have something else in there as well. Try clicking the Customize button and clearing all settings there.

Dave

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Posted on
Sat Nov 28, 2015 2:11 am
howartp offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

And maybe screenshot that customise dialogue first if you're not sure - I can't remember what's in it.


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Posted on
Thu Apr 14, 2016 2:35 pm
WHTNUKL offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

It's been awhile since I posted, but I've been trying things as my patience allows. I'm running Indigo 6, but it appears I still have Indigo 5 on my computer. I thought the upgrade to 6 would have taken 5 off, but it still shows up in my applications.

I also learned that the system is using 2 sources for sunrise / sunset. There's an old source that I haven't been able to update, and the new source that works properly. I found this by letting the lights turn on automatically (~2 hours before sunset), turn off the lights manually before the 2nd source turns them back on at the correct time (ex: Auto on at 5, manual turn off at 6, auto turn on at 7). Same goes for turning off the lights at dawn.

I tried unplugging the individual modules to get them to reset, but no luck. I also reset the CM15A, still no luck.

With all that, how do I uninstall Indigo 5? How do I reset the modules? Where could this "phantom" wrong data be coming from?

Thanks.....John

Posted on
Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:26 pm
jay (support) offline
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Re: Can't Get Sunrise / Sunset To Work Properly

There are directions to Uninstall Indigo 5 in the Indigo 5 docs.

I'm not sure I'm following you - there is only one calculation/source for sunrise/sunset in Indigo. If you have multiple schedules set up to run at sunrise/sunset (perhaps with a -/+ associated with it) then that's likely the source of confusion. In your Event Log, you should see all schedule executions so it should show what the name of the schedule is that's causing your lights to go on each time.

Jay (Indigo Support)
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