Remote Controlled Socket

[woodchopper]

Not logical this one - Replaced the full set of remote controlled sockets in the living room because one controlling the up lighter wasn't working and others in the room were sticking on from time to time.
All the new ones are working fine except the one that controls the up lighter - no matter what r/c socket I put in its place, it will only switch on when the transmitter is only 12" away from it. so I remove the r/c socket and placed it in the kitchen where it works fine at any distance. And change the r/c sockets round but still the same result - no r/c socket works properly when plugged into that particular socket on the wall which is on the same ring main as the other sockets in the living room - the up-lighters are working fine.
Have re-programmed the r/c sockets several times but still the same result. They work fine in any other socket but not the up-lighter one
Opinions please.
Plugged a Ring main tester in to the offending socket and comes up as fine.

[barry1010]

Is there anything near the uplighter socket that could be affecting the remote?

[woodchopper]

Has direct line of sight and still only works at 12" or less.

[barry1010]

Does it work properly if you use a different socket with the uplighter plugged in?

[Hopkirk]

I may be barking up the wrong tree, but is your WiFi router anywhere near?

[Hymie]

The up-lighter is likely to be drawing a fairly low current (especially if the lights are LEDs) – which may impact the electronics ability to switch the load.

Test the remote socket with an increased load (more powerful appliance plugged into it) to see if this is the reason.

[Etch]

It'll almost certainly be due to radio frequency interference from something which is 'jamming' the signal from the remote and preventing the socket controller from correctly receiving it.

[woodchopper]

The r/c works fine plugged into other sockets anywhere in the house and at any distance - even changed the wall socket and still doesn't work at more than 12".
Router in another room.
Must be as Etch suggests and is getting jammed. Don't know by what though.

[Hymie]

Have you tried my suggestion?

[woodchopper]

Load is irrelevant Hymie - R/c socket s a simple radio controlled relay.
Load current is nothing to do with the switching unless it is excessive and the relay sticks.

[Etch]

Does the problem occur even when the up lighter is not plugged in? I'm thinking that perhaps a dimmer circuit in the up lighter might be the cause of the interference.

[Hymie]

The remote control sockets maybe using a triac rather than a relay to switch the load, if the load current is too low, the triac may not switch correctly.

[Hopkirk]

This may be a ridiculous suggestion, but maybe you will have to manually switch the light off and on.

[woodchopper]

Problem still occurs with up-lighter plugged in or not - the socket and up-lighter are behind a sofa (but not at the minute) so switching off manually ain't happening.

[Hopkirk]

Try switching off your router, to see if it is blocking the signal.

Another alternative would be to run an extension lead behind the sofa to a different socket, where the remote control does work.

[Hopkirk]

Perhaps the construction of the sofa is acting as a signal blocker.

[Hopkirk]

I notice you replaced them because the same one wasn't working. Whatever is now blocking it was probably blocking the old ones too.

[Tuvok]

Have you tried the light in a socket away from its nornal location?

If so does it work right?

Then try someting else that you know works elsewhere in the normal location of the light.

What happens?

If the light doesn't work in alternative location, then the light might be faulty.

Is the alternative item doesn't work in the lights normal location then there is something around that location causing the problem.