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Author Topic: XPS3 dead?  (Read 7159 times)

c0b4lt

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XPS3 dead?
« on: June 13, 2009, 08:53:38 AM »
so I installed a few XPS3's in my house to get some incandescent lights turned on automatically. they worked fine up until today. now today one of them doesn't work period. not even by manually toggling on and off at the switch. Do they go bad fairly quickly sometimes?

and before people ask the obvious yes i have verified there is electricity to the switch by swapping back to the original normal light switch that the XPS3 replaced.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2009, 08:57:28 AM by c0b4lt »
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Knightrider

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2009, 09:03:50 AM »
A long time ago (in a galaxy for, for away  ;D ), my rural electric cooperative was known for poor service (brown-outs, spikes and surges and the like)  seems to me like I lost a 3-way wall switch in a relatively short period of time.  I also had a Stanley garage door opener with X10 capabilities on the remote that kept frying the main board (stanley was real good about sending me new boards and a set of capacitors to even out the line).

Since the co-op replaced their lines (ice storm of 2005 took them out) I have no problems.

Long and winded story short, maybe you need to check into some line conditioning.
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c0b4lt

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2009, 05:09:57 PM »
Quote from: Knightrider on June 13, 2009, 09:03:50 AM
maybe you need to check into some line conditioning.

ok so i did a quick google on this and mostly what i find are devices that resemble surge protectors for home a/v equipment. is this what you were referring to? or was it something else? Some examples of what exactly you were referring to would help me a lot.
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Knightrider

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #3 on: June 13, 2009, 11:52:41 PM »
Try searching for "whole house surge suppressor".
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c0b4lt

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2009, 09:10:17 AM »
Ok, now is there a particular brand/model you'd suggest? or does it not matter so long as i get the correct one for which ever phase type(single or 3-phase) my main circuit breaker is wired for?
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Knightrider

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2009, 10:12:41 AM »
Sorry, but at this point, I can't.  I also cannot say for for sure that this expensive item will solve your problems.  You might need to find someone with someone with a logging meter to monitor the line for a period of time to diagnose the problems.

There's nothing worse in this world as buying a $75 - $1000 part only to have it not correct the situation.
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ggrote

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2009, 10:47:02 PM »
Hmmm ... I installed an XPS3 this morning and it seemed to work fine ... it was controlling 7 outside can lights in which I had installed 16W Sylvania CFL floods ... but this evening when I went to turn the lights on (manually) it didn't respond ... I'm a little baffled as to why it quit working so quickly ... I put the standard toggle switch back in so that I could turn on my lights tonight ... I bought a bunch of X-10 stuff for my projects, so I sure hope the rest of it holds up better ...  :-\
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ggrote

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2009, 09:48:15 PM »
Yep ... tested it again tonight and it's a goner ... got an RMA # and ordered another as well (so I'll have a spare) ... I didn't see enough comments in the forum to make me believe that there is something systematically wrong with these, and it's the best option for my application, so I may as well give it a fair shake ...
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dave w

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2009, 12:49:30 PM »
Maybe a bad lot from X10 China.

Do these XPS3 use the same solenoid/cam relay that the Appliance Module uses? (Brian H will know, I bet). I have had them stick in one state, although that should not be happening in new units.
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ggrote

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2009, 01:49:02 PM »
... then hopefully my replacement will be from a different lot?  But I doubt it ... however, if these two fail I will just send them back and look for another source for that module, hoping for a different batch.  I'm at work now, but I think the date code was 08H34 or something similar, so late Aug last year ...

This one failed open ... the "button" under the rocker seems fine from a tactile standpoint, but the relay no longer fires when the button is pushed ... I assume that the relay circuit is a relatively straightforward piece of electronics, but since it's still under warranty, I didn't want to crack it open to look for an obvious fix ... yeah, my wallet still rules over my curiosity ...   ;D
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Brian H

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2009, 06:20:29 PM »
I have never had an XPS3 apart, but do know the Appliance Modules ratchet. Is a coil activated by a small SCR. Triggered by an output from the microcontroller IC.
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ggrote

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2009, 09:14:41 PM »
Quick update ... bought a new module with date code 08H33 (so presumably made the week before my other one) ... installed it and it seems to be working perfectly ... set up a manual timer on my CM15A and it turned on correctly this evening, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed ...

(haven't returned my dead one ... got an RMA number and need to box it up this weekend)
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ggrote

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Re: XPS3 dead?
« Reply #12 on: September 27, 2009, 12:25:00 PM »
Another update ... 3 wks later and no problems with the switch ... just got my warranty replacement (i.e., I finally remembered to send my dead one back) and it has date code 09F25, so it was just made this past June ... no plans for it right now beyond being a spare.
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