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[sroberts]

I gambled $20 and lost on an XPCR from eBay.  It worked like a little champ for about 3 days then locked up.  I'd heard they tend to lock up every couple months, something maybe I could live with for some time but I was surprised it happened so soon.  After resetting, it sprang to life for another 3 days.  But the next reset didn't revive the sucker and it's light will blink no more.

In a week or so it will arrive at it's final resting place, a landfill outside of Atlanta.  Although I suppose I really should look into e-cycling it, along with a bunch of other useless toxic electronics I've collected over the years.

Steve

[dave w]

In a week or so it will arrive at it's final resting place, a landfill outside of Atlanta. 

Probably too late to save it, but I believe my XPCR had tiny "feeler wire" fuses on the PC board. Also X10 would probably replace it if you had the invoice/receipt.

[sroberts]

Thanks!   I found them, F1 through F3.  But they all have continuity.      And everything else in the box looks nice and fresh, for what that's worth.

[dave w]

Thanks!   I found them, F1 through F3.  But they all have continuity.      And everything else in the box looks nice and fresh, for what that's worth.

Wow, that is too bad because I have recommended the XPCR many times when the poster indicates they don't want to purchase a "flamethrower" repeater due to cost. We really don't see posts about failure of the XPCR except for the hang problem.  Did you contact X10, they may replace it.

[sroberts]

The eBay seller is replacing it.... something almost unheard of for an eBay seller!  I'd mention the name but that might be frowned upon here. 

[Brian H]

There are a few EBay X10 dealers that stand behind their sales 100%.

[dave w]

The eBay seller is replacing it.... something almost unheard of for an eBay seller!  I'd mention the name but that might be frowned upon here. 

Well, we mention Smarthome.com here all the time and X10.com has never edited us. Look at it this way, the eBay seller is still selling X10 products. I think that is the way X10 looks at it.

[sroberts]

I received the replacement and it was DOA.  These things are not difficult to hook up and I've been so careful with them.   I opened it up, checked the fuse links, then hooked it up again hot and measured the voltages to make sure it was getting power - across the fuse links, blk-wht and red-wht measured 124v, blk-red 248v.  No sign of damage whatsoever.   So I'm guessing something is awry with the signaling side of the circuitry.  The LED does not light for commands and signals from my CM11A do not reach cross-phase devices.   

[JeffVolp]

You may have a noise source that is making it impossible for the XPCR to decode the incoming X10 signal.

Jeff

[sroberts]

I have the CM11A and XPCR wired local to each other, I tried the CM11A on each phase, but with no result.  I've unplugged the common noise culprits and the CM11A can communicate with devices on its phase with no trouble.  Yet the XPCR does not blink, and I've not found any evidence that it repeats any commands across the other phase.

[Dan Lawrence]

Sounds to me that Jeff is correct.  Something you have is blocking X10 signals since all your tests are unable to make it work.  Wiring the CM11A and the XPCR together seems to be the wrong thing to do.

[sroberts]

I hadn't had the CM11A and XPCR wired on the same breaker until I started troubleshooting....  I wired an outlet in parallel with the red-wht XPCR wires and plugged in the CM11A, figuring if the XPCR couldn't hear X10 at close proximity then it likely is deaf.   I also tried the other direction, blk-wht.  My plug-in and wire-in modules on the same phase hear the CM11A, so if there is noise it is of a kind that only affects the coupler.  But that seems unlikely.

My last XPCR worked great for several days and I've not added any new noise sources, but instead I've reduced noise by unplugging about everything in the house, trying to get the coupler working.

I don't see any obvious test points on it so I suppose I'm at the point of returning it.

[sroberts]

Jeff, I read about the XTB-IIR and that looks like the best solution once I get through a financial squeeze.  Maybe it's a slim chance but I'd hate to find that either my power source or wiring is causing the malfunction and have that happen to an XTB-IIR.  What is the likelyhood of that?

[Noam]

I... I've not added any new noise sources, but instead I've reduced noise by unplugging about everything in the house, trying to get the coupler working...

It is possible that the noise could be coming from outside your house.
I had that happen to me. A neighbor across the street (but on the same pole transformer) had a failing CFL bulb in one of his porch lights. When it was on, it produced enough noise to drown out my X10 signals, even WITH the XTB-IIR.
I was having trouble tracking the problem down, since it was only happening at night, and nothing in my house was changing between the time it would work and the time it wouldn't.
I finally asked the neighbor to turn off his outside lights for a minute, and the problem went away.
I bought him a pair of new CFL's.

[JeffVolp]

Maybe it's a slim chance but I'd hate to find that either my power source or wiring is causing the malfunction and have that happen to an XTB-IIR.  What is the likelyhood of that?

I doubt that anything on the powerline short of a nearby lightning strike will take out the XTB-IIR.

A few of the early units were damaged by not having a good neutral connection, but I redesigned the coupling circuits and surge protectors to withstand the full 240V.

Since that change one XTB-IIR was damaged by a nearby lightning strike that took out one of its opto-isolators (and also damaged some other equipment in the customer's home).  It was a quick and inexpensive repair.

Jeff