EZRain/EZFlora Irrigation Controller Issues!

[GDavis01]

I have 3 EZRain/EZFlora Irrigation Controllers controlling 17 sprinkler zones. Recently I noticed that for one of the controllers, which only has 2 zones connected,  the Admin Console shows all 8 zones with the exclamation point beside the devices! I have unplugged and replugged the controller without a change. When I start up the Admin Console I only get an error message (cannot communicate...) for one of the 2 zones.

 

Interestingly I can still control the zones manually and with programs!  One of the 2 zones shows a status of OFF regardless of whether it's is ON or OFF. The other zone (which is the one that had the 'cannot communicate' error) doesn't show any status!

 

Any ideas on how I can resolve this issue?

[GDavis01]

Bump... 

 

Any ideas on why the controller would generate communication errors but still allows the zones to operate?

[Brian H]

Have you tried the problem EZFlora in a different location as a test?

If you do a Show Devices Links Table test and then use the compare tab. Do the links in the EZFlora and the ISY Links Table match?

[mwester]

Bump... 

 

Any ideas on why the controller would generate communication errors but still allows the zones to operate?

 

Perhaps it's as simple as the device can hear the controller (and thus act on the commands), but the controller cannot hear the device (thus marks it as having comms errors).  I think that device is based on the nefarious Insteon PLM -- which is known to have odd communications issues just before it fails, right after the 2-year mark -- that may be another explanation.

[GDavis01]

Thanks for the replies. I was away for the last week! 

 

Have you tried the problem EZFlora in a different location as a test?

If you do a Show Devices Links Table test and then use the compare tab. Do the links in the EZFlora and the ISY Links Table match?

 

I moved the EZFlora and the transformer to another circuit and that didn't change anything!

 

I tried the Show Device Links Table diagnostic test and I get the error "Failed reading device link [-200000/-5]" 

 

 

Perhaps it's as simple as the device can hear the controller (and thus act on the commands), but the controller cannot hear the device (thus marks it as having comms errors).  I think that device is based on the nefarious Insteon PLM -- which is known to have odd communications issues just before it fails, right after the 2-year mark -- that may be another explanation.

 

After reading your reply I searched for communication problems with the EZFlora controller and see that others have experienced similar problems and have been, as you suggest, attributing it to the same problem as the failing PLM's!!

 

Does anyone know if they changed board in the new dual band units? I would hate to buy another expensive controller and find out that it will fail in 2 years! (I see that the warranty is only 1 year on this unit!)

[Brian H]

The Dual Band 2413 Base PLM boards where the ones with the power supply issues.

The older ones with the power line only 2412 Base PLM boards didn't have the same power supply issue but maybe old enough to have just failed. Due to age.

 

The latest hardware {2.0 and above} 2413 PLM boards are supposed to have updated parts in the power supply area.

If you are handy. The same capacitors we replaced in the 2413S PLM will also work in the base 2413 board in the EZflora.

http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/13866-repair-of-2413s-plm-when-the-power-supply-fails/