Jandy Aqualink PDA / reality mismatch

[bakerj7]

I recently acquired a home with a Jandy Aqualink system. Seems like a cool system on paper.
The PDA has been problematic from day 1. Struggles to connect, disconnects, gotta hit a button five times before its recognized, etc. From other threads seems like that's a common problem, but I've been able to work with it, despite the frustration.
The bigger problem is that the system is not doing what I've programmed it to do, nor is the equipment doing what the PDA is telling me. Right this minute, the PDA tells me it's in Spillover mode, yet I watch it a few minutes and it's clearly in Clean mode. I toggled power on the Aqualink system, and now it's worse - the PDA is in a repeated connecting/disconnected cycle. Sometimes it stays connected for a bit (< minute). But never enough to do anything useful (like update the time, which is now wrong).
The PDA sez ...
Model PDA-PS8
TYPE COMBO
FIRMWARE
PPD PDA. 5.0
J-Box: 4.0
HANDHELD: 3.0
PWR CNTR BAT LOW
TIME CAL -17 6

I looked in the panel for that 9v battery and there's nothing there. No battery, no connectors, nuthin. Just an empty socket where a 9v would fit.

Any help appreciated. I'd rather not bite the bullet on a new PCB or PDA if there is a simple fix ...

 

[1poolman1]

I recently acquired a home with a Jandy Aqualink system. Seems like a cool system on paper.
The PDA has been problematic from day 1. Struggles to connect, disconnects, gotta hit a button five times before its recognized, etc. From other threads seems like that's a common problem, but I've been able to work with it, despite the frustration.
The bigger problem is that the system is not doing what I've programmed it to do, nor is the equipment doing what the PDA is telling me. Right this minute, the PDA tells me it's in Spillover mode, yet I watch it a few minutes and it's clearly in Clean mode. I toggled power on the Aqualink system, and now it's worse - the PDA is in a repeated connecting/disconnected cycle. Sometimes it stays connected for a bit (< minute). But never enough to do anything useful (like update the time, which is now wrong).
The PDA sez ...
Model PDA-PS8
TYPE COMBO
FIRMWARE
PPD PDA. 5.0
J-Box: 4.0
HANDHELD: 3.0
PWR CNTR BAT LOW
TIME CAL -17 6

I looked in the panel for that 9v battery and there's nothing there. No battery, no connectors, nuthin. Just an empty socket where a 9v would fit.

Any help appreciated. I'd rather not bite the bullet on a new PCB or PDA if there is a simple fix ...

Your board likely is newer and uses a CR 2032 button battery on the board itself. It just backs up the clock so that the schedule is not lost if there is a power outage.

 

[bakerj7]

Could that battery have anything to do with connecting problems with pda? Its probably not been replaced in a long time. And it's outside in Phoenix in afternoon sun = HEAT.

 

[1poolman1]

Could that battery have anything to do with connecting problems with pda? Its probably not been replaced in a long time. And it's outside in Phoenix in afternoon sun = HEAT.

Not likely as it just sits there until the power goes out then keeps the time memory alive for a while.

 

[bakerj7]

Thank you. Trying to find that battery, you helped me find multiple cascading problems - woohoo! For posterity ...
1. the 9v battery compartment was empty because the 9v battery connector was not run to the compartment, it was behind the panel. I fished it out and ran it to the little compartment.
2. the 9v battery was old and dead.
3. the old battery was stuck so hard into the connector that I had to use pliers to pull it out, damaging the connector in the process.
4. Cut wires, splice in new connector, run it to the compartment where it belongs.
5. Check the "new" battery before installing! The one I was about to install was also dead.
6. PDA acting screwy, buttons not responding, constantly losing connection and reconnecting, programs being lost, pool not doing what it's programmed to do ... all advice points to change the frequency.
7. If changing to a different frequency doesn't fix it, try another. And another. It took me four different frequencies to find one that worked.
8. Position antenna properly. Mine was around a corner. I just lowered it a bit so part of it extends around the corner.
9. All good now. PDA is sitting next to me as I type this, and has been connected and stable and responding for 10 minutes.

Thank you again.