I've got friend with a 4-year old tub. His tub has got Gecko controls:
top-side console : model TSC-8
main control board : 11409-01B

The control board was replaced about 3 months ago. After the new board was put in things seemed to work fine for about 2 months and then suddenly one day the top-side controls got scrambled. There are 8-buttons on the console and almost all of them no longer control their assigned function. Example - the JET-2 button activates the light, UP operates jet-2, JET-1 turns the temp down, etc etc.

Additionally, the display is whacked out. For the most part the display shows characters, but they don't map to anything meaningful. Water temp, for example, will show "301" when the temp is about 100 (best guess on this one). It seems to skip to "305" when the temp drops to 99. Adjusting the temp is a best-guess operation. You've got to figure out which button raises the temp, then crank it all the way up to 104 (it's max) and then figure out the "down" button and step the temp down to where you want it to be.

Is this a control board problem? Is this perhaps signaling the death of the top-side console? Is there simply some programming code that has to be entered into the control board?

We've done some rudimentary diagnosis - the jumper on the control board is set correctly (to "8-button console" and the connection and wires running to the console are clean. There's no obvious damage to the control board or the console.

Any help is appreciated.
- Bruce

I found this online:
"Technical Note: Never unplug topside under power. Always power
down first. It can cause the topside to display erratic numbers
& may take 1 hour or more for unplugged topside to reset itself."

Can this be related to my problem? Why does it take an hour for
the capacitance in the top-side controller to dissipate? This sounds
rather odd/confusing to me. Does anyone have any idea as to the
background of this technical note?

- Bruce

its amazing what time will do for a computer product to be unplugged.
its usually something that a cap is powering up and the capacitor must be killed before noraml operation.
i used to install satellite dishes i had recaievers that would not turn on when i got there inplug for 15 minutes they would turn on after plugging back in.. Crazy..
have you tried unpluggin it yet?

I had my friend power the spa down for a couple of hours. I assumed that this would be adequate (and that he wouldn't have to fish into the control box to actually unplug the top-side control). He left the unit off for over two hours and then powered it back on - no luck.

Since then I had a chat with another friend about this issue. The conversation got me to re-examine the text of the technical note. I noted the following in this subsequent read:
"... take 1 hour or more for unplugged topside to reset itself."

This has me considering that there may be multiple levels of capacitive memory in this design - some in the main control board and some more on the top-side. Perhaps the top-side contains the clock which has an internal capacitor while the main board has a capacity for a deeper charge. In any event, I'm going to head over to the spa today or tomorrow and actually unplug the top-side for an hour or two and see if that makes any difference. My head says that it's a fools errand, but my gut says "why not... what do I have to lose?"

nothing to loose, so true.. its possible theres a cap on the control board that could have kept it up good thinking there. Directions we dont need no stinking directions " title="Very Happy" />

No joy,
I powered down the spa and disconnected the top-side control for nearly two hours today. When I put things back together the top-side display and buttons were just as screwed up as before.

I had an opportunity to chat with my friend. When the tech was out to examine the spa, that person left and was hoping to get some "code". Does this sound right? Is there some programming/diagnostics mode that's available to these Gecko controls?

If the tech came out without a spare topside to test with, don't have him back out.

Call someone with a spare tsc-8 topside, or the willingness to order one for the sake of confirming/resolving the problem with your spa. They can power down, plug it in, and know immediately if the problem is in the main PCB or the topside itself. Don't pay someone to come out and guess or collect codes.

Guess what - somebody from Gecko Controls e-mailed me today and said "you need to contact a spa-tech - we don't deal with end-users"... harumph.

Thanks for your reply. There's a handful of spa-tech's in the Mass area but I'm thinking it'll cost just to get them to come out and take a peek. In that conversation with my friend I also found that things aren't going well with this particular dealer else I'd think we could just use them.