I am attempting to install a 3-way Switchlinc slave/master system. I got both of the switches installed, threw the breaker, and now have the following happening:

1) My slave switch doesn't work at all.
2) The master will turn the lights on, but it buzzes a lot and when the lights get to full brightness, it either cuts them off or dims back down until they're off.
3) My IR543 will turn the lights on, but again when they get to full brightness, they cut off.

Anybody have any suggestions? I think that the problem might lie somewhere in the neutral wire hookup for the master switch. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Let me see if I can help here.

Unlike standard three-way switches, the master and slave are not interchangeable; the master must be installed at the switch location closest (electrically-speaking) to the load; otherwise, the slave receives no power when the load is off.

It sounds like you may have miswired the switches. Please document the connections of each device, master and slave, and report back here.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

Larry -

Thanks for your reply. If it helps, I'm using the Switchlinc 2380 as the master and a 2382 as the slave.

Before I started and with the old switches removed, i used a volt meter to test which switch was hot; I installed the slave in place of that switch and installed the master in the other box. I'm pretty sure this is how the directions read, but since this is my first time delving into replacing switches... But as for the individual wires, I've double- and triple-checked the connections and I'm fairly positive they match up to the instructions.

Some other info about the set up:

*Box 1 (the one I installed the slave in) is a two-gang box with a second switch for other lights on another circuit.
*Box 2 (the master) is a three-gang box that includes a switch controling another three-way light (a switched outlet).
*Examining Box 1, I realized there might not be a neutral wire. There were two white wires nutted together, but on closer inspection I believe they are connected to the switch on the other circuit. If there's no neutral, I'm pretty hosed with these modules, right? (the house was built in 1964 and the lights are in an addition that was constructed in '84, but I'm not sure when the circuit was first set up.)
*Box 2 has two sheathed bundles of wires. Bundle A has a black wire and a white wire, and I determined that the black wire was the hot wire; the white wire was nutted with another white wire coming in the other side of the box. Bundle B has three wires, black, red, & white. I believe the black is the load and the red is the traveler. The white wire here was nutted with a BLACK wire coming in the other side of the box. I nutted the neutral wire for the X10 switch with these two wires. There are no other wires in the box associated with this circuit (except bare ground wires).

I hope this makes some sense. Sorry for drawn out descriptions. Given the situation with the neutral wires, I'm thinking it might be best to go back and get the models that don't require neutral lines, but I'd appreciate any input. Thanks.

I think I know what you are talking about, I has a similar set up in my house and here's what I found. The power cable from the breaker box ran directly to the light fixture. From there a 14/2 wire ran to my first switch, the white was hot and the black was the return hot, in other words if I took these 2 wires and connected them together the light would come on. I had to replace this wire with a 14/3 wire, which supplied my missing neutral and cured all my problems. You said some of the box's are multiganged, If any of the other wires are on the same breaker and have a neutral this would solve your problems.

Okay, Jed, I have enough info to see what's wrong. First of all, the black/white splice is NOT a neutral connection, the two whites are. (I hope you haven't damaged the slave unit.) Lets's see if I can help you here:

Travelers always travel in pairs: three-way switches each have one dark terminal, the 'commons', and two lighter terminals, which connect to the travelers. One common is always hot, and the other common goes to the load; the travelers interconnect the two three-way switches.

When replacing three-ways, it's important to note which wire connects to each common terminal; marking them is even better. Too late, right? Okay, there's always hope. Here's what most likely was originally done:

The black/white splice in box #2 is the incoming hot (black) connecting to the white (still hot; one of the code exceptions) that runs to box #1, where it should have been connected to the common there, leaving the black and red as the travelers.

Ignoring the wires attached to the other switch, there are a black, red, and white from a single 'bundle' (cable) at box #1, right? These three wires were attached to the three-way, and nothing else, yes?

Back at box #2, the other end of the black and red travelers connected to that three-way, and the remaining black is the switched output to the load. So there should be two blacks and one red to connect there. Any of this sound familiar?

If I'm right, here's what you should do (with the circuit off, of course):

At the slave switch position (box #1), connect the white wire to the slave's neutral, the black to the slave's line (either one if there are two), and the red to the slave's yellow (traveler, remote, etc.)

At the master switch position (box #2), first undo all of your connections, and set the master aside. Disconnect the white (of the black/red/white bundle) from the black/white connection and connect it to the two whites already connected together; connect the black of the black/red/white bundle to the black you just removed the white from.

Now, pick up the master: add its black to the two blacks you just joined; add its white to the two whites you just joined; connect its yellow to the red (of the black/red/white bundle); connect its red to the remaining black wire.

This should take care of it. Let us know.

Larry
www.fineelectricco.com

Thanks guys; that makes what I looked at in the wall make a lot more sense! I'll give it a shot tomorrow and report back. Happy New Year to all!
Jason

Worked perfect and the lights are up and running! Thanks Larry & RWI for all your help.

One last question: The Switchlinc continues to make a low buzzing sound when the lights are on (it's louder when the lights are dimmed). Is this normal? Thanks again.
Jason

Yes, it is normal, as the greatest amount of power is dissipated when dimmed to 1/2 to 2/3 of full on. There is usually a series inductor (as a noise filter) that may vibrate, and, often bulb filaments themselves 'sing' when dimmed.