Ok...so being the cheapskate I am, I went against advice and got lucky finding a replacement indoor console on Ebay for relatively cheap. I figured it was worth a shot.

Bad news...the indoor console wasn't the problem. So now I have an extra...

Good news...I have everything back working again except for the 4-button spa-side remote. After some debug with significantly strange behavior, I've narrowed down to that function. As soon as I switch the 'remote' slider to 'auto' on the outside console, the indoor console freezes up.

So I have a temporary solution in place. My new questions are:

Does anyone know if this could be anything but a faulty spa-side remote? (Something more related to the outside control PCB?)

Assuming it is the remote...are the 4 button remotes that sell with the new Aqualink RS systems compatible with the old Aqualink that I have?

Assuming I can find a new remote on the cheap and they are compatible, how do I install it? (I have a couple of inches of slack on the installed remote but it looks like the wiring is sealed and is not intended to be cut close to the remote for weatherproofing purposes.)

Thanks in advance for any help...