Xanax purchased Trace in the 1990's. Lucky for me, my 4024 was made in the USA. I subsequently have disassembled several Xantrex units. Piece by piece, I chased down spec sheets and found component specifications downgraded from when Trace was at the helm. 200 volt transistors were eliminated, 100-volt replaced them. 20-amp full wave bridge rectifiers were replaced by seven amp. Heat sink area was reduced. Quarter-watt resistors replaced by eighth watt.
The result is what the OP experienced - stuff ain't worth snot if it breaks and cannot be fixed. Landfill psychology has infused the market and if the great blond leader in the house of white has good sense he would mandate all large electronic products sold in the USA to have the means to be on-shore repairable.
Where is the "break-point?" I would have to nominate if the device rates as an appliance. What is happening today is a country is depleting natural resources at a staggering rate - manufacturing too much junk that ends up as landfill because the garbage is not repairable. TV flickers? throw it away. Microwave sits there and grins at you? Toss it. Mandate modular design that permits incremental repairs to be made. With the political insanity dealing with climate, few seem to realize coal-fired pollution is turning the Yellow Sea, The South China Sea, and Sea of Japan into a sterile acid bath. Then "their" trawlers come to the western hemisphere - to clear cut the ocean.
Bottom line: I recommend finding a repairable unit or units to resolve this problem. And avoid if at all possible Chinese garbage that has no possible linkage to repair parts and service.
