Anyone else have problems with the coralife digital timer powerstrip

[tkimmons85]

I have one of these on my pico right now and I have had nothing but problems from these. I have gone through 6 powerstrips thats right SIX !!
Its always the same problem too, the auto function will just quit working at random and then the point of the powerstrip is just useless. I have been in contact with the manufacturer and they have excellent customer service ( cause I actually have only paid for two units, the rest were replacements sent by the company). But what good is good customer service if you dont have a good product to stand behind. Just wonderin if Im the only one dealing with the same problem.

 

[tkimmons85]

Also I dont really want to buy a controller for my pico. Any other ideas on what I can use besides this POS coralife to operate my lights on my pico. I need something that can turn my LED's off and my moonlights on and vice versa.

 

[AdrianBryce]

I have one and have zero problems. I have had it for a year, plus I got it used. Sorry for your bad luck. I am having a buddy on N-R build me an arduino controller for my LEDs that gradually turns them on and off (simulating an actual day cycle) The total cost will be like 75 bucks. and in the future I can just expand it to run the whole tank.

 

[rumble]

I have one too, but I can't really vouch for it other than that it suffers from at least one major design flaw - the power switch. It has two main functions:

1. Kill power to everything plugged into it.
2. Erase all your timer settings and kick you in the groin for good measure.

So I don't use the power switch, but that leaves one problem. My 2 year old son is a ninja, and he has a fascination with switches right now. I put a child safety lock on the cabinet, but sometimes I'll have the cabinet open for a minute or two and somehow he'll end up with a devilish grin on his face and his finger on the switch.

Anyway, I never had the switch lose settings on it's own, I just got tired of spending the time programming it every couple of days.

 

[AdrianBryce]

I have one too, but I can't really vouch for it other than that it suffers from at least one major design flaw - the power switch. It has two main functions:

1. Kill power to everything plugged into it.
2. Erase all your timer settings and kick you in the groin for good measure.

So I don't use the power switch, but that leaves one problem. My 2 year old son is a ninja, and he has a fascination with switches right now. I put a child safety lock on the cabinet, but sometimes I'll have the cabinet open for a minute or two and somehow he'll end up with a devilish grin on his face and his finger on the switch.

Anyway, I never had the switch lose settings on it's own, I just got tired of spending the time programming it every couple of days.

Battery Backup :thumbsup:

Though I don't take my own advice. LOL.

 

[rumble]

Battery Backup :thumbsup:

I'm no electrician, but wouldn't it be easier to just remove the switch? :rollface:

 

[Pike614]

look around on RC, lots of reports of these catching fire also.....invest in a ReefKeeper!!

 

[AdrianBryce]

I'm no electrician, but wouldn't it be easier to just remove the switch? :rollface:

Not if you're not an electrician...LOL

You might be right. Or you could just super glue that puppy down.

 

[tkimmons85]

Hmmm adrian I def would love some more info on the controller your talking about

 

[Mikeyjer]

I have one of these timers and I've been using it for about 4-5yrs without any issues. You must put the battery within for backup so you don't have to re-program it all the time. I have never once re-program it since I had it up and running, even when I moved it kept the same schedule. The only time when I had to re-program it is during daylight savings....

 

[tkimmons85]

The six that I have had did all the same thing. I would unplugg a power cord and the digital readout would reset. After that the auto function would no longer work, even after reprograming. Some lasted a month some lasted 1 day.

 

[CeeGee]

look around on RC, lots of reports of these catching fire also.....invest in a ReefKeeper!!

I have read that in the past. Not a lot on it these days because no one uses these devices anymore due to the risk of fire. If it were me I would unplug it immediately. Not worth the risk.

 

[tkimmons85]

Ya Ive read all the post about it catching fire. The customer service rep I talked to said that this was a problem with the old design. He said that the problem was taken care of, but now they are dealing with circuit board problems. Prob what Im dealing with. He said they just released a brand new design that should have all the bugs worked out. The new design had round plug receptacles that can twist to shut. So he sent me a new one to replace bad powerstrip #5, I get the new one yesterday and today it goes bad. I just dont see how they stay in business with product quality that bad.

 

[tkimmons85]

Thought you guys might get a kick out of these. Found these in another RC thread

Hmmmmmmm

 

[rumble]

That's crazy...are you plugging the timer directly into an outlet, or is it plugged into a surge suppressor?

 

[rumble]

LOL that is funny... From the description, it would seem the safest place to have one of these is on the shelf of the store collecting dust. I'm keeping mine though, if only because I attached it to my stand with double-sided tape and I can't get it to come off now.

 

[tkimmons85]

I have mine plugged into a standard wall outlet.

 

[rumble]

Hmm, I wonder if it's getting zapped? You've had quite a few bad ones in a row, and it reminds me of a couple years ago when I kept going through Dell power adapters for my notebook, until finally I added a surge protector and the problem went away. (The Coralife timers have a circuit breaker that would presumably help prevent fires due to overload, but they don't have protection from power surges that I can tell.)

 

[shanealanbeaty]

Mine just went out two days ago.

 

[AdrianBryce]

The six that I have had did all the same thing. I would unplugg a power cord and the digital readout would reset. After that the auto function would no longer work, even after reprograming. Some lasted a month some lasted 1 day.

With mine. If I reprogram it the auto doesn't work until it cycles through the times. Like I will set it and then will have to turn it to "on" and then to "auto" (which will turn the light off) and the next day it catches up to itself.