Apex behaving badly

[Bluefool]

So, yesterday, I did a lot of work on my tank, so I used the web page to shut my Metal Halides down so I wouldn't cook while I was working.

I reset it to auto when I was done.

Now, the Apex is refusing to turn the lights on. The exact same programming as yesterday, but now it seems it doesn't understand the conditions. They will turn on manually, but that isn't why I dropped $500 on a controller!

Here is the outlet program; anyone see anything that may have caused this?

Fallback OFF
Set Off
If Sun 060/-060 Then ON
If Temp > RT+0.9 Then OFF
Min Time 020:00 Then OFF

 

[Bluefool]

Oh, *sigh*. I found the problem. The high quality device I purchased has yet another outlet stuck on....one of the heaters. Sure am happy I was home.

 

[Bluefool]

The saga continues. All 8 outlets on my DC8 were stuck on. I unplugged it, and now all 8 are dead. The apex, of course, says they are working fine. >.<

 

[aleonn]

Is your firmware updated for the base unit, as well as the other modules? I have two EB8's that both need to have the same firmware. I'm not sure how the DC8's are, but I assume similar.

 

[aleonn]

Also since you're using halides, I was wondering if the power draw on your DC8 was past the recommended amount? Again I don't know much about DC8s, but for the EB8 the limit is 15 amps. For high wattage devices like halides and ballasts, my understanding is that an EB4 would be more appropriate.

 

[swearint]

Fallback OFF
Set Off
If Sun 060/-060 Then ON
If Temp > RT+0.9 Then OFF
Min Time 020:00 Then OFF

This statement will keep the lights OFF for 20 minutes before allowing them to turn back ON. If you want them to turn on immediately, set them to Manual ON first, then Auto.

Since the DC8 is a legacy device, the Apex does not 'know' it is there. It tells it to turn ON/OFF, but I don't believe it has a way to confirm the status. How old is the DC8? I think the DC8 has a user serviceable fuse in it that may have tripped. We need a bit more info on how you have things set up.

Todd

 

[RussM]

Since the DC8 is a legacy device, the Apex does not 'know' it is there. It tells it to turn ON/OFF, but I don't believe it has a way to confirm the status.

Right Todd. As I understand it, the controller on the legacy bus sends out the desired state (on/off for a DCx) commands onto the bus, where all other devices on the bus then "hear" those commands; the peripheral then obeys the command if the command applies to it's X10 address(es). Communications are not bi-directional.. the peripheral does not reply with any form of acknowledgment. The controller periodically resends the desired state to all devices... every 5 minutes by default.

So, the point of this is that in Bluefool's case of the dead DC8, the Apex has no way to know if the DC8 is fine or not.

The new AquaBus is much "smarter".

 

[RussM]

All 8 outlets on my DC8 were stuck on. I unplugged it, and now all 8 are dead.

Just to be 100% on the same page... you do mean a DC8 and not an EB8?

 

[Bluefool]

Yep! Its a DC8, and you guys pretty much have it on the head. There is no way for a dc8 to "talk back" to an apex, so if something goes wildly wrong, the Apex has no clue and just keeps chugging along.

Huge amounts of research have happened between my last post and now: I now know the MH were off because both heaters were locked on and the tank was over temp. I put two heaters in *specifically* in case on locked on....it never occurred to me *all 8 outlets* would lock on.

My firmware is current, and working with Curt I've got an RMA for it. My sump looks like it exploded, having 8 outlets drop out from under your tank is *major*.

While it looks like Neptune will fix (at my cost for shipping) it, my confidence in the controller is long, long gone.

 

[apjohnson]

Strong argument for matching the generation of the gear...even though it's supposed to be backward compatible...

--AJ