auto timer

J

jackal4eva

New member
can anyone recommend a good automatic timer with 3 prongs? The ones I got from reefgeek have stopped working - they keep resetting / shorting out. the batteries may be out - but that wouldnt trigger them to reset while plugged in.

thanks
anu
 
I Have had great success with the Coralife Digital timers strips, although a little pricey. Or ytou can go with the intermatic dial type you get at home depot..hiot or miss there.

Or..go for the ReefKeeper Light 1 basic package for 99 bucks. You get so much more than jsut timers with it, and if you need a lot of timers it is not much more compared to functionality.
 
Running a nano, so I only really need 2 timers... Maybe I can find a 3 prong at Home Depot - relic concept, but as long as they work.
 
I know they are more expensive, but last time I looked at HD (or Lowe's can't remember... probably both) they had exterior digital timers with two outlets in them (unfortunately, they are not independently controlled). I've had 0 problems with that and they aren't as easy to knock as the wheel ones. For that matter, they do make exterior wheel ones that have covers on them, which are better than the regular ones.

Every year HD/Lowe's sell really cheap digital ones for Christmas... but being really cheap I've never had one last more than a month, if I'm lucky.

I am really surprised that the timers that seem to be relatively affordable do not seem to have caught up with the times... it's 2009... we're supposed to be flying cars and be only a few years away from the hoverboards in Back to the Future.
 
I've not had good experiences with the dual outlet Intermatic timers from HD. I bought 6 since February and 3 of them have already failed. On the other hand, Intermatic also makes a single outlet timer that has little "pegs" that you can remove and place where you want them. The ones that I have come with three sets of pegs and I remove all except one set. I have 9 of them and none have ever failed. Some have been running since 2000.

HTH
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15161880#post15161880 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shirley386
I've not had good experiences with the dual outlet Intermatic timers from HD. I bought 6 since February and 3 of them have already failed. On the other hand, Intermatic also makes a single outlet timer that has little "pegs" that you can remove and place where you want them. The ones that I have come with three sets of pegs and I remove all except one set. I have 9 of them and none have ever failed. Some have been running since 2000.

HTH
Click to expand...

+1 The dial intermatic's work pretty good with the single outlet. I have a dual outlet which is not the one DMBillies is talking abut, but the same as Shirley and it works great too.
 
The peg ones definitely work well, but they are pretty easy to accidentally reset or move when you are digging through your wires.

I figured intermatic was a decent brand and never had problems with their digital timer (going on 3 years I believe)... thus the recommendation.

I have had problems with a lot of other ones. I don't really understand why, as a rule, they are pieces of junk...
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15162313#post15162313 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DMBillies
The peg ones definitely work well, but they are pretty easy to accidentally reset or move when you are digging through your wires.

I figured intermatic was a decent brand and never had problems with their digital timer (going on 3 years I believe)... thus the recommendation.

I have had problems with a lot of other ones. I don't really understand why, as a rule, they are pieces of junk...
Click to expand...

I just think it's luck of the draw Brian. I have purchased timers "on sale" near Christmas that are hunks of junk, yet the regular ones I get in the light aisle seem to last better.

I also think the load you put on them has alot to do with it. Often those timers are not meant for high loads. they are meant to run a light while you are away. 60-150w is a whole lot different than 750-1000w. :-) Just my 2 cents.
 
I bought an outdoor digital timer. it has two timed plugs and one untimed one. all 3 prong. automatically adjusts for DST.
 
The Dual Coralife Power Center works very well for me. At $35 it is really not that expensive. The dual is very nice in that it allows your Actinics to be on a reverse schedule with a sump/refugium light while still maintaining a separate schedule for your daylights.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15164171#post15164171 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeveSSL
:lol:

You can make that payable to me. ;)

Brandon
Click to expand...

That is the lamest throwback I have seen from you yet Brandon. Heh...I would have at least expected the "bill me" clause some where lol, or perhaps the "will you take a check" comment fd by "can I borrow a check from you" follow up..LOL

well..it was funny to me anyways hehe.
 
I have a dual Coralife that I got on sale for $28. It's been fine for over a year for me, but they have a history of shorting out or catching on fire, so I hope to replace mine with a RKL.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15163957#post15163957 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeveSSL
My vote is for an RKL @ $99. :D

Brandon
Click to expand...

In fairness, this isn't that "radical" of an idea if you need a couple of timers and think you could benefit from or save money on any other pieces of equipment (for example a DJ switch strip).

I really wish I knew I would be in reefing as long as I have been when I started. I would have saved my nickels for a controller right off of the bat.

$25 for a decent timer (daylights)
$25 for another decent timer (actinics)
$25 for another timer (sump light)

+ temp controller

Well worth it... IMO... and, in my experience, controllers do not lose their value exceptionally quickly like a lot of other piece of reef equipment.
 
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