Digital Aquatics Archon Owners Thread
- Thread starter skripo
- Start date
atreis
New member
In case others have the same, what was the issue?
shellsea
Member
I had to exchange my first Archon for a replacement. Whether or not that had anything to do with it we do not know but my issue was that my modem had assigned an IP address to the Archon that we just could not connect to wirelessly. A hard wire connection worked fine. So Pickupman helped me assign a new wi fi ip to the Archon as spelled out in earlier posts. Problem solved. Again thanks to Pickup for taking time on a Saturday to assist.
shellsea
Member
Old PC 4's Power Outage
Old PC 4's Power Outage
Just a quick tip for anyone who may face the same situation as I did. I have 4 old PC 4's and a few minutes after following the DA recommended interrupted program update procedure before using w/ the Archon, one of my PC 4's lost power. I tried to toggle the reset button, checked breakers, tried a different wall outlet but it would not even show amber power light. I sent a support mail to DA to see if there might be a fuse or something I could change to salvage it. I got an immediate response (Way to go DA!!!) and was told to try to do the program update again without the interruption. That did it! So if you ever have a module that seems to have "blown a fuse" try a reprogram procedure w/ MyReef.
Old PC 4's Power Outage
Just a quick tip for anyone who may face the same situation as I did. I have 4 old PC 4's and a few minutes after following the DA recommended interrupted program update procedure before using w/ the Archon, one of my PC 4's lost power. I tried to toggle the reset button, checked breakers, tried a different wall outlet but it would not even show amber power light. I sent a support mail to DA to see if there might be a fuse or something I could change to salvage it. I got an immediate response (Way to go DA!!!) and was told to try to do the program update again without the interruption. That did it! So if you ever have a module that seems to have "blown a fuse" try a reprogram procedure w/ MyReef.
So I am having somewhat of the same issue as the other guys was with loss of connection when an alarm triggers. I have an alarm that triggers when the first of 3 MH lights come on it will shut off 1/2 of my heaters. Thats for AMP draw as well as I the lights will warm the tank as well. I see my version went to 1.09.29 and since then it has screwed up daily. When that light turns on and triggers that alarm the Archon loses connection. It goes into its emergency programming, but the amber light is still on on the archon. So I shut everything off and back on and 50% of the time the Archon has no connection to the outputs or it loses all the programming. ALl the outputs will be back to just channel numbers with everything off, but the power bars stay on their emergency programming. This is extremely frustrating. I am leaving thursday for a week and at this point dont trust this thing at all.
n2585722
Well-known member
That sounds like it might be a buss issue. Is it the alarm that is doing it or is it the light itself that is causing it? I remember that MH lighting electronic ballast used to mess with the RKE also. Can you try it without the alarm? Also try reseating your buss connectors on your modules.
Yes I tried it without the alarm and it worked fine. I have 2 other MH lights as well and they all fire and run fine. Its not as soon as the light turns on either. Its Id say about 5-6 seconds into the light turning on. And it loses connection. I tried unplugging and replugging everything back together. I moved that light from one PC4 to a different one with no alarm and it worked fine. As soon as I programmed the alarm, right back to it. THen I turn the alarm off and it still does it. Its like as soon as the alarm is programmed with that particular plug it affects it forever and I have to move it to another outlet. The other part I dont understand is how the Archon loses its programming. I powered off the Archon and all the PC4s, turned the archon back on and then the pc4s and it lost all its programming. We have a power outage here a few weeks back and it did it then too, when the power came back on, all the programming was gone.
Pretty well frustrated. The Archon has lost its programming now 4 times in 2 days. It wont connect to the modules anymore. I power it all on and the lights turn green for a few seconds and then flash red and go into lost communication settings. Ive tried connect just 1 PC4 at a time and no success. Ive tried just about everything I can think of. About ready to go back to the RKE, sell this and go with neptune. This is just the major issues too. Ive had smaller ones along the way that Ive managed to solve. Its gotten so bad when my wife sees me standing by the fish tank she immediately asks whats wrong with the controller now.
I emailed DA and they responded asking for my software and hardware version and said they have an update for me once I got them the versions. I dont know what that means, and why do they have an update that they arent releasing? Are they waiting for peoples equipment to fail before they release the cure?
I emailed DA and they responded asking for my software and hardware version and said they have an update for me once I got them the versions. I dont know what that means, and why do they have an update that they arent releasing? Are they waiting for peoples equipment to fail before they release the cure?
And after 5 emails, and 3 phone calls with voicemails, this supposed update has not come to reality. No response from anyone. Coming to expect that. This product is awesome....when it works. But the customer service is absolutely the worst I have ever experienced. Inexcusable. 99.9% of the issues I have encountered I have fixed myself with the help of n2585722 who is more help than any employee there. He ought to get their pay check. Just ticks me off so bad. All of a sudden nothing works and I didnt change a thing.
janes_mw
Active member
Well, I haven't posted for a while. Just been letting mine accumulate time. I can say that it does consistently lose communication with the server but it runs ok, I just can't "talk to it". I have to reset it about once a week. Not sure what the trigger event is, but it is frustrating.
Right now I have only my CaRx being controlled and two other devices that are continuous run as well as pH monitor and temp monitor. My good ole RKE is controlling the important stuff (CaRx is important, but it basically runs open loop the way I have it set up, so not critical that Archon is working 100%).
Is this acceptable, HECK NO. I won't even update to the last updates because of the past issues updating (bricked two units which had to be replaced). Is the phone service at DA crap, YUP. Is the email service crap, YUP. Only reason I have hung on is Eric answers my texts and helps and the beta users help alot.
I just broke down my 120 which had the RKE running and I piggy backed the 300 onto it. Right now, I will be hooking all the main functions to the RKE. I will give the Archon a few more months, but getting close to pulling the plug on it. Nobody can say I haven't been fair on this issue, but DA needs to get their poop in a group and act like a real company.
mike
Right now I have only my CaRx being controlled and two other devices that are continuous run as well as pH monitor and temp monitor. My good ole RKE is controlling the important stuff (CaRx is important, but it basically runs open loop the way I have it set up, so not critical that Archon is working 100%).
Is this acceptable, HECK NO. I won't even update to the last updates because of the past issues updating (bricked two units which had to be replaced). Is the phone service at DA crap, YUP. Is the email service crap, YUP. Only reason I have hung on is Eric answers my texts and helps and the beta users help alot.
I just broke down my 120 which had the RKE running and I piggy backed the 300 onto it. Right now, I will be hooking all the main functions to the RKE. I will give the Archon a few more months, but getting close to pulling the plug on it. Nobody can say I haven't been fair on this issue, but DA needs to get their poop in a group and act like a real company.
mike
So it appears it has something to do with alarms. I have cleared out all the alarms. Which by the way it's crapy u can't just delete alarms. And I can now connect to the units. The light flashes on my sl1 now all the time so I have that unplugged as well just in case that was an issue.
n2585722
Well-known member
Try running the Archon without any modules connected and see if you still have an issue. Mine was doing this and I tracked it down to a buss cable. Mine has worked flawless for the last 48hrs after a software update.
Software version 1.09.31
Hardware version 1.08.9
I am not sure whether these have been released to the public yet.
n2585722
Well-known member
Mike I have the same issue with not being able to comunicate with the unit but it is still working. Eric had me telnet into the unit and try some things. It showed an update two days ago so I udated. It has been 48 hrs and no loss in comm. it was not going that long before the update. I will give it a couple more days and see if it still has comm. I have been home since then. It seems to be when I am away before when it has happened. today I was logged in on my computer, iPad and phone all at the same time no issues.
I did that and yes it worked. Then I tried each module and all had the same issue with different bus cords each module individually. Erased the alarms and now it's working great. I think it's the sl1 maybe.
That might be the update he's talking to me about sending. What s changed?
That might be the update he's talking to me about sending. What s changed?
I think it is the sl1. Everything was going along fine. I plugged the sl1 in and it was fine. I set an alarm for my ato float and it killed everything. So it's either the float which is unlikely or something with the sl1. So is there a way to wire the ato digital aquatics float directly into the archon so I don't need the sl1?
ericarenee
New member
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reading some of the back post my post was to GET outside your lan.. Sorry
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n2585722
Well-known member
The Archon has 4 switch inputs. Do you have the IOE module. If so it is easy to hook up to one of the 4 switch ports. If not checkout the DA forum. Someone posted the pinout and colors of a cat 5 cable to use. Warning there are two different color codes used on cat 5 cables. Why are you using an alarm on your ATO. I have them set for overfull and low level but the full switch i don't use an alarm. It sounds like you are having issues with any alarm that is set. I have an overfull alarm. I will trigger it and see what happens.
Arnok666 what power bars do you have?
Arnok666 what power bars do you have?
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