Digital Aquatics Reefkeeper Lite - Ended Up Going Apex

[griss]

@kharmaguru Hey Sean, this is the correct programming for a powerhead in Fusion, correct?

Fallback ON
OSC 000:00/010:00/010:00 Then ON
If Time 20:00 to 10:00 Then OFF

 

[griss]

@kharmaguru Hey Sean, this is the correct programming for a powerhead in Fusion, correct?

Fallback ON
OSC 000:00/010:00/010:00 Then ON
If Time 20:00 to 10:00 Then OFF

The reason I’m asking, I hooked up two Sicce powerheads to the EB8 with the exact same command. Both are in auto mode, and one cycles on and off. The other is constantly on.

I’ve copied the code to two other outlets and having the same issue.

I pieced this control system together from used components, so I’m wondering if I’ve got an EB8 with some back outlets/switches or if there’s some code somewhere I’m missing.

 

[kharmaguru]

The reason I’m asking, I hooked up two Sicce powerheads to the EB8 with the exact same command. Both are in auto mode, and one cycles on and off. The other is constantly on.

I’ve copied the code to two other outlets and having the same issue.

I pieced this control system together from used components, so I’m wondering if I’ve got an EB8 with some back outlets/switches or if there’s some code somewhere I’m missing.

Code is fine. As long you are uploading the code after you paste it in, it should be working.

 

[griss]

Code is fine. As long you are uploading the code after you paste it in, it should be working.

Hmmm, I am uploading the code. If that’s the case, I guess outlets 1-3 & 5 are stuck on

 

[kharmaguru]

Hmmm, I am uploading the code. If that’s the case, I guess outlets 1-3 & 5 are stuck on

If you turn those outlets to off in fusion, do they turn off? I believe there will be some delay. If they do, that would mean the relays are working to me.

There's also this sticky on the neptune forum regarding the outlets. Here's a possibly pertinent snipit:

"One problem with TRIAC controlled outlets however is that they sometimes cannot detect very low power factor devices and as a result may not switch off correctly. They may appear to be in the OFF state, but may still be passing electrical current. This only happens with very low power devices, < 4-5 watts. So, if you have any device like that, you might consider putting it on EB8 outlets 4 or 8. Dosing pumps and very small AC-powered power heads are good examples of problematic devices with TRIAC outlets."

Are your pumps low wattage and maybe causing the above behavior?

Read this first - Energy Bars and outlets

 

[griss]

If you turn those outlets to off in fusion, do they turn off? I believe there will be some delay. If they do, that would mean the relays are working to me.

There's also this sticky on the neptune forum regarding the outlets. Here's a possibly pertinent snipit:

"One problem with TRIAC controlled outlets however is that they sometimes cannot detect very low power factor devices and as a result may not switch off correctly. They may appear to be in the OFF state, but may still be passing electrical current. This only happens with very low power devices, < 4-5 watts. So, if you have any device like that, you might consider putting it on EB8 outlets 4 or 8. Dosing pumps and very small AC-powered power heads are good examples of problematic devices with TRIAC outlets."

Are your pumps low wattage and maybe causing the above behavior?

Read this first - Energy Bars and outlets

Even turning them to off in Fusion they are still getting power.

According to Sicce, they are 0.05 amp, 3 watt. The one that is cycling correctly is plugged into outlet 4. Hmmm, time to test the theory.

 

[griss]

If you turn those outlets to off in fusion, do they turn off? I believe there will be some delay. If they do, that would mean the relays are working to me.

There's also this sticky on the neptune forum regarding the outlets. Here's a possibly pertinent snipit:

"One problem with TRIAC controlled outlets however is that they sometimes cannot detect very low power factor devices and as a result may not switch off correctly. They may appear to be in the OFF state, but may still be passing electrical current. This only happens with very low power devices, < 4-5 watts. So, if you have any device like that, you might consider putting it on EB8 outlets 4 or 8. Dosing pumps and very small AC-powered power heads are good examples of problematic devices with TRIAC outlets."

Are your pumps low wattage and maybe causing the above behavior?

Read this first - Energy Bars and outlets

That did the trick. Thank you.

 

[kharmaguru]

That did the trick. Thank you.

Cool. If you have a higher wattage device (even a lamp), you can test all your other outlets. Even the one you thought was stuck on before is likely fine.

 

[n2585722]

Cool. If you have a higher wattage device (even a lamp), you can test all your other outlets. Even the one you thought was stuck on before is likely fine.

On the Digital Aquatics power bars we used to put a surge suppressor on the output when this was happening. You have to use one with a lower clamping voltage. What the issue is the low power pumps will create a large back emf pulse. The issue with that is it turns the triac back on momentarily which will repeat the process so the output appears to be on all the time but is rapidly turning on and off. On my power bars I ended up installing a resistor across the output that would dampen the emf pulse to the point it would not trigger the triac back on. On the DA strips which had relays on outlets 1 and 4 even putting the low power pump on one of the relay outputs would cause the triac outputs to turn one once which would cause lights to flash if that was what was on the triac output 2 and 3.

 

[kharmaguru]

On the Digital Aquatics power bars we used to put a surge suppressor on the output when this was happening. You have to use one with a lower clamping voltage. What the issue is the low power pumps will create a large back emf pulse. The issue with that is it turns the triac back on momentarily which will repeat the process so the output appears to be on all the time but is rapidly turning on and off. On my power bars I ended up installing a resistor across the output that would dampen the emf pulse to the point it would not trigger the triac back on. On the DA strips which had relays on outlets 1 and 4 even putting the low power pump on one of the relay outputs would cause the triac outputs to turn one once which would cause lights to flash if that was what was on the triac output 2 and 3.

So could Neptune solve their own problem by installing a resistor on the triac outputs?

 

[n2585722]

So could Neptune solve their own problem by installing a resistor on the triac outputs?

They probably could do that. Digital Aquatics didn't either as far as I know. The easiest for most people would be to use a surge suppressors. I opened up one of the DA power bars and the resistors I used are 47k 1 watt flame proof resistors. I measured them with an ohm meter to make sure on the resistance.

 

[griss]

Okay, finally got around to adding my PM1 today thanks to rainy weather. Followed the instructions to enable pH and followed the calibration instruction. But, pH is not displaying on the display????? What did I do wrong?

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

You waited too long & it timed out!

 

[griss]

You waited too long & it timed out!

I don’t believe so, i did all this in just a couple minutes, if that long.

 

[griss]

@kharmaguru Sean, I was running an Aquatic Life Edge Reef Edition to supplement actinic and moonlight. Storm rolled through the other day and that very old LED stopped working.

Not worried about the actinic, but want moonlight. So, I hooked up the yet unused LSM module. Reading about seasonal stuff and confused. At the factory setting, will the moonlights come on when main lights are off?

Set OFF
If Moon 000/000 Then ON

 

[kharmaguru]

@kharmaguru Sean, I was running an Aquatic Life Edge Reef Edition to supplement actinic and moonlight. Storm rolled through the other day and that very old LED stopped working.

Not worried about the actinic, but want moonlight. So, I hooked up the yet unused LSM module. Reading about seasonal stuff and confused. At the factory setting, will the moonlights come on when main lights are off?

Set OFF
If Moon 000/000 Then ON

From their manual:

"This one statement instructs the lunar simulator to turn on the LED lights on at the true moon rise time and off at the moon set time. In addition, the intensity of the lunar lights is adjusted daily so that they match the phase of the lunar cycle."

No idea how it does that, lol, but it sounds good.

 

[griss]

From their manual:

"This one statement instructs the lunar simulator to turn on the LED lights on at the true moon rise time and off at the moon set time. In addition, the intensity of the lunar lights is adjusted daily so that they match the phase of the lunar cycle."

No idea how it does that, lol, but it sounds good.

Thanks my friend. I guess I’ll see what it does

 

[griss]

Factory setting seems to have the moons come on when main lights go off.

Now, I need to figure out the seasonal lighting settings.

 

[griss]

Factory setting now having moons on during the day and off at night suddenly this week????

Found this thread.

LSM reverts to LEDs being on during day?

Hey everyone, Trying to setup the LSM so the LEDs are on during the night...I live in Michigan and want them to be on during the night, not the day. I switched the moon rise and moon set in APEX Local dash board, which worked for a few weeks...BUT now they are back on during the day...

forum.neptunesystems.com

And changed my settings accordingly. We’ll see what it does.

 

[griss]

Hmmm, so, I went down the basement at about 6:00 AM to get the dogs food. As I was filling their bowls, the moonlights went off (several hours) before either main light should have turned on. What the heck?

@kharmaguru do you use a LSM? If so, what are your settings?