DIY Breakout box help.

[sfsuphysics]

Ok so I have an Avast Barrel Tender dohickey which supposedly makes keeping your RO/DI supply pain free in the sense it'll auto fill when low and stop when high. Unfortunately I have the Apex version that uses the Apex as a logic controller (basically if switch 1 and 2 open then open the solenoid, type of stuff). Well long story short I don't have an Apex, but I do have an AquaController 3 and a handful of Reef Keeper "light"(? jr?) so figure I could use one of these to make it work.

Now a breakout box seems SUPER easy, you have a single signal cable and a common ground, that's it. I don't even need to cram it all inside of a project box because all I need is two cables, just solder it, heat shrink and tuck it behind my 100G container and call it a day.

Now here's my question. Is it fair to guess that using the Reef Keeper (Digital Aquatics) is not going to be possible? Seems that everything has a rom chip on it or something to tell the head unit what it is, what version number it is, etc. ? Question 2: Is it really just as simple as plugging in a DIN cable into the Aquacontroller and setting up the switch programming? I don't know why but all the DIYs I've seen have been for Apex, and considering the Apex I would think they would have had something similar to that. Am I missing something?

 

[Mark Bianco]

This is the instructions for hooking it up to the apex.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0872/1966/files/Barrel-Tender_v2.pdf?10155816140178378802
Here are the instructions for the Aqua Controller 3 the only thing you will need to do is cross reference the connector wiring to the Avast.. For you it would be Input Pins 1 and 2 and Pin 8 for the common. Then just program the switch Here is the link.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0872/1966/files/Barrel-Tender_v2.pdf?10155816140178378802

Have fun HTH
Mark

 

[sfsuphysics]

Thanks Mark, but both of those links are to the same thing.

 

[Mark Bianco]

Sorry about that Section 6 page 40

https://www.neptunesystems.com/downloads/docs/AquaController3_3.20_web.pdf

 

[d0ughb0y]

you can buy a mini din 8 cable (around $5 on ebay or amazon) and just cut it.
The switch connector for ac jr., ac 3, apex classic are all the same. you can just plug the mini din 8 to the ac3 and just hardwire the switch to sw1 and gnd. no need for breakout box, as it is a passive module that only contains wiring and connectors.