DIY controller
- Thread starter ronc98
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I hope it is OK I am speaking for you Ron.
Right now what we need for software is to take the free Visual Basic code he wrote and turn it into java code so it can be used on multiple OS platforms and also be able to check tank stats on a cellphone (easier to do with Java - I think). Any help in the software department would be awesome. I would PM him directly as he will be very glad to hear a software engineer is onboard and willing to help out. I initially said I would look at the code but I don't really have the time now and haven't done any software programming for a couple years now.
Thanks,
David
Right now what we need for software is to take the free Visual Basic code he wrote and turn it into java code so it can be used on multiple OS platforms and also be able to check tank stats on a cellphone (easier to do with Java - I think). Any help in the software department would be awesome. I would PM him directly as he will be very glad to hear a software engineer is onboard and willing to help out. I initially said I would look at the code but I don't really have the time now and haven't done any software programming for a couple years now.
Thanks,
David
lnnguyen714
New member
Hi, Where do you get your Orp, temperature probes? I am looking for Calcium probe but no luck finding one yet. Do you know where i can find these probes. Thank you for info.
ronc98
New member
Do a search for Ion Specific probes and you will get a bunch hits. To be honest the ion Specific probes are about as accurate as rolling dice. They do not last more then 6 months and drift like crazy. I would wait a bit before you spend much time with them. As far as temp probes I make my own however Omega has everything you would need.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I concur with ron regarding the ion specific probes... your wasting your time unless you have lots of it and money to match. To much trouble and to much recurring cost to be of any use.
OK, so I have to ask ( maybe in the wrong spot to ask)
do other current controllers on the marked use ion specific probes?
meaning if we went and got a neptune would its probes have the same issues that you are talking about ( drifting and short life span)
I am envious of all you guys working on this project .... I would love to be able to help .... but there are those who can program, and those who drank to much beer and dropped out of college and then forgot everything they learned about programming.
thanks
Dave
do other current controllers on the marked use ion specific probes?
meaning if we went and got a neptune would its probes have the same issues that you are talking about ( drifting and short life span)
I am envious of all you guys working on this project .... I would love to be able to help .... but there are those who can program, and those who drank to much beer and dropped out of college and then forgot everything they learned about programming.
thanks
Dave
ronc98
New member
I should count up how many cases of beer this project took. Ya maybe not!!
All ION specific probes are crap at this point. The technology is just not there yet. Keep in mind there are only a few people that make probes, neptune, pinpoint, aquatronic all buy there probes from someone else.
Read Randys article on the pin point Ca monitor. He talks about some of the problems there.
All ION specific probes are crap at this point. The technology is just not there yet. Keep in mind there are only a few people that make probes, neptune, pinpoint, aquatronic all buy there probes from someone else.
Read Randys article on the pin point Ca monitor. He talks about some of the problems there.
Hopeful Reefer
Premium Member
ronc98,
I must say, I have just spent the last hour or so reading through this entire thread...now, I have limited experience with any of the commercially available aquacontrollers...but with that said I've got to admit that what you have done here far surpasses any of those other aquacontrollers!! :thumbsup: You definitely deserve a beer or two for this job!! :beer:
I did have one question...please forgive it's ignorance...I consider myself fairly intelligent but much of what you have done (internally & with code) goes way beyond me...but, you say you aren't doing anything with probes right now because of the instability / unreliability over long periods of time...lack of technology in a technologically savy country just blows my mind :eek1: ...anyway...if this is the case, what parameters are you using to control a Kalk reactor...is it simply set on a timer to dispense make-up kalk water or is there some other method that I completely missed...
Anyway...I did have one suggestion...I'm sure in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't mean a whole lot...but is there any way to build in to the software a way to "remind" someone of an impending maintenance? For example, if someone is running VHO bulbs and they typically replace them once annually the software could send an alert, email or whatever about 2 weeks prior saying "Hey dummy, time to order bulbs"...or, if someone does once a month water changes send an email that says "2 days until 10g water change" to remind someone to make up their make-up water...etc...could be completely customizeable with the PC interface so that the person could chose from a list of maintenance tasks, how often a task repeats, when to send message, etc...like I said, I know this is probably a dumb suggestion but wanted to throw it out there for us busy people that seem to always be a few days late on stuff like this...
Anyway...I have bookmarked your web site for "further investigation" around, lets say prior to April 15, 2007...
You have definitely got a smokin product here...here's to continued improvement and success with the best AC unit out there!! :celeb1: :celeb3:
I must say, I have just spent the last hour or so reading through this entire thread...now, I have limited experience with any of the commercially available aquacontrollers...but with that said I've got to admit that what you have done here far surpasses any of those other aquacontrollers!! :thumbsup: You definitely deserve a beer or two for this job!! :beer:
I did have one question...please forgive it's ignorance...I consider myself fairly intelligent but much of what you have done (internally & with code) goes way beyond me...but, you say you aren't doing anything with probes right now because of the instability / unreliability over long periods of time...lack of technology in a technologically savy country just blows my mind :eek1: ...anyway...if this is the case, what parameters are you using to control a Kalk reactor...is it simply set on a timer to dispense make-up kalk water or is there some other method that I completely missed...
Anyway...I did have one suggestion...I'm sure in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't mean a whole lot...but is there any way to build in to the software a way to "remind" someone of an impending maintenance? For example, if someone is running VHO bulbs and they typically replace them once annually the software could send an alert, email or whatever about 2 weeks prior saying "Hey dummy, time to order bulbs"...or, if someone does once a month water changes send an email that says "2 days until 10g water change" to remind someone to make up their make-up water...etc...could be completely customizeable with the PC interface so that the person could chose from a list of maintenance tasks, how often a task repeats, when to send message, etc...like I said, I know this is probably a dumb suggestion but wanted to throw it out there for us busy people that seem to always be a few days late on stuff like this...
Anyway...I have bookmarked your web site for "further investigation" around, lets say prior to April 15, 2007...
You have definitely got a smokin product here...here's to continued improvement and success with the best AC unit out there!! :celeb1: :celeb3:
ronc98
New member
As far as the probes that I do not think it is worth developing at the current time is Ca, ALK, N2, ect. PH,ORP, DO are all tried and true methods. The others are just two new with to many problems and to short of a life to really spend to much time developing. Granted this will change as time progresses I just did not have much interest in it.
As far as setting up an calender to reming you of tasks. That is rather easy I just have spent most of the time working on the harder stuff.
As far as setting up an calender to reming you of tasks. That is rather easy I just have spent most of the time working on the harder stuff.
jrandreassen
New member
Too bad I didn't see this thread before I bought a Neptune III 
JR
JR
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