Hydra LEDs

[travis32]

O.k. I just setup 3 Hydra 52s in an Aquatic LIfe T5 fixture with 4 Coral Special T5 bulbs over my 69" by 36" reef tank. (Just starting this tank, have had others in the past.)

I have a Neptune Apex with a WXM module.

I realize the LEDs have their own wireless transmitters as well. I tried to configure them to get them to connect to each other with a parent and two slave lights and uploaded a profile to run them directly with the lights.

My wireless network doesn't reach to where the tank is very well, especially for the lights, so, I left them off my network, set them, and was hoping to forget them. However, I got them all 3 on with the one profile with the parent yesterday, however, none of the lights would turn off last night, I forced them off by turning the outlets off with my apex. This morning I turned them back on, and the power supplies turned on, but the lights didn't kick on. (This is good I think.) I'm monitoring to see if the LEds will turn on at noon or not. But, I could hardly stay connected to the private network the lights setup with my phone or my computer standing next to the lights.

My computer constantly dropped connection with the parent light. I used a step ladder and held my phone right next to one of the lights and was able to maintain a stable connection then. But, the light 30 inches away, the parent showed 1 bar for it's signal. I could barely get all 3 to connect. So, I'm not sure if my schedule didn't upload right, or if I setup the times too quickly because of not able to keep a stable connection that I didn't set it turn off correctly. It took me around an hour to try to get connected to the lights to setup their schedule. I'm dreading having to check their schedule again...

I have a WXM controller for my Neptune Apex that I have mounted on the wall about 3 foot from the lights. I could move it up the wall to be even closer, with the furthest light only being 3 foot. Would I be better off trying to get the lights to connect to the WXM controller for my Apex and controlling them from there?

If so, how do I get them to connect to the WXM if I could barely get them to connect via the android app?

Is there anything I can do to boost the wireless transmitter since it seems extremely weak?

Any suggestions or thoughts?

 

[lpsouth1978]

O.k. I just setup 3 Hydra 52s in an Aquatic LIfe T5 fixture with 4 Coral Special T5 bulbs over my 69" by 36" reef tank. (Just starting this tank, have had others in the past.)

I have a Neptune Apex with a WXM module.

I realize the LEDs have their own wireless transmitters as well. I tried to configure them to get them to connect to each other with a parent and two slave lights and uploaded a profile to run them directly with the lights.

My wireless network doesn't reach to where the tank is very well, especially for the lights, so, I left them off my network, set them, and was hoping to forget them. However, I got them all 3 on with the one profile with the parent yesterday, however, none of the lights would turn off last night, I forced them off by turning the outlets off with my apex. This morning I turned them back on, and the power supplies turned on, but the lights didn't kick on. (This is good I think.) I'm monitoring to see if the LEds will turn on at noon or not. But, I could hardly stay connected to the private network the lights setup with my phone or my computer standing next to the lights.

My computer constantly dropped connection with the parent light. I used a step ladder and held my phone right next to one of the lights and was able to maintain a stable connection then. But, the light 30 inches away, the parent showed 1 bar for it's signal. I could barely get all 3 to connect. So, I'm not sure if my schedule didn't upload right, or if I setup the times too quickly because of not able to keep a stable connection that I didn't set it turn off correctly. It took me around an hour to try to get connected to the lights to setup their schedule. I'm dreading having to check their schedule again...

I have a WXM controller for my Neptune Apex that I have mounted on the wall about 3 foot from the lights. I could move it up the wall to be even closer, with the furthest light only being 3 foot. Would I be better off trying to get the lights to connect to the WXM controller for my Apex and controlling them from there?

If so, how do I get them to connect to the WXM if I could barely get them to connect via the android app?

Is there anything I can do to boost the wireless transmitter since it seems extremely weak?

Any suggestions or thoughts?

I just replied on the Hydra lighting thread as well, but try getting a WiFi extender like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GDMBBJR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Set this up in an outlet close to your tank and you should be good to go. I used this exact one and my connection problems disappeared and have never returned.

 

[travis32]

So, do you use the repeater to repeat the wireless signalf from the lights - amplify it and make it stronger? Or do you use it to make your wifi signal more powerful?

The Fish room - my runace room is a bit of an enigma. There's something in the room the disrupts wireless signals. The Cable guy said it was most likely the 200 Amp breaker box emitting a very large EM field. I had my cable modem in the furnace room and the signal constantly dropped. He stood next to the modem with a wireless signal scanner and he watched it build up then drop almost like a pulse. I'm not sure a repeater would help if you're saying to amplify the wifi in the room. I would need something to amplify the signal from the lights, but they each have their own signal, so I'm not sure how to amplify all 3 of them so they can actually connect to each other and stay connected.

 

[lpsouth1978]

So, do you use the repeater to repeat the wireless signalf from the lights - amplify it and make it stronger? Or do you use it to make your wifi signal more powerful?

The Fish room - my runace room is a bit of an enigma. There's something in the room the disrupts wireless signals. The Cable guy said it was most likely the 200 Amp breaker box emitting a very large EM field. I had my cable modem in the furnace room and the signal constantly dropped. He stood next to the modem with a wireless signal scanner and he watched it build up then drop almost like a pulse. I'm not sure a repeater would help if you're saying to amplify the wifi in the room. I would need something to amplify the signal from the lights, but they each have their own signal, so I'm not sure how to amplify all 3 of them so they can actually connect to each other and stay connected.

I don't know exactly how, but once the repeater was installed I never had another issue with the connection to either the home WiFi or the built in WiFi for the lights. Before adding it, I constantly had issues with dropped signal and no connection.