Neptune apex screwed me, need someone to help me out here...

[shields]

So yesterday i changed from a T5 set up to kessils, and i planned on controlling my kessils with the new neptune apex(2016) i got about 2 months ago.

SURPRISE SURPRISE!!!!, just a few days ago the apex appears to have updated itself, and bricked itself. it is totally non-functional. (evidently neptune sent out units with bad memory chips, and their way of 'informing' you of this consists of updating and bricking your unit so that you can not access it at all, and thus you go on their website and request a replacement unit. This is CRAZY, i strongly suggest no one EVER buy a neptune product, i certainly will not ever again. They should email and inform us about this, send us the replacement unit, so we have it ready to switch out when the brick/killl our other unit via update.) it is useless now. all it can do is what it was programmed to do before it bricked itself, and now i can not control these kessils at all! I am furious with neptune, they have not responded to any of my 15 calls this morning, nor my help ticket/ emails yesterday afternoon. I needed them to send my replacement before i leave for business trip on monday morning, which is looking very doubtful at this point.... Without my replacement apex i have no way of controlling these lights, other than manually with the knobs, and i will not be home all next week to do so :mad2:

does anyone happen to have some sort of kessil light controller that they are not using which i could borrow until neptune sends my replacement?

 

[Stylo328]

Pardon my ignorance. Would a simple timer work? Leave the knobs set and have your timer turn them on and off?


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[shields]

Pardon my ignorance. Would a simple timer work? Leave the knobs set and have your timer turn them on and off?


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nothing to be pardoned here, i am likely just as ignorant, lol.

i would assume not.... the lights are supposed to slowly ramp up throughout the morning starting low intensity in the actinic spectrum and then to peak intensity (70% for me) and fairly white bright light around noon, then ramp down to blue again and low intensity by the evening. and to turn off at night the intensity knob is just turned all the way down and the lights go off. i am not sure (maybe someone else can chime in) but i would assume it would be bad to interrupt the power supply like that with a normal timer? it would be the timer just turning them on to whatever intensity and spectrum the knobs are at, seems rather abrupt to me.... and even if the power interrupting timer is OK, i also don't want to damage the lights (again i am not sure if it would or not) by leaving them set one spectrum/ intensity setting the whole week... all because of neptune's crappy quality control, silly update procedures, and incompetent support. furious with neptune at this moment :angryfire: :angryfire: :angryfire:

 

[itz frank]

nothing to be pardoned here, i am likely just as ignorant, lol.

i would assume not.... the lights are supposed to slowly ramp up throughout the morning starting low intensity in the actinic spectrum and then to peak intensity (70% for me) and fairly white bright light around noon, then ramp down to blue again and low intensity by the evening. and to turn off at night the intensity knob is just turned all the way down and the lights go off. i am not sure (maybe someone else can chime in) but i would assume it would be bad to interrupt the power supply like that with a normal timer? it would be the timer just turning them on to whatever intensity and spectrum the knobs are at, seems rather abrupt to me.... and even if the power interrupting timer is OK, i also don't want to damage the lights (again i am not sure if it would or not) by leaving them set one spectrum/ intensity setting the whole week... all because of neptune's crappy quality control, silly update procedures, and incompetent support. furious with neptune at this moment :angryfire: :angryfire: :angryfire:

Neptune is a pretty good company. But stuff happens. I get your frustrations but it could be worse...

At least they're not setting homes and people on fire because of battery problems.

 

[shields]

Neptune is a pretty good company. But stuff happens. I get your frustrations but it could be worse...



At least they're not setting homes and people on fire because of battery problems.

I have heard countless people say how great of a company they are-- true they are not setting people on fire- yet at least. Just wait till they have "quality control issues" with the EB832....

The only thing that counts for me about how good a company is, would be my experience with them....

The entire issue is one thing... fine okay, QC issue, it happens. So issue a release of affected serial numbers, or how about email all apex users and make them aware... they way they have handled this is insane. With no warning the apex update bricks your entire system. The only way you would ever find about this is by digging through their forums. It's craziness.

Then part 2 of this saga is that no one appears to be present at their HQ... I have called over 30 times since last night... NOTHING not a whisper. Not via support, sales, or vendor lines. No emails/ support ticket returned either. WHAT GIVES NEPTUNE??


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[zoanutty]

At least they're not setting homes and people on fire because of battery problems.

Maybe not yet but there's a pretty significant thread on FB bout a vendor who would not pass electrical inspection because they're not UL listed or whatever

 

[jdantunes]

So yesterday i changed from a T5 set up to kessils, and i planned on controlling my kessils with the new neptune apex(2016) i got about 2 months ago.

SURPRISE SURPRISE!!!!, just a few days ago the apex appears to have updated itself, and bricked itself. it is totally non-functional. (evidently neptune sent out units with bad memory chips, and their way of 'informing' you of this consists of updating and bricking your unit so that you can not access it at all, and thus you go on their website and request a replacement unit. This is CRAZY, i strongly suggest no one EVER buy a neptune product, i certainly will not ever again. They should email and inform us about this, send us the replacement unit, so we have it ready to switch out when the brick/killl our other unit via update.) it is useless now. all it can do is what it was programmed to do before it bricked itself, and now i can not control these kessils at all! I am furious with neptune, they have not responded to any of my 15 calls this morning, nor my help ticket/ emails yesterday afternoon. I needed them to send my replacement before i leave for business trip on monday morning, which is looking very doubtful at this point.... Without my replacement apex i have no way of controlling these lights, other than manually with the knobs, and i will not be home all next week to do so :mad2:

does anyone happen to have some sort of kessil light controller that they are not using which i could borrow until neptune sends my replacement?

Myself and any other experience hobbyist will advice you strongly not to switch, swap or replace anything major in your system before leaving your tank unattended for several days. There's an unlimited number of horror stories all pointing to this mistake.

Keep your T5's on the tank and deal with problem when you come back... your livestock will thank you

 

[jonnyu]

I agree keep the t5 and then switch when you get back. Neptune normally quick with call backs but I'm thinking they are overwhelmed with calls and emails right now because of this problem and the UL listed issue.


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[rovster]

Myself and any other experience hobbyist will advice you strongly not to switch, swap or replace anything major in your system before leaving your tank unattended for several days. There's an unlimited number of horror stories all pointing to this mistake.

Keep your T5's on the tank and deal with problem when you come back... your livestock will thank you

Sage wisdom....

 

[WiDataTech]

I would be frustrated if my unit bricked as well, and not getting a response quickly would probably try my patience as well. Put your old lights back on of you can. If not, turn down the intensity of the new lights and put on a simple timer. Our tanks do not "need" lights to be ramped up and down.

 

[Daimyo68]

Since the Apex is apparently still working in default outlet modes, ty downloading an older firmware version and flashing it. It can't hurt at this point.

Also agree with others, put you t5's back up there until you come back home

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[nivram]

Try posting on their Apex support forum outside of RC. I agree with others re: putting t5s back on. This is part of the reason I usually keep a spare Apex around.


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[shields]

I know it's been nearly a month but I have been busy traveling.... I finally got in touch with apex before I left, they overnighted me a unit (I did have to pay extra for that, but whatever, my fault for waiting I suppose) the new unit works much better and has successfully been controlling my lights since. I do still have a problem where the apex randomly disconnects from fusion every once in a while (~2-3 times/ week, randomly). Not sure why this occurs. Have to hope on support with them one day.... overall satisfied that it got resolved that day.

Still ****ed that they put the customers through that nonsense to begin with by putting out an update that essentially bricks the device?? In the end I like their products (when they function properly) and will continue to use them


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