New Neptune products at MAX

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RussM

Active member
I went to the MAX show today... Curt was showing a couple of new forthcoming products.

Most significant is the new AquaController Junior. This is not your grandfather's ACjr! ;) It is a unified design, with the controller and 4 outlets in one chassis. Think of it as an EB4 with a brain :) It is expandable with Apex/AquaBus modules like the PM-x, WXM, and VDM. There will be a limit of 5 expansion modules, which is quite generous for an entry-level controller. The base Jr package will set for only $150!!! With a display head, it's $250. The display is optional.... see below. And it has the network interface built-in with the same web-based UI as the Apex models. Availability should be sometime in May. I didn't think to ask if the 4 outlets will be all triac, all relay, or a mix of the two.

The other new product is the next-generation LunarSim, which has the AquaBus interface. I forget what the price will be.

I also saw a preview of Apex v4.1 firmware. It will have everything in the web interface that must be done today with the display head menus... i.e. WMX/Vortech pump firmware updates. In other words, with 4.1 firmware, there will be no need to have a display unit at all, even for initial setup of Apex, Apex Lite, or the new ACjr. To facilitate initial setup, there will also be a software utility that will discover the controller on the network regardless of its IP address and also allow initial network configuration from a computer. I think Curt said that there will be both Windows and Mac support. Expect more attractive status pages too...

I got busy trying to keep my 4yo grandson out of trouble, and forgot to go back to the Neptune booth to snap some pictures :(
 
I liked the aqua notes iPad app they had on display. Looked a lot better. He didn't give me a good answer on when they are going to be releasing it.
 
Aflac01 said:
I liked the aqua notes iPad app they had on display. Looked a lot better. He didn't give me a good answer on when they are going to be releasing it.
Click to expand...

I saw that too but assumed it was the Aquanotes you download from the App Store.. Can anybody confirm that to be the case?
 
slief said:
I saw that too but assumed it was the Aquanotes you download from the App Store.. Can anybody confirm that to be the case?
Click to expand...
At a glance, it looked like the same old Nullriver app to me, running in X2 mode. But I didn't look that closely.
 
RussM said:
Without intending to be flippant, the best I can say is "when it's ready".
Click to expand...

Okay I will play,

When do you think it MIGHT be ready... If you do not want to answer in public please send me a PM..

Thank you Russ!
 
If I were to make a wild guess, I'd say May, in conjunction with the anticipated availability of the new ACjr.
 
pyton said:
Okay I will play,

When do you think it MIGHT be ready... If you do not want to answer in public please send me a PM..

Thank you Russ!
Click to expand...

Curt indicated at the show that the current beta firmware posted in this forum is nearly bug free and incorperates those changes.

RussM said:
If I were to make a wild guess, I'd say May, in conjunction with the anticipated availability of the new ACjr.
Click to expand...

That would make sense timewise.
 
slief said:
I saw that too but assumed it was the Aquanotes you download from the App Store.. Can anybody confirm that to be the case?
Click to expand...

They told me it was an update to aqua notes that they were working on that was fully iPad compatible but wasn't ready for release yet.
 
After further reading, I think this is a no-brainer for those who want an entry level controller; the ability to upgrade to an Apex in the future and use the Apex Jr. as an EB4 is pretty cool. With the ability to use up to 5 aquabus accessories, you could easily run smaller tanks on the Jr. by itself.

I might be tempted to pick one up for a frag or QT tank set up myself :)
 
Thinking about getting one for my QT tank and it can serve as a back up! With my coral QTs I usually don't monitor pH, so temp probe, heater control, lighting cycle, and a little on/off oscillate with a power head... Then if my Apex gets hit by lighting and the Jr. is on a different breaker and lives......
 
ToLearn said:
Thinking about getting one for my QT tank and it can serve as a back up! With my coral QTs I usually don't monitor pH, so temp probe, heater control, lighting cycle, and a little on/off oscillate with a power head... Then if my Apex gets hit by lighting and the Jr. is on a different breaker and lives......
Click to expand...

Same thing here! I saw this tidbit on an earlier Reef Builders article:

Another unique feature is the new AquaController Junior is designed as a beginning stage controller that can fully integrated into the Apex or Apex lite systems down the road. If you upgrade to the Apex system, just plug it in the and it will recognize it and make it a slave unit, essentially treating it just like an EB4 module.
Click to expand...

I wonder if the Temp probe will be functional if you use the Apex Jr as part of your apex system...
 
I've been curious as well. If not it would be a big draw back. Figured I would wait until closer to the release before I start to hit them with more questions.
 
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