Pete's 280 log

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12663790#post12663790 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrismunn
looks cool, but how does it work? im an equipment moron pete, you gotta put that in the easiest terms possible

haha -

okay - I'll try

Basically the unit turns on and off the 4 plugs on the side of the unit. The green LED's let you know what plugs are powered.

It is designed to alternate, or switch, "power on" between the plugs.

In two channel mode, there are 2 channels on and 2 off at any given time. You can adjust how fast it switches with the fast/slow settings and the timer dial. Basically you could alternate the power on/off between the channels (or "wave maker") anywhere from 1 second to 15 minutes.

In 4 channel mode it has one plug powered and 3 off, switching between them in sequential order (1 on, 2, 3 & 4 off; then 2 on, 1, 3 & 4, off etc)

So it can act like a simple wave maker switching power heads on and off. It doesn't provide the high end features of a true wavemaker that work in other random paterns.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12669272#post12669272 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanBrucks
I notice you are not using the chauvet power centers. I was wanting to use them (they look way cool) but somebody (think it was DonW) told me they are not very heavy duty and steered me to the AmericanDJ one instead.

your powercenters look exactly like the American DJ ones (with much wider switches etc), but I've never heard of it before.

Just curious if you also avoided the chauvet power centers for similar reasons or if you just ended up with a different product due to no particular reason...

At the time I just bought the cheap DJ knockoffs to save a couple bucks. One of the panels had a switch go bad, so I guess you get what you pay for. The panel with the bad switch is on my 29g. So far the ones on my 290 appear to be working fine. I don't know if it was a bad switch or bad solder connection, one day I may pull it a part and check it out.

Bottom line, I heard the same thing about the Chauvet, and if I was to buy all over, I'd spend the extra buck or two on the DJ's.

 

[ReefEnabler]

gotcha...
hey thanks for the solenoid link. got 4 with the 1/4" FPT connections 120v. 2 I plan to use right away, 2 for who knows what.....

Re: the labels on your electrical stuff....
did you have some company print those little plastic labels for you??? I was wanting to do the same thing so that remote helpers know what they're looking at, but I think the adhesive paper ones would get mushy after a while.

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12669424#post12669424 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanBrucks
gotcha...
hey thanks for the solenoid link. got 4 with the 1/4" FPT connections 120v. 2 I plan to use right away, 2 for who knows what.....

Re: the labels on your electrical stuff....
did you have some company print those little plastic labels for you??? I was wanting to do the same thing so that remote helpers know what they're looking at, but I think the adhesive paper ones would get mushy after a while.

they have a pretty good price on the solenoids - so I also bought extras, and I already know I'll use at least one more then I planned for. I'm going to tap into my topoff line upstream of the shut off solenoid for water change station

On the labels - "no way", I'm to frugal (cheap) to have them made. Go down to your local craft shop and pick up one of these for about $10 and make labels all day long with your set up.

Just dial in the letter & click. It comes with a blue self adhesive label tape, but I bought some black. I may use the blue to label my piping.

 

[ReefEnabler]

very cool, thanks!!

 

[chrismunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12669317#post12669317 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psteeleb
haha -

okay - I'll try

Basically the unit turns on and off the 4 plugs on the side of the unit. The green LED's let you know what plugs are powered.

It is designed to alternate, or switch, "power on" between the plugs.

In two channel mode, there are 2 channels on and 2 off at any given time. You can adjust how fast it switches with the fast/slow settings and the timer dial. Basically you could alternate the power on/off between the channels (or "wave maker") anywhere from 1 second to 15 minutes.

In 4 channel mode it has one plug powered and 3 off, switching between them in sequential order (1 on, 2, 3 & 4 off; then 2 on, 1, 3 & 4, off etc)

So it can act like a simple wave maker switching power heads on and off. It doesn't provide the high end features of a true wavemaker that work in other random paterns.

very well done. but there's a couple of things im still unclear on. what exactly does the timer switch do, and what exactly does the speed dial do? do they control the speed at which the pumps operate? (ex: pump 1 @50%) or just the speed at which the channels switch power. (ex: outlet 1 on for 11 seconds, then turns off and outlet 2 turns on for 11 seconds, so on and so forth.)

 

[psteeleb]

unfortunately, there is no speed control on the pumps - they are just on or off. The dial adjust how long it takes for them to switch back and forth. When in fast mode the dial adjusts the time between cycles from 1 sec to 60 seconds. When in slow mode the dial adjusts the time from 1 minute to 15 minutes. HTH

I'll see about taking a video

 

[psteeleb]

dp

 

[chrismunn]

well pete, that was a flawless explanation. i fully understand now, and that sounds like an awsome little box. how safe is it to use as a wavemakes though? i noticed the large warning that states not to use anything but slow chase lights or something like that? whats the deal with that?

 

[chrismunn]

well pete, that was a flawless explanation. i fully understand now, and that sounds like an awsome little box. how safe is it to use as a wavemakes though? i noticed the large warning that states not to use anything but slow chase lights or something like that? whats the deal with that?

 

[chrismunn]

well pete, that was a flawless explanation. i fully understand now, and that sounds like an awsome little box. how safe is it to use as a wavemakes though? i noticed the large warning that states not to use anything but slow chase lights or something like that? whats the deal with that?

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12675999#post12675999 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrismunn
well pete, that was a flawless explanation. i fully understand now, and that sounds like an awsome little box. how safe is it to use as a wavemakes though? i noticed the large warning that states not to use anything but slow chase lights or something like that? whats the deal with that?

Chris - Thanks

I suspect the warning is around not using them with florescent or other types of lighting that require pulse starts or other type of wattage spikes on start up.

So far it's working flawlessly with my Koralia pumps.

 

[chrismunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12676103#post12676103 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psteeleb


I suspect the warning is around not using them with florescent or other types of lighting that require pulse starts or other type of wattage spikes on start up.

you know what, that makes perfect sense. i might have to look into getting one of thoes. you say its under $40.oo bucks right? just at some randome dj supply website. you mention hearing that the brand chauvet should be avoided, should i steer clear?

 

[psteeleb]

I really can't speak personally about the Chauvet power centers, only that I heard they weren't as good as the DJ's. I got some other brand knock-offs and would not buy them again. If I was to buy again I would invest the extra buck on the DJ's only because I have never heard anything negative about them. So far though I'm very satisfied with this Chauvet light controller, and I've dropped it twice.

link
http://shop.vendio.com/progearwareh...ortf=3&sortd=1&no_img=1&search_cmd=1&categ=17

 

[psteeleb]

talk about a morning stretch
Ouch:eek2:

 

[ReefEnabler]

woh.... is that ric splitting?????? is it normal for them to do that???

 

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12684396#post12684396 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RyanBrucks
woh.... is that ric splitting?????? is it normal for them to do that???

First time I've seen this. It looks like a piece of rock broke off and is pulling it in half. I suspect it will have to split the hard way. Rough way to replicate if you ask me.

 

[ReefEnabler]

haha true.

but have you heard how elegance corals frag themselves in the wild???? occasionally they will start to develop a small skeleton deposit on the underside of the polyp that is separated from the main skeleton. in time this new subskeleton grows until its literally weighing the coral down like your ric, and then it force splits.

 

[chrismunn]

thats pretty cool

 

[psteeleb]

The Ric split and is now two healthy Rics

Between doing things around the house getting and getting ready for the Miss Texas pageant I got around to getting a couple of the Marco rocks in the tank and added a bunch of drilled holes in existing rockwork for pegging SPS. So now I have a couple layers of places to put SPS and some nice vertical space to peg them to.

I'm getting excited about this but I' also busting up a bunch of coral in the process

I had to break off about 3" of the rock to maintain my 2" clearance to glass for cleaning. More frag rocks I suppose