PH probe

[raynist]

It is amazing what you find when you clean out a closet. I didn't even know I had one of these:

$25 if you want it (i tested it and it works, reads the same as my ACJr). I can bring it to the meeting tonight.

No probe though.

--Ray

 

[raynist]

Ted, I can't find any of the x10 stuff for the ACII.....

 

[acer]

Ray - you got a PM

 

[Jabberwock]

Bill- thank you fro the offer- If I make it to the meeting tonight I will take you up on that offer. It will at least give me a chance to test the old Milwaukee PH controller that I am currently using - to see if it is even close. How to you like the Elite? YOU had to buy the SR1 module, or some other module, in order to monitor PH , temp , Orp, etc. correct? I think the head unit only comes with DC4 - and therefore, it has no way to attach probes to monitor anything - correct?

Sounds good - that ACII that Ray is bringing would be pretty awesome too.

So far I have no major complaints about the Elite. It's doing exactly what I ask of it. Currently it controls:

Heater/temperature (with alarm)
Secondary Lighting
UV Sterlizer
Sump lighting
pH monitoring
Auto-top off (with alarm)

You have to use either the System Lab 1 (ph, Temp, Switches, ORP) or System Lab 2 (ph, Temp, Switches, Salinity) modules to monitor pH and Temperature. There really isn't any other way to watch pH. Temperature is measured from the SL's on my Elite, but I think you can also use an iTemp which plugs directly into the last open port on the System Bus (this is what the RKL uses.)

Each PC-4 and System Lab comes with two System Bus sockets (I think all of the control units are this way), so there is usually some way to expand. The order of the devices does not matter... so you can go head to PC4 to SL2 to PC4 to Moonlights to Switch Controller to ect... or virtually any order of the above (provided that the head unit is first or last. The only terminating devices (ones that cannot be expanded beyond) are the head unit and the iTemp. So if you wind up with a RKL, the head unit would probably start the chain, then all of your stuff, then the temp probe at the end.

The Elite is pretty nice - the menus are clean and easy to navigate, I thought the programming logic was pretty powerful and easy to wrap my head around (there is a LOT that you can do with it, it does take some creative thinking to get it programmed though). You can even set the background color to match your decor!

The only bugs I currently have on my system (that I've noticed) involve the graphing capability - the values that it seems to store and the averages are frequently corrupt/unrealistic - the moment to moment readings seem to be correct though. Also the system clock slows down significantly when a visisual an audio alarm occurs. I'm sure DA would just suggest upgrading the firmware to the most recent version to see if that fixes those issues, but... more on that later...

Expansion is rather expensive - $100 for a network/internet interface (not as advanced as some of the competitors stuff either), $80 for a salinity probe (which they just recently redesigned to make them functional - took all year and still not generally available to buy), $90 for an additional PC-4 (these fill up super fast). The PC-4's also have the issue that only two of the switches are "very reliable" - the top most and bottom most switches use the more reliable physical relays whereas the two in the middle only use electronic relays which can become stuck on if you are using low-power devices (could be a problem for dosers, ATO, ect.) Also each PC 4 can handle a maximum of 15 amps, but each socket of the PC 4 maxes out at either 3 amps or 8 amps, so slaving two 400 watt halides or heaters to a single 8amp socket to save space might not be a great idea.

Recently I purchased additional PC4's from someone switching controllers but the version of firmware on his controllers did not match the version I have on mine. This means that I need to update *everything* to the most recent version of firmware (Digital Aquatics controls the software/firmware available on the net very, very tightly). The problem with this is that the USB System Interface Device (SID) that I (and most of use) have no longer works with the firmware and software that they are producing - I have to send it in so that they can update it to version 2.0 just so I can try the new software (which, BTW, there is a landslide of posts on their forums from people complaining about bugs and upgrade problems) so now I'm sort of afraid to even attempt it since my current set-up works so far. I guess I can decide in the week or so that my SID will be out getting reprogrammed (for a fee, since I am not the original owner - also you can't just order a brand new SID at this time).

Anyway, so that's what I know more or less about the Reefkeeper. Feel free to pop-quiz me later tonight about them - I don't know too much of the technical aspects, but I can tell you all about my experiences...

 

[acer]

Thanks Bill - appreciate the input. Dave found me a pretty good deal on Reefkeeper lite head unit with sl1 with PH probe for $189 at Marine Depot. Depot has a AC JR on sale with PH probe w/ DC10 for $229 ( regular $335) . SO, which is better/easier to deal with, etc. the Neptune A/C stuff or the Reefkeeper stuff?? TOO much info - cant decide on what to purchase. Well - I have decided to get to the meeting tonight to talk in person and get further input. IF I got the A/C jr package for $229 then I would be pretty much all set for the 180 - this summer ...???

 

[acer]

Well following several discussions and researching on my own - I think I will save some cash and use Bills ( thanks again) pinpoint unit to monitor my PH until I talk the wife into let me buy an AC Jr. with the probes and DC8 module and be ready for the 180 BUILD - staying hopeful. Thanks to all for your help/opinions.

 

[ironwill723]

pm'd you ray