Powerheads & X10

[Rovert]

Has anyone used a couple powerheads and X10 dimmable lamp modules to program a wave cycle for their tank? If so, what type of powerheads did you use?

Just to be clear, I'm asking about varying the output using the dimming feature of the modules, rather than just full on / full off to simulate both daytime and nighttime current flows.

My thought was that during the day if I alternately cycled them up to 80% of their maximum output during daytime, and cycled them up to perhaps 20% of their output at night, that it would be a "poor man's" wavemaker.

 

[nillo]

ac motors don't work that way. In order to vary the flow you have to vary the duty cycle not the voltage.

Shawn

 

[kgross]

The light modules will not vary the flow from the pumps, they will just cause you to burn up the pump since they will cut down on the max voltage the pump recieves. To vary the speed of most AC motors you have to vary the frequency of the AC, (not the duty cycle).

If you had DC powerheads and a wall-wart style transformer/regulator it would work with the lamp modules, but I don't know of any dc powerheads that are easily available.

Kim