Question about OSC command with BRS Dosing pumps

[Bad LS1]

I have a question about using my Apex, BRS dosing pumps, and 2 part. I wasn't sure if I should put it here or in the Chemistry forum. I'll start here and see what replies I get.

First off, I have my Alk and Cal dosing pumps plugged into my Apex controller. For both Alk and Cal I'm using the OSC command below...

OSC 000/004:00/056:00 Then On

So both pumps turn on every hour for 4 minute. This gives me 105 ml of Alk and Cal each day. My questions are...

1. Is it ok to dose Alk and Cal at the exact same time every hour? I've heard you don't want to add them at the same time.

2. If I shouldn't add them at the same time then how would the code look to dose like this....

12:00-12:04 Alk
12:30-12:34 Cal
1:00-1:04 Alk
1:30-1:34 Cal
etc.

This would mean I'm dosing every 30 minutes but it alternates between the Alk pump and the Cal pump. Obviously my Alk program won't change. I'm just not sure how to program the Cal pump to turn on 30 minutes after the alk and then hourly after that. Hope that make sense.

 

[kurt_n]

1. If you're dripping the alkalinity and calcium solutions in different locations, there's no problem dosing them at the same time. You just don't want the two solutions to mix together.

2. If you want to stagger the dosing like you say, you'd just change your OSC command to...

OSC 030:00/004:00/026:00 Then On

 

[swearint]

If you have the extra outlet available, I would recommend staggering them.

[ALK]
Fallback OFF
OSC 000/004:00/056:00 Then ON
If pH > 8.4 Then OFF

[CAL]
Fallback OFF
OSC 030:00/004:00/026:00 Then ON

Use the first parameter to offset by 30 minutes from Midnight. You did not mention what 2-part you were using, but assuming the Alk will raise pH it is a good idea to add a limit.

Todd

 

[RussM]

[Alk]
OSC 000/004:00/056:00 Then On

[Ca]
OSC 030:00/004:00/026:00 Then On

This will alternate the 2 solutions with 30 minutes in between.

 

[swearint]

Well, at least I beat Russ.

Todd

 

[RussM]

LOL... three answers, essentially the same, all being written at the same time.

 

[kurt_n]

Woohoo... I won the typing contest!

Agree... adding the pH > statement in there is a good idea for alk.

 

[aquamanic]

I'm reporting all of you to your bosses....

 

[Bad LS1]

Awesome! Thanks guys. Yes I'm using the BRS recipe 1 which raises the pH. My pH stays pretty low for some reason so I'm ok there. I didn't type out the whole program (since I'm at work and aquamanic is going to tell our bosses LOL!) but it is like Swearint posted using the pH statement......

[ALK]
Fallback OFF
OSC 000/004:00/056:00 Then ON
If pH > 8.4 Then OFF

[CAL]
Fallback OFF
OSC 030:00/004:00/026:00 Then ON

So basically the first set of 000 is the offset from midnight? 010:00/xxx/xxx would be 12:10am, 020:00/xxx/xxx would be 12:20pm etc? OK cool. Oh and yes, I have 3 tubing lines all next to each other in a probe holder (1/2" apart) dripping into the bubble trap in my sump. That way the Alk, Cal, and ATO water gets mixed pretty good before hitting the return pump.

I'll go ahead and add the 30 minutes in there to break it up.

 

[RussM]

I'm reporting all of you to your bosses....

I was devoting a full 2% of my attention to the conference call in progress at the time.

 

[kurt_n]

I'm reporting all of you to your bosses....

I'm sure mine knew before I even hit the "submit" button, with how tight our security and logging is... :fun5:

Bad LS1... yeah, you got it right about the first set of numbers on the OSC command. If the command is "OSC x/x/x THEN ON", you can think of the numbers after the OSC command as "off/on/off". Since you want to repeat every hour, the "off/on/off" numbers need to add up to 60 minutes. But there's nothing in the Apex programming that says they have to. If you want it repeated every 90 minutes, then the numbers will add up to 90 minutes.

 

[LewisW96]

If you have the extra outlet available, I would recommend staggering them.

[ALK]
Fallback OFF
OSC 000/004:00/056:00 Then ON
If pH > 8.4 Then OFF

[CAL]
Fallback OFF
OSC 030:00/004:00/026:00 Then ON

Use the first parameter to offset by 30 minutes from Midnight. You did not mention what 2-part you were using, but assuming the Alk will raise pH it is a good idea to add a limit.

Todd

Wouldn't this turn the [Cal] on every 30 mins? I'm still trying to figure this thing out. I thought it should look like
[CAL]
Fallback OFF
OSC 030:00/004:00/056:00 Then ON

Lewis

Nevermind I got.

 

[Bad LS1]

I'm sure mine knew before I even hit the "submit" button, with how tight our security and logging is... :fun5:

Bad LS1... yeah, you got it right about the first set of numbers on the OSC command. If the command is "OSC x/x/x THEN ON", you can think of the numbers after the OSC command as "off/on/off". Since you want to repeat every hour, the "off/on/off" numbers need to add up to 60 minutes. But there's nothing in the Apex programming that says they have to. If you want it repeated every 90 minutes, then the numbers will add up to 90 minutes.

I think that was throwing me off. I knew the second two numbers added to 60 when I had 000/004:00/056:00 but it just wasn't registering in my head that if I added the 30 minutes in I had to adjust the whole string. I was thinking 030:00/004:00/056:00 at first and didn't realize the 56:00 needed to be changed to 26:00 to read 030:00/004:00/026:00. It seems no matter how many times I read something it doesn't completely set in until I ask some questions. LOL