TropTrea
New member
Monitoring wise to me is the only reason a PLC would be an advantage. You can take your reading then download them to memory. Later when you hook up your pc you can then download the data and review how much your pH, temp, or any other other factor changed during the time period you recorded it.
But for basic function like controling lights you can get $20.00 timers that work for years, For sump levels there are float switches. Even for dosing you can set up a simple logic cuircuit.
Even on an MRI system with multi mocro computers operating the simple tasks were done by basic logic cuircity. Then for controls FET's are often much cheaper than relays.
Right now I'm phasing in LED's and throwing around some interesting ideas for controling them. Still experimenting with different color combinations but have some interesting ideas on what I want now. The 120 gallon I'm actualy looking at using 6 to 8 drivers that will kick in one at a time so it will step my tank from dark to deep blue on to bright blue then full mid day lighting. and reverse the process for the end of the day.
I also found an interesting Lunar idea. Instead of running moon lights just at night setting them up on a 24 hour 48 minute cycle. This would mean that they are basicly on a 28 day cycle with a different point in the day that they would turn on every day better duplicating the real moon cycle. My only issue here is developing that trigger signal every 24 hour 48 minutes.
Then there the issue of cost. I see here that people start there low cost PLC projects with low cost basic computers but by the time they have everything done there cost was at least 15 times there initial starting point. If you want to add value of there time then the cost become unrealistic.
But with warmer weather moving in on us in Wisconsin my main attention will be more focused on the outdoors till fall. I might get some small projects done and do some planning on rainy days the big upgrades will not be till probably October. With almost 2 acres to worry about, two ponds and gardens my summer months puts most of my big tank projects on the back burner.
Sometimes I wonder how I found time for everything before I retired?
But for basic function like controling lights you can get $20.00 timers that work for years, For sump levels there are float switches. Even for dosing you can set up a simple logic cuircuit.
Even on an MRI system with multi mocro computers operating the simple tasks were done by basic logic cuircity. Then for controls FET's are often much cheaper than relays.
Right now I'm phasing in LED's and throwing around some interesting ideas for controling them. Still experimenting with different color combinations but have some interesting ideas on what I want now. The 120 gallon I'm actualy looking at using 6 to 8 drivers that will kick in one at a time so it will step my tank from dark to deep blue on to bright blue then full mid day lighting. and reverse the process for the end of the day.
I also found an interesting Lunar idea. Instead of running moon lights just at night setting them up on a 24 hour 48 minute cycle. This would mean that they are basicly on a 28 day cycle with a different point in the day that they would turn on every day better duplicating the real moon cycle. My only issue here is developing that trigger signal every 24 hour 48 minutes.
Then there the issue of cost. I see here that people start there low cost PLC projects with low cost basic computers but by the time they have everything done there cost was at least 15 times there initial starting point. If you want to add value of there time then the cost become unrealistic.
But with warmer weather moving in on us in Wisconsin my main attention will be more focused on the outdoors till fall. I might get some small projects done and do some planning on rainy days the big upgrades will not be till probably October. With almost 2 acres to worry about, two ponds and gardens my summer months puts most of my big tank projects on the back burner.
Sometimes I wonder how I found time for everything before I retired?
