Want a hour meter

[Plan>B]

Hello all.... I am looking for a cheap(?) hour meter that I can put on my tank lights. Any one know of a good brand and model number. I don't care what it takes to hook it up, as my lighting layout will be pretty flexible. So peeps chime in and give me some ideas to work with.

The whole purpose is to get a 'normal' lifespan of my lamps (and could possible lead into pumps also), so a reset option is a must... don't care if it is digital or not.

 

[Plan>B]

any one?

 

[Doahh]

An Hour meter?
Like... a Timer?

 

[Plan>B]

No... not a timer at all.... some thing that would be able to count how many hours something (lights for me) has been turned on. This way I can accurately have an idea how 'old' my lamps are.

Something very similar to what you have on your house for your electrical meter, but instead of counting how much you use (watts) I want to count how long its used (time-hour)

 

[BigJay]

There is such a thing, hour meters are used on boats to tell how long the engines have been run between maintenance intervals.

http://www.amazon.com/Hour-Meter-Boat-Truck-Tractor/dp/B001E3PAF2

I imagine you could hook something like that up to an aquacontroller, and run the hour meter on the same schedule the lights are on.

 

[Plan>B]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15660583#post15660583 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
There is such a thing, hour meters are used on boats to tell how long the engines have been run between maintenance intervals.

http://www.amazon.com/Hour-Meter-Boat-Truck-Tractor/dp/B001E3PAF2

I imagine you could hook something like that up to an aquacontroller, and run the hour meter on the same schedule the lights are on.

Kinda... but that is dc... need 120volt... and i would just run in in series the circuit. I plan on making a custom lighting relay with my AC 3.

 

[dan223]

Does your lighting cycle vary alot? just wondering why you cant just multiply daysXhours. I just write the dates on the metal ends with sharpie.

 

[Plan>B]

No they won't... just want to have a little more details for logging

 

[randomworker]

You can try this:

http://enmco.thomasnet.com/viewitem...-meters/t12b-ac-powered-hour-meter?&forward=1

but for $161 it seems a bit pricey when compared with writing the dates on the bulb with a sharpie.

 

[billdogg]

^^^what randomworker said^^^

i just use a sharpie on the bulbs!

 

[das75]

I keep a log on the PC for stuff like when fish or corals added, carbon changed and bulbs switched. I'll also record bulb temp and manufacturer.

From that can easily work out the hours but you'll often see bulbs should be changed after XXX months, not needing the resolution of a hour meter.

Do have meters on different components on the Radars that are 120vac. Would be easy enough to put a plug on them and just plug into the same receptacle as your lights (downstream from the timer). I grab the specs tomorrow.

 

[Plan>B]

This is more on the lines of what I am looking at... and will get a few by weeks end. Plus it has a reset.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:US:1123#ht_1273wt_1165

This is for me the whole purpose of the meter is for my log. I will be getting a par meter by Oct and just want to take readings every so often and compare.

 

[kc350twin]

Do you own a ReefKeeper2? They log actual time on. Not sure about the other Controllers. Very helpful when logging Light bulb life.

 

[Plan>B]

No I don't, I have a AC 3 pro that I haven't set up or played with yet.