Aquarium controller

[bencollinz]

I don't need talking into keeping the RA, I need to know which controller to move forward with based on the following criteria:

ATO/Water level - multiple

RF/Vortech

PWM/Dimming

Wifi/LAN

 

Don't need the following but would be helpful:

PH

Salinity

Phone app - android

 

Prefer personal experiences.

 

Thank you

Ben

[Marc.The.Shark]

Lots of good deals on used Apex systems out there right now. I love mine, does everything you want & more

[Water Dog]

Other than Reef Angel, I don't think any of the current full featured controllers out there offer PWM dimming. I believe they are all 0-10v. I believe 02 surplus has a converter cable to convert the PWM signal to a 0-10v signal. However in doing so, you won't be able to dim your lights lower than 10%. Anything lower than 10℅ and it goes to off. That being said, I do run an Apex on my system and I am very happy with it.

[Marc.The.Shark]

Other than Reef Angel, I don't think any of the current full featured controllers out there offer PWM dimming. I believe they are all 0-10v. I believe 02 surplus has a converter cable to convert the PWM signal to a 0-10v signal. However in doing so, you won't be able to dim your lights lower than 10%. Anything lower than 10℅ and it goes to off. That being said, I do run an Apex on my system and I am very happy with it.

The old Meanwell ELN drivers wouldn't go below 10 or 11%, but with the O2 adapter & newer Meanwell LDD's you can get down to 1%. Here's a thread on Neptune forum about it.

https://forum.neptunesystems.com/showthread.php?1979-HOW-to-set-up-the-Apex-to-dim-my-DIY-LEDs-below-10-to-simulate-moonlights&highlight=Dimming+LDD%27s

[Water Dog]

Really!?! Sweet... That's good to know. Thanks!

[gus6464]

Other than Reef Angel, I don't think any of the current full featured controllers out there offer PWM dimming. I believe they are all 0-10v. I believe 02 surplus has a converter cable to convert the PWM signal to a 0-10v signal. However in doing so, you won't be able to dim your lights lower than 10%. Anything lower than 10℅ and it goes to off. That being said, I do run an Apex on my system and I am very happy with it.

 

I dim my lights hooked up to my Apex to 0.

I don't need talking into keeping the RA, I need to know which controller to move forward with based on the following criteria:

ATO/Water level - multiple

RF/Vortech

PWM/Dimming

Wifi/LAN

 

Don't need the following but would be helpful:

PH

Salinity

Phone app - android

 

Prefer personal experiences.

 

Thank you

Ben

 

Vertex Cerebra.

[bencollinz]

 

 

 

Vertex Cerebra.

yea, if and when

[gus6464]

yea, if and when

 

? It's already out.

[bencollinz]

 

? It's already out.

where? it's all preorder

[gus6464]

where? it's all preorder

 

All the shipments keep selling out. Just preorder it from BRS.

[disaster999]

Do you mine elaborating why your fed up with the RA?

[mashedpotato]

 

All the shipments keep selling out. Just preorder it from BRS.

 

 

Any reviews on this yet? Just seems like vaporware.

[gus6464]

 

 

Any reviews on this yet? Just seems like vaporware.

Don't think you know the definition of vaporware. The product is out and can be purchased and has been purchased by many people.

[mashedpotato]

Don't think you know the definition of vaporware. The product is out and can be purchased and has been purchased by many people.

 

 

Can you point me to a review of the product that was first announced 3 years ago?

[Tamberav]

I like my apex.

 

The programming part doesn't bother me, they have a dedicated community forum and the apex has been around so long that I can find the answers to questions I have already solved by someone else. Now that there is Apex Fusion, I feel this controller is in a particularly good spot.

 

Used ones can be had for a good price too if you want to save some $.

[gus6464]

 

 

Can you point me to a review of the product that was first announced 3 years ago?

 

So let me get this straight. Because a review of the product by some random magazine is not out then the product is vaporware? Who cares about the people posting pictures of their setup on other boards and the youtube videos they have put up. A lot of stuff does not have reviews out there by the so called pro mags or bloggers. Nanobox doesn't really have one, are they vaporware too?

[mashedpotato]

 

So let me get this straight. Because a review of the product by some random magazine is not out then the product is vaporware? Who cares about the people posting pictures of their setup on other boards and the youtube videos they have put up. A lot of stuff does not have reviews out there by the so called pro mags or bloggers. Nanobox doesn't really have one, are they vaporware too?

 

I'm sensing a lot of agitation over a silly topic.

 

I did a quick search on youtube and most of the user content over the controller is within two weeks old. This is as product that was announced over three years ago. Can you see why someone who has not researched this product within the last few weeks question its existence?

[bencollinz]

what other forums can be trusted for used apex for sale?

[bencollinz]

doesn't look like cerebra supports ecotech products

[gus6464]

doesn't look like cerebra supports ecotech products

 

Neither does the new apex. Neptune and Ecotech have parted ways and all the ecotech products that are coming out from now on will not be supported by the apex. So while you might be ok now with your radion or mpqd, the vectra and all other future ecotech products will no longer interface with apex. This was announced in the video where they introduced the new apex.

 

Also someone who has access to the private cerebra owner's forum said that vertex announced that they are trying to coordinate with ecotech on having all their current and future stuff work with cerebra.

[bencollinz]

 

Neither does the new apex. Neptune and Ecotech have parted ways and all the ecotech products that are coming out from now on will not be supported by the apex. So while you might be ok now with your radion or mpqd, the vectra and all other future ecotech products will no longer interface with apex. This was announced in the video where they introduced the new apex.

 

Also someone who has access to the private cerebra owner's forum said that vertex announced that they are trying to coordinate with ecotech on having all their current and future stuff work with cerebra.

man, well it's either cerebra or an apex classic off ebay

[intarsiabox]

Other than Reef Angel, I don't think any of the current full featured controllers out there offer PWM dimming. I believe they are all 0-10v. I believe 02 surplus has a converter cable to convert the PWM signal to a 0-10v signal. However in doing so, you won't be able to dim your lights lower than 10%. Anything lower than 10℅ and it goes to off. That being said, I do run an Apex on my system and I am very happy with it.

 

GHL Profilux states they have PWM interface in their system.

[gus6464]

Don't know if this got passed but I use O2's 0-10V board on my Apex and I can dim to 0. That used to be a limitation of the driver back in the day but meanwell LDD can dim to 0 so his 0-10v converter can dim to 0.

[R_MC]

Lol, I agree... Thought the reef angel would be good for me because I'm a tinkerer. Discovered that when combined with everything else I like to tinker with I just don't have the time.

[Marc.The.Shark]

what other forums can be trusted for used apex for sale?

R2R usually has quite a few for sale in the classifieds. A lot of people selling the classics now cause they bought the new one, pretty good prices cause there's a lot out there.