Apex Fusion Issues

[Thrassian Atoll]

Been setting up the Apex for what seems like all day.  This thing is so finicky.  Always disconnecting, seems like half the stuff isn't working right.  Trying to calibrate probes, keep getting errors.  

 

I am not not sure if this is all do to using the Apex Fusion app on my phone or what.  I feel like having the little display plugged into might be way easier to use, which shouldn't be the case.  Very frustrating.

 

ACJR was the easiest thing ever to use back in the day.

 

Would connecting to a computer be better?  I might grab the display monitor thing and use that if it's going to be this bad using the app.  My wifi signal is good as well.  Not sure what the issue is.

[Thrassian Atoll]

Right now I can't even get the apex local page to open to get the token thing to link to the Fusion.  Just sits there on the page and doesn't load.  Not sure why there is the apex page and the fusion page either.  It's really confusing.

[Thrassian Atoll]

Finally got it to connect again.  I have been trying to calibrate the salinity probe for a couple of hours now.  It won't get into acceptable range when I have it in the 53 solution.  Super frustrating because then I have to take it out and let it dry and try again.  

 

For $800, I am very disappointed.  

[MockandRoll]

Your wifi is disconnecting. Set up everything using Ethernet then go back to wifi. 

[Thrassian Atoll]

 

27 minutes ago, MockandRoll said:

Your wifi is disconnecting. Set up everything using Ethernet then go back to wifi. 

 Appreciate the feedback.  I just ordered the the little display monitor.  Hoping I can control everything with that and monitor with my phone.

 

My tank is beside my kitchen, which is a decent distance from my router.   If I keep having issues and or the monitor doesn't fix everything for some reason, I'll pick up a really long Ethernet cord.

[MockandRoll]

Mine is also next to my kitchen. I got a 50' cord. Apex is awesome once you get it setup.

[Thrassian Atoll]

7 minutes ago, MockandRoll said:

Mine is also next to my kitchen. I got a 50' cord. Apex is awesome once you get it setup.

 

I hope so.  The stuff you can monitor and control is pretty awesome.  

[bob115]

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I wouldn't call the Apex the most reliable thing in the world. Even with a wired connection it drops out of fusion at least once a week and the only thing that will reconnect it is a power cycle. Previously--a firmware update is what I think ended up fixing it--it would randomly turn completely off then start back up every once in a while. I've also had it not turn off my light when it was supposed to and if I didn't catch it would have just kept it on indefinitely.

 

When talking to support they repeatedly would not acknowledge me asking about these issues and simply said firmware was updated and it didn't do it in the last 12 hours. 

 

There's a thread on their forums about a few people who have had the apex go rogue and turn stuff on or off without programming it to. Crashed one guys tank because it turned on his dosers for a few hours.

 

They bring up a good point there, anything that's mission critical should have multiple controls for redundancy and to not let the apex have full control of anything that could crash the tank. Which for the price they charge for all the little bits and bobs and the unit itself makes the value of the device questionable.

 

That said, I'm so heavily invested in the thing that I'm not willing to give it up and have to work through everything. I've also had a pretty sour taste left in my mouth by them with the way support is, the price gouging, the poor quality or lack of official documentation, and the attitude that they can just let the forums be their help desk and manual. Its a pretty fine product with some kinks that still need to be ironed out and its made a big difference to my husbandry, but it falls short of its claims and the price is too high.

 

 

[Thrassian Atoll]

I was having issues with my display working.  Had to do a bunch of random stuff to get that to work.  Right now trying to properly calibrate the salinity probe is impossible.  Seems like 80% of people have the same issue.  I went ahead and just calibrated to the tank water just to monitor salinity changes.  I can't get it to calibrate properly using the calibration solution.

 

also, to fix my display, support said to send it in for repair.  Lol.  Thankfully somebody on neptunes forum gave me some good directions on fixing it.