coral life aqua timer digital

[pewpewlazerbeam]

(Update)

So when i got home from job # 2 i set up my new GE digital power strip from home depot.
Since this new timer lacked the (night) cycle that ran inverse to the day cycle i had to get a seperate single time for my refugium light. I bought a mechanical cheapo one for this purpose and plugged it in to a separate power strip. I waited until 10 pm when my halide is supposed to shut off and set up the new power strip. ( so nothing was actually drawing power from it overnight except 2 blue lunar link leds that i have on the always on side.

I wake up this morning and look at the timer. The cheapo mechanical timer is plugging away ( silently i might add )

While the new power strip had apparently reset at some time during the night. It was no longer in the auto cycle it was now OFF, and the time on it was incorrect.

There goes the thought that the draw from the ballast is what causes it to reset as the ballast should never have been turned on over night.

Here is the funniest and oddest part. I still had the coral life timer sitting next to the other power strip mostly because i just havent put it away yet. IT had reset as well at the same F*&^%%ing time. They read the same time, both said 9:14 am ( it was 7:00).
The coral life timer wasnt even plugged into a wall, it just reset itself and turned back on.

I give up on digital timers i will go buy a large mechanical power strip and be done with this.

 

[thatguy559]

Should invest in a controller even a basic one

 

[pewpewlazerbeam]

I will if i can find something <100$ but im not looking to spend that much to have my lights shut off at a certain time. If only i had some old lady neighbor i could pay to turn them on at 10 am

 

[tat2z_21]

Well you can get a Digital Aquatics reefkeeper lite for under 100 dollars and it will control your pumps, lights temperature, and lunar lights. It is a deal. You can have your power heads on seperate wavemakers and they will turn off and on when you say.

 

[scytale]

For all those people recommending a controller, instead of timers--consider (4)* words: "single, point, of, failure."

Nothing is perfect... so what happens if the controller fails?
(Don't you lose everything--your lights, your heaters, your pumps, your doser, etc.?)

At least with multiple timers, the failure is limited to only 1 piece of equipment at a time!
Call me old school, but I like having (6) independent timers instead.

I use the whole gamut, from cheap IKEA analog timers to nice digital models capable of 1 minute intervals.
(Personally I like my Intermatic DT17, Heavy Duty 7-day timers best, but they're hard to find after the recall.)

Pickup a Power-squid and you can plug a whole slew of timers into the same strip.

(* well, 3 words + 1 preposition, I suppose.)

 

[pewpewlazerbeam]

FWIW I returned the new digital timer, ( cant send back the corralife) got a GFI strip, and have mechanical timers on the GFI. Theyre working like clockwork. All is well.

 

[Scooterman]

These timers are known fire hazards, IMO junk it and buy a lawn timer or a heavy duty dial timer, some lawn timers have battery backups.

JMO

 

[pewpewlazerbeam]

Scooterman, its very very true. Absolute pieces of junk. I bought it on amazon and im friends with their vp maybe ill put the screws to him about not selling that junk

 

[76Frags]

I like the timer when it works, but last night it was on when i went out and off prematurely when i came home. Thats gotta stress out the fish/corals right?
I went over to reef central and looked for controllers, this is extreme overkill. I have a 29 gal biocube i dont need remote monitoring of all this stuff. I dont understand how these timers can be such complete pieces of crap and still be on the market.

How is there not a reasonable alternative?

It's my belief that their timers are like their skimmers, and their power compact lighting systems with the "unchangable without breaking" lights! That company has fallen way down on my list of things to buy. I have two of thier timers and the only reason i still have them is b/c I'm saving up for something better at the moment.

 

[johnpeezy]

Walmart...
i think there in the lighting section.

brinks digital timers (make sure you get the ones with the ground probe)

I have 5-6 of these running random things in my house I LOVE THEM...they cost more then the dial timers(around 15 i think) but they are very user friendly and the one I have used on my reef tank for quite some time has a remote (makes turnig on the lights much easier when the unexpected visitor comes by, but that one cost like 30 bucks...)

Only have a problem with one, the battery backup wore out, still no complaints.

 

[baseballkid5]

I have an Aquacontroller jr with Temp and Ph Probe and aquanotes you can have it for $125 if your interested. I think i have some x10s for it as well. If not no worries.
Scott