Reef Keeping Electronics

[DonW]

With the latest round of power outages that seems to be getting worse every year, I did suffer a loss that I didnt realize until this morning three days later. I lost my automation controller. The tank is running on redundancy.
The redundancy is seemless, meaning the everything works and you cant see the change unless you physicly look at the controller located elswhere in a closet.
I'm putting this in the DIY forum because I'm concidering not replacing the controller. This is the third one that was lost due to power outatges. I dont know if the power flashing off and on or if the generator is killing them. At $200 a shot I'm tired of buying controllers.
What I'm thinking is I can build a bunch of modular pieces such as a ato, lighting timers and such all tied to a low voltage power module/center.
Just thinking out loud but any input would be appreciated. Technology is great but its getting expensive.

Don

 

[LakeEd]

Don,

Sorry to hear that the power problems took out a controller for ya. Just more proof for all of us, that we need to also have some type of redundancy for our systems, instead of relying on just a "One Unit Does All" type system.

I haven't tinkered nearly as much as you into all of the automation (only built my own ATO so far), so don't have many suggestions... but am planning on following along here to learn about some new "projects"

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Don, you were the one who talked me out of the big controller and into using an independent temp controller (got the medusa.) Was excellent advice. The all in ones are awesome and cleans up the wiring plus adds simplicity to settings, but one need back-ups if you have them. Read too many horror stories on this site alone.

 

[DonW]

The only thing that really bugs me is the lights. I wouldnt want to use cheesy timers. Ato of course is no big deal. Temp, probably no big deal either. Right now I have 2 rancos, built in dual stage chiller control and the dead controller so four stages of redundancy so to loose one would be no great fear.

Don

 

[The Apprentice]

Don Lets talk about your power supplier

Quick question Don are you being supplied by a pud or a Utility?
Do you know If your power grid is at the end of a grid set( like on a spur) Or are you In the middle of grid run?
What kind of Generator do you have is it a Inverter technology?
Just trying to help you figger this out I don't get to see what the end user sees like what we get at our homes. However At the point of generation we never see grid swings that could "Spike" or swing the grid voltage far enough to cause this. Their is way to much relay protection for this just for this reason. The Pacific Northwest did allot of relay Infrastructure for Y2K just for these reasons.. I may drop my Electrical Engineering a e-mail to see what could also be causing this...Wish i could offer more. Jeff

With the latest round of power outages that seems to be getting worse every year, I did suffer a loss that I didnt realize until this morning three days later. I lost my automation controller. The tank is running on redundancy.
This is the third one that was lost due to power outatges. I dont know if the power flashing off and on or if the generator is killing them. At $200 a shot I'm tired of buying controllers.
Don

 

[DonW]

Quick question Don are you being supplied by a pud or a Utility?
Do you know If your power grid is at the end of a grid set( like on a spur) Or are you In the middle of grid run?
What kind of Generator do you have is it a Inverter technology?
Just trying to help you figger this out I don't get to see what the end user sees like what we get at our homes. However At the point of generation we never see grid swings that could "Spike" or swing the grid voltage far enough to cause this. Their is way to much relay protection for this just for this reason. The Pacific Northwest did allot of relay Infrastructure for Y2K just for these reasons.. I may drop my Electrical Engineering a e-mail to see what could also be causing this...Wish i could offer more. Jeff

I really have no clue. I can tell you we are on the border of two different power companies. My generator is a coleman 5800 connected to a manual transfer switch. I can tell you when the generator was first powered up the controller worked, I did check it. We were only pulling about 3000 watts and the last time this happened we were out of town so we never turned on the generator. The time before that we used the generator and agin I have no clue when it happened, its to seemless and the relays are to fast to see the change over.

Don

 

[The Apprentice]

Ok Don as for your controller how its hooked up how much power draw is it using. I am thinking you can protect the controller Thur a smaller sized UPS that is tied to your manual transfer switch. I think The Inrush could be your Problem. My concern with the PUD versus the Utility is the Utility will normally try to keep the system more closer to 60 Hz than a Pud Again I am no expert in this I just make the stuff. Just spinning them magnets around & around

 

[DonW]

Ok Don as for your controller how its hooked up how much power draw is it using. I am thinking you can protect the controller Thur a smaller sized UPS that is tied to your manual transfer switch. I think The Inrush could be your Problem. My concern with the PUD versus the Utility is the Utility will normally try to keep the system more closer to 60 Hz than a Pud Again I am no expert in this I just make the stuff. Just spinning them magnets around & around

Its already connected to a drycell battery backup. The wierd thing is I never had this problem until I started this tank a couple years ago. My first controller was 8 years old but only controlled things around the house.

I just started a kalk reactor project that is self contained kalk reactor and ato system I may concentrate on that for awhile and see if I can deal with seperate components.

Don

 

[The Apprentice]

Ok Don, I will follow up with what i learn from a distribution Engineer has to say...Jeff

 

[jesseb]

Is the controller DC - powered through the battery backup - or is it bypassed whenthere is active power? Do you have the controller plugged into a surge protector? Computing equipment is rather sensitive to power spikes - if the backup isn't feeding a steady stream - you might be getting zapped in surges..... -

Its already connected to a drycell battery backup. The wierd thing is I never had this problem until I started this tank a couple years ago. My first controller was 8 years old but only controlled things around the house.

I just started a kalk reactor project that is self contained kalk reactor and ato system I may concentrate on that for awhile and see if I can deal with seperate components.

Don

 

[DonW]

Is the controller DC - powered through the battery backup - or is it bypassed whenthere is active power? Do you have the controller plugged into a surge protector? Computing equipment is rather sensitive to power spikes - if the backup isn't feeding a steady stream - you might be getting zapped in surges..... -

Thanks I got it figured out. I was using the wrong type of power supply.
Thats what I get for being cheap.

Don

 

[Lew90]

DonW,

Were these Reef Keeper controllers. I'm wanting to setup a complete controll automation and I'm leaning towards IKS Aquastar equipment. Do you have any words of wisdom.


Please see my other post about this question
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23221

Thanks,
Lew90

 

[DonW]

DonW,

Were these Reef Keeper controllers. I'm wanting to setup a complete controll automation and I'm leaning towards IKS Aquastar equipment. Do you have any words of wisdom.


Please see my other post about this question
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23221

Thanks,
Lew90

No they are automation controllers. I dont like the ones sold to the aquarium industry. IMO they are limited and over priced.

Don

 

[Scooterman]

Also these things have a lot of stuff you will most probably never use & you pay for that, I don't like them either.

 

[ErikJL]

Cheap power supplies in these units are what usually fails. They are not made to handle the transients and harmonics associated with a power interruption (caused by inrush of other devices you and your neighbors have, not the controller). Using a good UPS should work in this situation.