All you Apex gurus

[Djplus1]

Ok. So I'm giving this a shot tonight. I'm sick of just talking about it, time to be about it.

 

First question of the day:

 

I'm using the web browser to set everything up... and under outlet setup, how do you know what outlet you're setting up? What are the high power devices that you mention above, Wade? I'm going to start in my apex JR (just the 4 plugs) with my pump, my heater, my skimmer (avast cs1 with the recirc pump) so it has two pumps powered off one cable) and my light.

FYI, in your apex jr, all 4 outlets are mechanical, so you have no worries for high or low draw items.

[Djplus1]

On an EB8 outlets 4 and 8 are mechanical while the rest are triac.

[wade]

So for anyone watching that might have input...

 

My peristaltic dosing pump for my ATO hasn't yet arrived.  Until it does, I need to use a powerhead (MJ800) to push water from my freshwater container to my sump.

 

I would like to limit the total amount of time the pump can stay on (in case the freshwater source runs dry, I don't want the powerhead overheating or catching fire).  Is the only way to do this by using the OSC command, like below?

 

Here is my current program for the ATO outlet (running the powerhead):

 

Fallback OFF 

Set OFF

OSC 0:00/10:00/50:00 Then ON // (pump will only run for 10 mins per hour on the hour)

If Switch1 OPEN Then OFF //  (this the primary Avast! topoff switch)

If Switch1 CLOSED Then ON 

Min Time 045:00 Then OFF // (this makes sure it has been off for at least 45 mins before being able to turn back on)

Defer 002:00 Then ON // (this means the float switch has to be active for at least 2 min continuously before being able to turn the outlet on)

If Switchx4_1 CLOSED Then OFF // (leak detector1)

If Switchx4_2 CLOSED Then OFF // (leak detector2)

 

[wade]

FWIW, I found what I had been reading about the outlets and draw strength of devices on the Apex.  The 8 outlet powerbar's triac switches can only handle about 5 amps of draw before they fail.  So put anything with a draw higher than 5 amps on the mechanical switches.

[OldReefer]

You might want to consider creating a virtual outlet called sump-low and placing your switch1 commands and defer commands under that outlet. That would limit the complex interactions that could arise with OSC, Mintime, and defer commands layered on top of each other. I am not sure if I can figure out which of those commands would take precedence with all the possible combinations. It would be easier to troubleshoot and monitor if you put some of those commands under a virtual outlet and then used the state of that outlet to trigger your ATO. Keep in mind you can't monitor or control a switch online, but you can watch and control a virtual outlet.

 

Likewise you might want to set up a virtual outlet called Leak that is triggered by Switchx4_1 and Switchx4_2. If you add that outlet to your email alarm outlet, you will get an email alarm that tells you the Leak outlet is ON. If you do that for all your switch-driven alarm states, you will always get an email that tells you what is wrong (Sump_Low, Sump_High, etc). Otherwise you will just get an email with no indication what switch triggered it.

 

I hope that helps.

Edited July 15, 2013 by OldReefer

[wade]

Thanks, I will look into the virtual outlet.  With the Apex Lite I can at least see the position of the switches online, which is helpful, but like you say it would probably work better since I put so much into one line.  So far (tested twice today) the topoff has worked fine with this, but I'll work on it.

 

I actually haven't configured the email yet, but really need to do that asap before leaving town for a week.  I realized too late that gmail won't work with it.

[AlanM]

I am using a free account at gmx.com for outgoing non-SSL email, and it seems to work all right.  I never log in to it manually with the web since setting it up.

[wade]

Woot. Got email and email > text set up.  Now I will get annoying spam texts if something is wrong. But at least I'll know something is wrong!

[Djplus1]

I believe you can set some type of time limit so you don't have your phone going off every 5 seconds if your temp say goes below 75. It can notify you every half hour or something rather than every 5 minutes for three hours in the middle of the night.

[scott711]

Wade,

 

You have too many variables in your statement.  These two mean the same thing:

 

If Switch1 OPEN Then OFF //  (this the primary Avast! topoff switch)

If Switch1 CLOSED Then ON 

 

You just need one. 

 

I would then create at least one virtual outlet and call it leak detector and add these:

 

If Switchx4_1 CLOSED Then OFF // (leak detector1)

If Switchx4_2 CLOSED Then OFF // (leak detector2)

 

 

How are the above switches connected to your apex? 

Yes, you can limit the amount of time in between emails/texts sent to your phone/email through the interface.

[wade]

 

Wade,

 

You have too many variables in your statement.  These two mean the same thing:

 

If Switch1 OPEN Then OFF //  (this the primary Avast! topoff switch)

If Switch1 CLOSED Then ON 

 

You just need one. 

 

I would then create at least one virtual outlet and call it leak detector and add these:

 

If Switchx4_1 CLOSED Then OFF // (leak detector1)

If Switchx4_2 CLOSED Then OFF // (leak detector2)

 

 

How are the above switches connected to your apex? 

Yes, you can limit the amount of time in between emails/texts sent to your phone/email through the interface.

 

 

Good point on the redundancy. I should fix that.

 

Not used nor looked into virtual outlets, so I will give it a look too.

 

The switches are via a leak detection module (LDM). It can hold up to 4 of them and ties into the apex via bus.  Very handy.  The topoff switch goes directly into the IO port.

 

Thanks!