DIY 5 station doser build - complete step by step

[fragmatic]

OK, gals & guys. The parts have finally all arrived. We will now do the 5 station dose system build. There is absolutely no reason you can not build a 2 station or a 15 station, just multiply the parts.

At first I was going to build the "kit" and take pictures as I went. However, I decided to take you along as I go. This way if I need to take additional pictures as I post and carry you along I can do so. Also, this allows me to add in steps to better explain areas where questions are ask on this forum. I realize it is going to take me about 10 times as long to do the build this way but... you are worth it. LOL... no, seriously... I want this build to be clear enough for anyone who can solder and has a very basic hands on ability to be able to "copy cat" me. As I build be quick to post questions and I will do my best to then either answer the questions in an "answer post" or incorporate the answers into the following instructions.

So.. here I go.

This first picture is of the whole pile then I will break it down and supply links to a purchase choice (where I got them).

 

[fragmatic]

This is a link to the actual pump I am using. Thank you mcarroll for the link to the manufacturer so we could do this at a reasonable price.
Aquarium Peristaltic Dosing Pump Head | eBay
The pictures 1st is the pump with all the parts it comes with. You get the pump, the motor, motor leads, two nipple couplers w/ the right sized ends to fit the pump and air line tubing, and a check valve to help prevent your dose liquids from being siphoned into the tank. One picture shows the pump partly disassembled to see that they are the three roller type.

These pumps are really neat and snap together and apart easily and firmly. They are impressive.



For the tech geeks:
Both ends of the roller are supported by a perimeter ring. Gear reduction is accomplished by the motor shaft spinning around against the rollers. The rollers then orbit around in a circle as planetary rollers between the shaft and the outer perimeter support rings. The outer rings being the stationary member of that planetary arrangement.

The flat white hex disk is the mounding flange. The two screws will go through 1/8" of material and screw into the end of the motor to pinch mount them onto the enclosure bulkhead. The motor end boss is aligned by a step bore in the rear of the mounting flange.

 

[fragmatic]

This is the timer circuit board I am using. ALTRONIX PROGRAMMABLE TIMERS - Altronix, 6062, Multi-Function Timer - 12VDC or 24VDC operation Thank you RefferAl for the link.

I will be using it as an interval timer. Their instruction does not show it in that configuration, but no problem, it is as simple to program it to be an interval timer as flipping two switches on the four dip switch block to the on position. I'll explain it again when it comes time to. I have already tested the boards and unless one dies between now and then they all function perfectly. It will provide intervals to run the pump from between 1 second and 60 seconds adjustable.

For the tech geeks:
I use this board to turn on the dose motor for an interval of time. What I am going to do is provide 12VDC to the 6062 and adjust the timer pot for that length of time. It will fire the pump for that time period then cut power to the pump until power is again applied to the 6062. The 6062 will not power the pump again until power is cut and re-applied, (something the clock work timer is very good).

 

[fragmatic]

This is a picture of the ice cube relays. Any relay designed for the coil to be energized by 120 Volts AC and has a pair of normally open contacts will do. I can get them at Radio Shack but each store will most likely only stock one or two. If I do that it will not look exactly the same and will not have as many solder lugs. I chose this one because it was easy for me to drop by Allied Electronics and pick up a will-call during most any day as I do my wildlife calls.

These are all the same I just wanted to show all the sides in this picture for interest.

Here is a link to the relay at Allied Electronics http://www.alliedelec.com/search/se...60&fromsearch=true&SearchType=0&term=70178814

Here is another source with a picture for less than $2 each (I have not purchased from these people) ..but for less than $2 each it is worth the shipping to find out I suppose. http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/RLY-453/120-VAC-RELAY-DPDT-12-AMPS/1.html It doesn't take a fancy relay and we are using very little current. I would think these would be fine.


For the tech geeks:
Normally I would of ordered a 120VAC SPST relay but in this case the 120VAC 4PDT was cheaper.

 

[fragmatic]

For a power supply I was lucky and found a 12VDC 1 amp power supply in my grab bag, most likely left over from a long dead printer or something. If you have kids and there is a 12VDC charger left over somewhere it is handy for projects like this, too. If you have to buy a power supply and can't dig one up here is a good one for the job that carries enough amps to run 5 pumps at the same time. http://www.alliedelec.com/search/se...nSearch=D:70241711,Dxm:All,Dxp:3&SearchType=0 You will need to have a large enough enclosure to have it inside.

OR.. here is one of the style I used in my build with enough power to handle running 4 pumps at once. Though I doubt many of us want to run more that one dose pump at a time, we want to stagger them , don't we? http://www.alliedelec.com/search/se...nSearch=D:70025163,Dxm:All,Dxp:3&SearchType=0 You will need to supply your own printer / computer style power cord with that funny looking end on it.


For the tech geeks
I am only using a 1 amp power supply for my unit because I intend to make sure I only dose one product at a time at different times in a 24 hour period. So, 1 amp is a light use of power and is enough to run one pump station at a time just fine.

 

[fragmatic]

For an enclosure I could buy one off a web site or dig around my junk or build my own. In my case I found this key lock box that I no longer knew the combination for and broke it open by grinding the rivets off and it is a perfect fit, ..I hope.. which ever, I will be finding out.

If this does fit it will be a perfect choice because they are cheap and easy to buy. The first thing to do to this box is take a hammer and flatten all the key hang tabs back down against the front and rear faces of the inside of the box. I think you may be able to see them in this picture, if not I will post a better picture of that.

EDIT: added image of inside of lock box showing hammered down key hang tabs.

Nothing here for the tech geeks

 

[MattL22]

How much did all the parts cost u?

 

[rockinzebra457]

Following along for this one.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[fragmatic]

How much did all the parts cost u?

So far just under $40 a station. Maybe $45, when I add in the postage. Realize, my enclosure and power supply cost me nothing. But even when I figure them in later they don't add up to much. At some point in this step by step I will post a total if you buy EVERYTHING.

Thanx... this is for ALL of us.

 

[fragmatic]

The clock work timers are from Wallyworld and cost less than $5. By clock work timers I mean the ones that are run by electric clock motors geared down to power the 24 hour dial instead of clock hands, and not the digital ones.


For the tech geeks
The reason for clock work timers is a simple no brainer. If you loose power they take off where they left off (wrong time of day) dosing my system at the same time intervals just out of sync with the real world. If you use electronic timers some of them must be reset or reprogrammed after some power outages.

 

[ReefMonkey13]

Following along as well. Thanks for sharing.

 

[fragmatic]

Thanks guys,

The first picture is of when I test positioned the parts into the enclosure. You will notice that I have stuck pieces of door skin to the front and back of the enclosure this is to stick the circuit boards and timers to. I need something tough enough not to be perforated by metal parts in these locations. You may notice that the door skin in the first picture is wider than the others. I goofed. I fixed it in the following images, because it crowded the motors. At the fix I left an area 2-1/2" wide to the left where the motors go to prevent interference fit. Corrugated poster board would work perfectly, I had door skin. I could use double stick foam tape to place these in the enclosure. I have a few kinds of sticky and the roll you see is the one I used here.

EDIT: I ended up removing the door skin out of the left half, ... because later it was in the way and the double stick foam with the 6062 boards did fine as an insulator and mount.

This post is about mounting the pumps into the enclosure. My enclosure is 11.5 inches tall so by dividing 11.5 by 6 I will get the division line locations for my 5 pump heads.

The bosses on the motors required a size "X" drill. I used a 1/8" drill for the screw holes.

The flanges on the pumps remove by squeezing release tabs and snap back on. I was careful to position the motors so that the red dots were all on the same side. You will see this in the picture.

If you look in the picture with three complete mounted pumps and two partially mounted you will spot two snap rings. The reason they are here is because the sheet metal of the enclosure is too thin for the pump flange and motor mount gap. So I put them around the motor boss to act as a spacer. I used two per motor. There are a thousand things you could use, I had these. Also, it would be just as easy to super glue a couple layers of hard back cardboard inside the enclosure to make it thicker. A total thickness of about .093" would be about right. I tried a piece of an obsolete college chemistry text book back and it was too much.

If you are really sharp you noticed that the pumps now have the adapter barb fittings that come with them installed. I DON'T want to loose them.

If you are amazingly sharp you noticed that I ground out the latch lug that was in the way of the middle motor.

 

[fragmatic]

Now I will mount the 6062's to the enclosure. In the package each 6062's box there are two strips of sticky foam stuck together with one of the pull off strips. I need to apply those to the backs of the circuit boards.

EDIT: I ended up sticking them down to the metal without the door skin being under them.

Now I want to stick them down to the door skin into the enclosure as shown. I would of fit better if if I had a larger enclosure or was building with less pump stages.

 

[fragmatic]

I took the timers and bent the prongs as shown on the timer in the foreground, my leatherman worked out well here. I have to push them flat some, I want them to fit about as low as the profile of the door skin in the next images.

Next I cut a strip of door skin that fits easily inside the enclosure from top to bottom and is about 1-1/2" wide or so. If I don't have any of the sticky "putty" tape shown, This sticky putty shown has a thousand uses. I could of used double sticky foam to stick the timers to this new piece of door skin as shown.

In this picture it is only a test fit, but this how they will later be installed into the enclosure.

 

[joeyhatch11]

Wow that looks awesome. Funny how DIY will only be 1/4 of the cost of a name brand and work just the same.

Sent from my LG-C800 using Reef2Reef Aquarium Forum mobile app

 

[Stusdesktop]

Tagging along on this.

 

[fragmatic]

OK, NIX the ply board under the 6062 circuit boards.. I don't have room! The foam sticky strips provided with them will still do fine as insulation and stand off. I lifted all the timer trip tabs and closed the enclosure and none of them were tripped when I opened it back up. So I do have a fit now. But I will have to be sure all the wires are routed to not get between the 6062's and the timers EVER. This just means I need to do a neat wiring job.

NOTE: this picture was taken after I had done additional steps, so don't panic, you haven't missed anything.

 

[fragmatic]

So as you see you are along for the ride, mistakes and all. As an old retired machine design engineer some humility is good. LOL (uuummh... ok....I heard that!)


Ok, now I am going to wire the timers hot side daisy chain. From this point on I am going to tell you what I did, if you decide to do the same you are making your own decision based on your own skills with electrical circuits.

I am going to solder two wire runs as shown. Please notice how I use black wire for the ones that run down the smaller sized prongs. I am doing this because it is procedure to identify the hot side of a 115AC circuit with black wire. I could of used either red or white for the other wire, but as long as I know which wire color I used it will not affect the circuit. I soldered them as shown. The red and black wire are NOT connected together as it appears in this image on the right end, that is just where they start to be twisted into a "twisted pair".

If you copy this demonstration of how I did my DIY, you are responsible for your own safety, if you do this DIY you are claiming to know enough about electric circuits to work in a safe manner.

Does someone want to delete out the double images for me? The system will not give me access to that function.

 

[MattL22]

Really cool thanks for sharing looks amazing u shoold sell the kits for this build with instructions

 

[fragmatic]

Now I will push the timer board into the enclosure.