Diy led dimming apex etc..... ????????'s

[Troylee]

Hey guys I finally got my diy led fixture done and was playing with apex to control it and make the sunrise etc...does anyone have a cool program for it that you wrote??? The only one I have found is bills "reefledlights".... Also anyone have the moon lighting working with here fixture or did you have to have to wire up a separate string just for that on it's driver etc??? Cranking my fixture down 100 royal blue and 50 cool whites it doesn't seem to be dim enough and at like 10 percent I think it is they shut off so no hope there....only my first day playing with it and I'm no Puuuter geek lol.... Share if ya could what exactly your fixture does through out the day and how you did it please...
I have 6 driver 4 run the blues on parallel strings and 2 run the whites on parallel strings.... Thanks...1smile1

 

[CJO]

You can't run the LEDs down low enough for moon lights, you have to get some separate ones. The Neptune Lunar Simulator is what I have on mine and it's pretty cool. It varies the intensity and timing of the moon lights with the real moon.

As far as programming the Apex, you have to do several things. First, you have to create profiles for your sunrise and sunset. If you are running the latest firmware, you only have to do one that will control them both. I would suggest that you do this since programming different sunrise and sunset parameters is a bear.

You also might want to have a different dimming profile for each color of your LEDs. I have mine set so that the blues take a 1/2 hour to dim for sunrise and sunset. I have my whites take 2 hours for sunrise and sunset so that there is only a few hours near midday where everything is on at 100%. Also, you will probably want to adjust yours to start lower than 100% so that you can acclimate your corals to the new light, maybe even as low as 50% for a while.

Here are my two profiles

W_Sun
Control type: Ramp
Ramp time (minutes): 120
Start intensity: 0
End intensity: 100 (you will probably want to lower this)

B_Sun
Control type: Ramp
Ramp time (minutes): 30
Start intensity: 0
End intensity: 100

Next, you need to create two dummy outlets for use in your dimming programming (see the Unofficial User's Guide if you need to learn how). These variables let your system know when the lights should be ON rather than dimming.

W_On
Control type: Advanced
If Sun 240/000 Then ON

B_On
Control type: Advanced
If Sun 105/120 Then ON

Now, you need to program the variable outputs for your Apex (one for each of your colors)-

White_LED_D
Control type: Advanced
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Sun 120/000 Then W_Sun
If Outlet W_On = ON Then ON

Blue_LED_D
Control type: Advanced
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Sun 090/120 Then B_Sun
If Outlet B_On = ON Then ON

If you have the lights' power plugged into an EB8, you can also program those to turn on and off to save a little bit of energy.

White_LED
Control type: Advanced
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Sun 120/121 Then ON

Blue_LED
Control type: Advanced
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Sun 090/136 Then ON

Please note that I have the sunrise and sunset times delayed about 90 minutes from the actual time so that the lights are still on when I get home at night. Hope this helps.

CJ

 

[snoopie]

Ok so I understand your profiles. But I do not understand the dummy outlets... If I were to create extra outlets wouldn't it take them room from my DC8?

 

[CJO]

The dummy outlets are used so that your lights will know what to do if the power goes off or if you turn off your lights and then put them back on. If you didn't have them and the power went out during the day, they would start dimming from 0 to 100 percent again. I also have a couple of other dummy outlets that I use for custom dimming so that I can get the 10,000K, 14,000K and 20,000K look at the push of a button. The dummy outlets are just that, they are not real outlets and don't take any space from the DC8. If you haven't already, I'd highly suggest you take a look at the Apex Unofficial User's Guide.

CJ

 

[snoopie]

I have looked at it and I understand what they do... I just don't understand how to make dummy outlets in the apex...

Sent from my EVO.

 

[CJO]

You add them just like you would add a new piece of equipment, except that you don't actually add the equipment!

Configuration->Module Setup-> Add Module

Then pick out which module you want- a DC8 will add 8 outlets, a DC4 will add 4, the Aquasurf will add 2 and the Lunar Simulator will add 1.

CJ

 

[snoopie]

I get it now... ill change this when I get home. Thanks page 88 in guide. Then when I get this to work ill head to Lee and fix he's.

Sent from my EVO.

 

[CJO]

Yep. That's a great manual on the Apex. I wouldn't have been able to do half of the stuff I did without it. So, you're the one helping Lee?

CJ

 

[snoopie]

Yup and Lee built my Plexiglas case for my led

Sent from my EVO.

 

[CJO]

Nice. Glad you're there to help. It's not the easiest or quickest thing to figure out on your own.

CJ

 

[soccerbag]

Does someone have a link to the Unofficial User's Guide? If it directs to another website, please send via pm. Thanks!!! : )

 

[Troylee]

it's all good craig..... it's informational..
AquaController Apex - Reef Tank Automation

 

[snoopie]

Hey CJO what are the exact time these run? So I can adjust to my times... for when I get home...Please let me know. thanks.

 

[snoopie]

I got it now perfect thanks!!!!

 

[CJO]

I got it now perfect thanks!!!!

Ummm, OK. Good! Do you still need the times? How is it looking?

CJ

 

[snoopie]

I got it my sunrise/set is 07:03/19:21 (for today) so blues are on 2 hours after set and white go off at set. For on white 4 hours after rise and blue almost two hours after rise. Let me know if this is right?

 

[CJO]

Maybe?! My head hurts after reading that It sounds like you have a 2 hour delay for the sunrise but no delay for the sunset?

CJ

 

[snoopie]

Not sure I used ur exact profiles and outlets lol even dummy outlets. But instead of doing on at 100% for dummy outlets I made them go to a profile for only 70% on.

Sent from my EVO.

 

[CJO]

LOL. If you're using my proflile, it should be working the same as it does for me, but it doesn't sound that way. How long are the ramps you have set in the profiles for the blues and whites? I double checked mine and my whites are set for 2 hours of ramp and my blues are set for 15 minuts (I think I said 30 before).

CJ

 

[Deanb]

Will this work will the Apex Lite?