Has anyone that pre-ordered seen their ION Director yet?

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Scdell

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Not seen it to date here in this thread tbh.
Read through the thread. The accuracy is addressed. They probe life has been addressed on here, along with the tests per day. It's all in this thread. Plus it's all been addressed in the release thread.
 

Scdell

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There's only two secrets with the IOND. When people will get it and how it performs in real time.
 

robbyg

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Can one of our three new owners at least say one sentence about the unit?

Works Great!
Works OK.
Don't have time to set it up yet.
Can't get it running yet.
Not sure yet if it's me or the unit but I am having issues.
I have not received it yet.

The silence almost feels like a bad omen!
 

wmb0003

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Here is a positive review from the Facebook page. Looks like he just set it up so likely the first test or first few tests.
1641252855848.png
 

robbyg

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Here is a positive review from the Facebook page. Looks like he just set it up so likely the first test or first few tests.
1641252855848.png
Thanks, I just wish one of the guys we all know would speak up and let us know what is happening. I know this stuff takes time to setup and get use to but for us on the sideline a little hint would be nice.
 

RobMcC

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Thanks, I just wish one of the guys we all know would speak up and let us know what is happening. I know this stuff takes time to setup and get use to but for us on the sideline a little hint would be nice.
Other folks may be in the same situation as me; the chocolate teapots at FedEx did as the chocolate teapots FedEx do and sent both my ion directors on a week long vacation in Texas. Finally arrived yesterday. I set the first one up after work. You have to let the probe acclimate for 6 hours before first use. I ran it three times today. Seems consistent. Screenshots on my tank build thread.
 

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Other folks may be in the same situation as me; the chocolate teapots at FedEx did as the chocolate teapots FedEx do and sent both my ion directors on a week long vacation in Texas. Finally arrived yesterday. I set the first one up after work. You have to let the probe acclimate for 6 hours before first use. I ran it three times today. Seems consistent. Screenshots on my tank build thread.
Not sure if it's changed, but I read in the manual that it needs to acclimate for 12 hours. @Vinny@GHLUSA , can you please verify the correct time frame?

From the manual dated 2021-10-5

5.2 Prepare measurement
Before the initial measurement, the Measurement cell needs to be prepared. Click Prepare Measurement cell, subsequently IOND does this:
➔ The measuring cell and the internal tubes are primed
➔ The measuring cell is prepared for the measurement
After this step you have to wait at least 12 hours for the FIRST measurement; the sensor needs this time for stabilization to be able to deliver precise results. After that, measurements can be performed at any time.
 

RobMcC

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Not sure if it's changed, but I read in the manual that it needs to acclimate for 12 hours. @Vinny@GHLUSA , can you please verify the correct time frame?

From the manual dated 2021-10-5

5.2 Prepare measurement
Before the initial measurement, the Measurement cell needs to be prepared. Click Prepare Measurement cell, subsequently IOND does this:
➔ The measuring cell and the internal tubes are primed
➔ The measuring cell is prepared for the measurement
After this step you have to wait at least 12 hours for the FIRST measurement; the sensor needs this time for stabilization to be able to deliver precise results. After that, measurements can be performed at any time.

You’re right. I left it overnight, so it was actually more than 12 hours.
 

Shredded

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I have yet to get two tests in a row from the same test kit to be within a point or two....
So funny, :rolleyes: I just found this. This Facebook entry is mine. I logged on here to see if anyone else was using it yet.
I have now been running the ION D for over a week, almost 2 now. I love, love , love this thing. I had one small hiccup that resolved itself even before I got an answer on the ticket that I opened. The consistency of this unit, the repeatability of the tests (I mean those two statements to be the same thing) to me anyway, is over and above what I expected. I like my KHD but the technology with this unit surpasses that. As a comparison and not as criticism, I think if GHL were to rework the KHD now, it would be incredibly more accurate. Setup and installation, while time consuming was straightforward, although i believe that it did help having used GHL equipment for a few years now. You need to make sure all your firmware/software updates are current. One little thing that tripped me up for a second was I always buy the stand alone version instead of slave, so don't forget to go in and set your doser as a slave or your settings aren't there. Calibrate your dosing heads accurately and follow the instructions. The very first test I threw away but after that, just test after test, within a point. FYI - I did flip on the high precision mode once and found the difference not worth the use of reference fluids. I am still on the first two 500 ml bottles and I am testing 2 times per day, 6 and 6, 12 hours apart, but as soon as these are gone and I switch to the 1000ml bottles, I am going to test once per day. I did see a suggestion earlier in this thread, and I admit I skipped some of it when the arguing got aggravating, to set number of tests to zero and just press the button to run a manual test, after all, I was only checking Calcium etc. once a week before, but... I like seeing these readings!!!! Sure, I'm in IT and maybe I'm a technology junky, but even though I have had marine tanks since I was 10, I never became one of these people that set up a tank and hey, look, all of my corals are beautiful and growing and I don't change water and I don't test unless something looks wrong... I have had to work at it and work hard at it and invest a lot of time... so this is also piece of mind when something doesn't quite look right, at a glance at least I know what it isn't. This is my hobby and I want to enjoy it, hopefully everyone is, or why are you doing it? This device just contributes to my enjoyment! Happy Reefing! ;Happy

1641997148215.png ION D 2.jpg ION D 1.jpg ION D 3.jpg ION D Values 1-12.JPG
 
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FishyFishFish

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Does anyone know how far GHL has got through the pre-orders yet?

I was drifting away from GHL but I’ve just set up my KHD and it is awesome, so I’m now tempted to add the ION director to the system. The only final thing that is putting me off is that with the KHD and ION director, I will still have to test PO4 manually.

And does anyone know if there is a difference between the ‘US’ version and the ‘European’ version other than the power supply?
 

Shredded

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Does anyone know how far GHL has got through the pre-orders yet?

I was drifting away from GHL but I’ve just set up my KHD and it is awesome, so I’m now tempted to add the ION director to the system. The only final thing that is putting me off is that with the KHD and ION director, I will still have to test PO4 manually.

And does anyone know if there is a difference between the ‘US’ version and the ‘European’ version other than the power supply?
Nope, they are still working pre-orders.
I wouldn't think there is a difference and I have been "hanging out" in their forum since they began receiving them last June/July to see how it was going. Nothing has struck me that suggested there were differences.
 

robbyg

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So funny, :rolleyes: I just found this. This Facebook entry is mine. I logged on here to see if anyone else was using it yet.
I have now been running the ION D for over a week, almost 2 now. I love, love , love this thing. I had one small hiccup that resolved itself even before I got an answer on the ticket that I opened. The consistency of this unit, the repeatability of the tests (I mean those two statements to be the same thing) to me anyway, is over and above what I expected. I like my KHD but the technology with this unit surpasses that. As a comparison and not as criticism, I think if GHL were to rework the KHD now, it would be incredibly more accurate. Setup and installation, while time consuming was straightforward, although i believe that it did help having used GHL equipment for a few years now. You need to make sure all your firmware/software updates are current. One little thing that tripped me up for a second was I always buy the stand alone version instead of slave, so don't forget to go in and set your doser as a slave or your settings aren't there. Calibrate your dosing heads accurately and follow the instructions. The very first test I threw away but after that, just test after test, within a point. FYI - I did flip on the high precision mode once and found the difference not worth the use of reference fluids. I am still on the first two 500 ml bottles and I am testing 2 times per day, 6 and 6, 12 hours apart, but as soon as these are gone and I switch to the 1000ml bottles, I am going to test once per day. I did see a suggestion earlier in this thread, and I admit I skipped some of it when the arguing got aggravating, to set number of tests to zero and just press the button to run a manual test, after all, I was only checking Calcium etc. once a week before, but... I like seeing these readings!!!! Sure, I'm in IT and maybe I'm a technology junky, but even though I have had marine tanks since I was 10, I never became one of these people that set up a tank and hey, look, all of my corals are beautiful and growing and I don't change water and I don't test unless something looks wrong... I have had to work at it and work hard at it and invest a lot of time... so this is also piece of mind when something doesn't quite look right, at a glance at least I know what it isn't. This is my hobby and I want to enjoy it, hopefully everyone is, or why are you doing it? This device just contributes to my enjoyment! Happy Reefing! ;Happy

1641997148215.png ION D 2.jpg ION D 1.jpg ION D 3.jpg ION D Values 1-12.JPG
Fantastic post:)
Thanks for the mini review, I look forward to hearing more as the months pass.

As for the KHD working as precise as the iON-D I don't think that is possible. The KHD has to depend on the dosing pumps to add specific amounts of SW & reagent. It's very hard to keep this consistent test after test.
The iON-D does not need a specific amount of water or any reagent. So long as there is enough water to cover the sensor the reading will be accurate and consistent.

So long as the probe and the reference fluid are good it should always read properly.
 

Shredded

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Fantastic post:)
Thanks for the mini review, I look forward to hearing more as the months pass.

As for the KHD working as precise as the iON-D I don't think that is possible. The KHD has to depend on the dosing pumps to add specific amounts of SW & reagent. It's very hard to keep this consistent test after test.
The iON-D does not need a specific amount of water or any reagent. So long as there is enough water to cover the sensor the reading will be accurate and consistent.

So long as the probe and the reference fluid are good it should always read properly.
Agreed on the KHD, except for one point that I think would change the accuracy because if you are off, it really affects your readings in a negative way. With the ION D, the sample tube and chamber always remain full, while the KHD empties the chamber and dumps the tubing water back to the sump. If you have ever watched it, when it fills, there is always some air. I can guarantee that each time a test is run, there is a different amount each time. Could be a small difference but it could be significant. I think it it was changed to where it worked in a similar fashion and the sample line was always full and the initial run flushed that water out the overflow and back to the sump, leaving a fresh sample in the chamber before beginning the test, accuracy and repeatability would be improved. Still, that would be something for the experts to work out and I am in no way an expert. Just a thought when watching the two processes.
I am surprised that no one has asked about the one issue that I did have. With each reading there is a probe health check. See below. The first few readings showed 100%. I knew from watching the EU users that when there was a probe issue discovered that the probes would drop from 100% to nothing and the probes would not be usable. This was part of the delay and some things were changed about the probes to improve there durability and longevity. After 3 or 4 readings mine dropped to to 63% and said quality still good but replace soon. I immediately opened a ticket however it was a weekend and I didn't expect to hear back until Monday. But, I ran a manual test and the reading improved to 83% and the rating was excellent. I ran 3 more manual tests a few hours apart and it kept improving until it returned to 100% where it has not changed since. I spoke with support on Monday and believe this was probably caused by an air bubble getting into the chamber and on the probe contact. My lines are all bubble free now and I do think this is critical to probe health. As a note, even with the lower percent, the readings were still on point.
probe 1.PNG
Clicking the "I" to the right gives the popup below. The parameters shown are measured each time to judge probe health.
probe 2.PNG
 

FishyFishFish

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I have no idea how the KHD works but, just by looking at the way the pumps spin, it looks like it draws in more water than is required to prime the sample line, and then dumps the excess. Only then does it fill the test chamber with the sample water. By the time mine has started the initial ‘dump’ process, there is no air in the sample line.

If this is what is happening then it’s pretty clever. I’ve seen people ultra concerned about the exact amount of fluid in the sample line, but I’m not sure if it is that critical. The only thing I have seen which could significantly affect the KHD reading, is the occasional air bubble in the reagent line.
 

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I have no idea how the KHD works but, just by looking at the way the pumps spin, it looks like it draws in more water than is required to prime the sample line, and then dumps the excess. Only then does it fill the test chamber with the sample water. By the time mine has started the initial ‘dump’ process, there is no air in the sample line.

If this is what is happening then it’s pretty clever. I’ve seen people ultra concerned about the exact amount of fluid in the sample line, but I’m not sure if it is that critical. The only thing I have seen which could significantly affect the KHD reading, is the occasional air bubble in the reagent line.
Well, that is just it, it uses a reagent, an acid to bring about the change in a set amount of sample. I have also had a KHD since they were initially released and I have played with the various "amounts" that you enter that your tubing holds and the head must be accurately calibrated so the unit "knows" when it is receiving a fresh sample from the tank so that it can accurately calculate when the correct sample size has been reached. I can assure you, it definitely matters. Too much or too little and the sample size is off and thus, an incorrect reading.
 

FishyFishFish

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Ok, but you are missing my point. I might be wrong, but it appear that the KHD pumps in MORE than the sample tube volume.

e.g. it appears (and I stress, I don’t know how it works, this is just by watching the pumps) that if your sample line is, for example 40ml, then it initially pumps in much more than that (e.g. 50ml). The excess then looks like it is pumped to the drain. Therefore if you put a sample tube of volume of 42ml in (instead of 40ml) then it would make no difference. The only variable is how much sample water is then pumped in to the sample chamber by the calibration of the pump, as all of the lines would already be fully purged. If it only pumps in the exact amount required, then why does the sample pump stop, and the waste pump run, before the sample pump runs again to fill up the chamber?

I’m not saying that the ION director doesn’t alleviate the variability of pump calibrations, but from my understanding you can’t test the Alk with the ION probe so that’s not an option. I don’t think leaving the KHD sample chamber full would make the KHD any more accurate.
 

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Ok, but you are missing my point. I might be wrong, but it appear that the KHD pumps in MORE than the sample tube volume.

e.g. it appears (and I stress, I don’t know how it works, this is just by watching the pumps) that if your sample line is, for example 40ml, then it initially pumps in much more than that (e.g. 50ml). The excess then looks like it is pumped to the drain. Therefore if you put a sample tube of volume of 42ml in (instead of 40ml) then it would make no difference. The only variable is how much sample water is then pumped in to the sample chamber by the calibration of the pump, as all of the lines would already be fully purged. If it only pumps in the exact amount required, then why does the sample pump stop, and the waste pump run, before the sample pump runs again to fill up the chamber?

I’m not saying that the ION director doesn’t alleviate the variability of pump calibrations, but from my understanding you can’t test the Alk with the ION probe so that’s not an option. I don’t think leaving the KHD sample chamber full would make the KHD any more accurate.
The KHD pumps in the sample tube (including filter) volume, then a set amount of water to be sampled. If your doser isn't calibrated correctly, the reading will be off.
It does not overfill and then have the extra go out the overflow.
"If it only pumps in the exact amount required, then why does the sample pump stop, and the waste pump run, before the sample pump runs again to fill up the chamber?"
It does this to flush the chamber incase there is any water left from the last test and to be sure the amount going in is correct.
 

Shredded

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Ok, but you are missing my point. I might be wrong, but it appear that the KHD pumps in MORE than the sample tube volume.

e.g. it appears (and I stress, I don’t know how it works, this is just by watching the pumps) that if your sample line is, for example 40ml, then it initially pumps in much more than that (e.g. 50ml). The excess then looks like it is pumped to the drain. Therefore if you put a sample tube of volume of 42ml in (instead of 40ml) then it would make no difference. The only variable is how much sample water is then pumped in to the sample chamber by the calibration of the pump, as all of the lines would already be fully purged. If it only pumps in the exact amount required, then why does the sample pump stop, and the waste pump run, before the sample pump runs again to fill up the chamber?

I’m not saying that the ION director doesn’t alleviate the variability of pump calibrations, but from my understanding you can’t test the Alk with the ION probe so that’s not an option. I don’t think leaving the KHD sample chamber full would make the KHD any more accurate.
No, I get what you are saying, but I actually have tested this myself multiple times. I manually fill the sample line with water and then reverse it into a cup and weigh the result on a gram scale to calibrate the pump so it is as accurate as I can possibly make it. The assumption here is all pump heads have been accurately calibrated as I also do not know the actual calculations used either. You've "told" it how many milliliters of water your sample will be. How does the pump know when to stop? It calculates the sample size (80 for example) + the amount in your tube (40 for example) and then based upon your calibration of that pump head (ml per min that you "told" it, (should be set to fast), so maybe, 36 ml per min) So, to calculate the correct sample, ((80+40)=120/36)=3.33 mins to fill the chamber to a sample size of approx. 80ml. If you change any of these numbers then you affect it's calculations of the sample size and throw off the alkalinity reading one way or the other. Hence the necessity to try to be as accurate as possible with all calibrations. I have also rebuilt 2 of these from the ground up. There is nothing in the chamber that gives any indication of how much sample it contains (the port on the back is simply for extreme overflow conditions). So therefore, it knows the sample only by what you "told" it. So, we could go back and forth on this and granted, I am in no way an expert, but do what I did, try it yourself, add 1 or 2 ml to the sample tube and see if the alkalinity readings change. in reverse, subtract a few ml from the sample tube and see what effect it has on the alkalinity.

Side note: There is a setting to adjust the Alkalify reading to match what you want to see, say to match your Hanna. (I have an interesting way of fine tuning my unit) Using that adjustment works but it seems more difficult to fine tune. I actually use sample tube volume to fine tune my readings.
 
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