Hydros users please help this noob choose a controller model!

[n2585722]

Ah you're right. I thought it was a bit cheaper but I must've been remembering wrong. I should get the X3 then.

Thanks so much for all your help. I really appreciate it!
Happy New Year by the way! :)

What size tank do you have? If you get the X3 and want to try an ATO with it just make sure the ATO storage tank is small enough that it won't cause an issue if it all is pumped into you sump. A lot of people do this anyway as a backup on any system. I think you will like the Hydros once you get one and start using it no matter which one you start with. Happy new year!

 

[Elbereth]

It's around 25g but I'm planning to upgrade to a 50g as soon as I can.

Thanks for the advice! But see, I wish we could trust controllers to make sure something like that wouldn't happen. Although I wouldn't be able to fit anything but a small container into my cabinet anyways.

 

[n2585722]

Alway have a backup and if possible a backup to the backup. I use the thermostats on my heaters as a backup and use two heaters as a second backup. I do control them with the Hydros. started on the wifi strips and they are now on an XP8. I have been using a beta unit of the XP8 for a while now. My storage tanks in the garage have auto refill but as a backup to the full sensor there is also a float valve. the backup to that is a leak detector on the floor near the tanks. Even a drive port could possibly fail but it is unlikely at the amount of current that the ATO pump is using and the max current on the port. I have been thinking about the idea of using a drive port to power a relay in series with the ATO and AWC that can be used to open the circuit just in case. I have over a year without any incidents with it though.

 

[Elbereth]

That's true unfortunately - nothing is guaranteed.

 

[JoshH]

You do know you can add the controllers together to create a larger controller. So choose what is more important for present. Then later on you can get another controller a buss cable and a terminator. Then you can create a collective with the two. They then share inputs and outputs so it acts like a single controller with all the inputs and outputs of both. The second controller can be controller only with the terminator and cable. It does not have to be a starter kit. The first one get a starter kit. I currently have 8 control units in a collective. I have some information on the Hydros in my build thread starting at post #119. The first one I got was a X4, but I needed the 0-10v inputs for a specific purpose. I didn't need the 2 pH ports on it for what I was going to use it for. I have since added various control units. For ATO use a drive port or an output on an XP8. The wifi outputs will stay in the current state if communications is lost with the controller. Not sure that would be good if the ATO was on when that happened. I use drive ports for all my dosing pumps including ATW and AWC. I also use the to drive the solenoids on my RODI unit to refill the storage tanks when they go low.

Click on my build thread banner to get to the build thread where I have the Hydros info starting at post #119.

Do you think the XP8 is worth the money Vs there regular power bars?

 

[n2585722]

Do you think the XP8 is worth the money Vs there regular power bars?

It is worth the cost since it will have power monitoring on each output also. You can set a range where the wattage is acceptable and if it is out of that range It will send an alert. So it will catch things like open heaters possibly locked pumps if the wattage difference is enough to kick it out of range one way or another. It is also a controller and can control wifi devices like the other controllers. So if you have it and another controller It can make the decision on whether to keep an outlet on or turn it off if the input controlling it is not available. So it can work on its own as long as you don't want to control with any inputs. They will be available by themselves are in the pro kits. It also powers the buss so you don't need the power pack. In fact you have to remove the power pack unless you use a data only cable between it and the controllers you want to power with the power pack. Right now I no longer have any of the power packs I have in use since I have a control unit at the tank and one in the garage that power the buss. There is a 35ft distance between the ones in the garage and the tank that uses a data only cable. The data only cable is an old unused CAT5 cable that runs from a distribution box in the garage to the room with the tank? Since everthing has wifi now the CAT5 cable going from the distribution box to several of the rooms are no longer in use. There is a DIY on how to do this on the Hydros forum.

 

[reefiniteasy]

Do you think the XP8 is worth the money Vs there regular power bars?

I just set up my XP8. I’ll know more tomorrow when I start setting up outputs and moving things from the WiFi bars to the XP8. So far build quality seems amazing. More to come.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

X3. Get the ph monitor.

 

[n2585722]

This is a setup on the XP8 for a 50 watt heater. The power monitor settings are Power Safe Range and Power Notification Level. These are on the drive ports also with the firmware release today.

 

[60_driver]

I recently got my X3 up and running, impressed thus far. I went with the monitoring kit (PH probe/Temp/point leak) to start getting more data consistently from my system so I can make better stability decisions for my tank (65G). I considered the X4, but my needs didn’t require the 0-10v. I’ll probably add an XS at some point for more sense ports.