Neptune Dos in different room

[Gtinnel]

I just bought a Neptune Apex and dos this week and was trying to figure out how I want to use it. I would prefer to put the dos in a different room of my house and just run lines to the tank. This would cause me to need to connect the dos from about 40 feet away. Is there any easy way that I can do this without spending a fortune on a long aquabus cable. I was hoping to just make my own 1Link cable but I have since read that they shouldn't be over 20 feet long. Is it true that a diy 1link cable is limited to 20 feet? If I do need a long aquabus cable how can you tell if a USB cable has a repeater or not?
I also want to place a pmup in the same room as the dos, once I get the dos connected I can just attach the pmup to an aquabus port on the dos right?

I will love this thing if it allows me to get my dosing and ATO equipment from under my stand.

 

[MnFish1]

I would say thats something to ask Neptune tech support. I don't see why a DIY 1 link cable would be able to be longer than the one Neptune provides?

 

[MikeTheNewbie]

This guy worked for me:

 

[Gtinnel]

Unless I've just overlooked them the only length 1link cable is 10' but I know they make a 10' extension, so I assume that at least 20' is acceptable. I was just curious if anyone bought ends to make their own cables longer than 20' and if so did it work. I would like to make my own 1 link cable to reach where I need, but don't want to screw up and break anything, or have a doser mess up and not turn off properly.

 

[Gtinnel]

This guy worked for me:

That looks like it, with a small extension, would work for what I need. Is there anyway to test and see if a USB cable has a repeater? Until looking at the apex I didn't even know there was a difference in usb cables so this whole repeater thing is new to me.

 

[MnFish1]

Unless I've just overlooked them the only length 1link cable is 10' but I know they make a 10' extension, so I assume that at least 20' is acceptable. I was just curious if anyone bought ends to make their own cables longer than 20' and if so did it work. I would like to make my own 1 link cable to reach where I need, but don't want to screw up and break anything, or have a doser mess up and not turn off properly.

From the Neptune Systems Website:

"NOTE: No single run of your 1LINK cables can be longer than 20′." - which is why they offer a 10 foot cable and a 10 foot extension.

With Regards to Aquabus:

"NOTE: You can have up to 200′ of Aquabus cable per system and it is recommended that you have one powered Neptune Systems accessory (i.e. Energy Bar or 1LINK module) every 75′."

a 30 foot aquabus cable is 34.99. It shouldn't break the bank.

 

[Gtinnel]

From the Neptune Systems Website:

"NOTE: No single run of your 1LINK cables can be longer than 20′." - which is why they offer a 10 foot cable and a 10 foot extension.

With Regards to Aquabus:

"NOTE: You can have up to 200′ of Aquabus cable per system and it is recommended that you have one powered Neptune Systems accessory (i.e. Energy Bar or 1LINK module) every 75′."

a 30 foot aquabus cable is 34.99. It shouldn't break the bank.

Ironically it may have been on the neptune website where I read about the 20' limit on 1link cables. I don't remember where I saw it.

I guess I will either go with a 30' aquabus and then an extension on each side. I don't want to have a connection in my ceiling where it would be difficult to get to if it separated and 30' isn't long enough. Or for not much more I may just buy a special built 50' cable made for apex.

Either way is it possible to connect the pmup through the dos somehow or would I need to add a 1link module in the room with them?

 

[MnFish1]

Ironically it may have been on the neptune website where I read about the 20' limit on 1link cables. I don't remember where I saw it.

I guess I will either go with a 30' aquabus and then an extension on each side. I don't want to have a connection in my ceiling where it would be difficult to get to if it separated and 30' isn't long enough. Or for not much more I may just buy a special built 50' cable made for apex.

Either way is it possible to connect the pmup through the dos somehow or would I need to add a 1link module in the room with them?

I do not believe you can do that. " Requires Apex (any model and a 1Link module or EnergyBar832 with available DC24V Accessory Port. If you do not have an Apex Controller, check out the PMUP with Power Supply. "

Per the forum: "
No, they cannot.

The 4-pin port is only for using an optional 1LINK male-to-male cable to connect the DŌS to 1LINK module or EB832; that optional cable carries both power and Aquabus communications over that single cable instead of using a dedicated power supply and separate Aquabus cable.
The 6-pin port is only for connecting a DDR.

The PMUP and other Neptune 24 volt accessories use a similar 2-pin connector, but the DŌS does not have one."

 

[Gtinnel]

I do not believe you can do that. " Requires Apex (any model and a 1Link module or EnergyBar832 with available DC24V Accessory Port. If you do not have an Apex Controller, check out the PMUP with Power Supply. "

Per the forum: "
No, they cannot.

The 4-pin port is only for using an optional 1LINK male-to-male cable to connect the DŌS to 1LINK module or EB832; that optional cable carries both power and Aquabus communications over that single cable instead of using a dedicated power supply and separate Aquabus cable.
The 6-pin port is only for connecting a DDR.

The PMUP and other Neptune 24 volt accessories use a similar 2-pin connector, but the DŌS does not have one."

For whatever reason I was thinking that I could connect the pmup to power with wall adapter and communication through a aquabus port, but I'm pretty sure I was wrong. I believe the pmup is simply on/off based on if it is being supplied power from a 24v source (either the 2 pin 24v plug or from a wall adapter). Which means to use it remotely I would need to use a 1link module (or maybe there is another module that has that plug, I don't know).

 

[reefdiver73]

I am about to do this very thing this weekend. What I decided to do is just plug the DOS in to a plug in the room where the DOS will live and run a super long Aquabus cable that I purchased here: https://www.usbfirewire.com/parts/rr-apex-xx.html

I already don't trust Neptune's 24v power supply that they built into the EB832. I'm definitely not going to try to push 24v that far. Another thought I had was to run an extension cord between the rooms through the attic and plug one end into a 120v plug on the EB832. That would give me power control from the Apex software in addition to the Aquabus cable. If you're going 40 feet you're going to need to get a 50 foot Aquabus cable, which is $60 from the place I got mine.

 

[Gtinnel]

I am about to do this very thing this weekend. What I decided to do is just plug the DOS in to a plug in the room where the DOS will live and run a super long Aquabus cable that I purchased here: https://www.usbfirewire.com/parts/rr-apex-xx.html

I already don't trust Neptune's 24v power supply that they built into the EB832. I'm definitely not going to try to push 24v that far. Another thought I had was to run an extension cord between the rooms through the attic and plug one end into a 120v plug on the EB832. That would give me power control from the Apex software in addition to the Aquabus cable. If you're going 40 feet you're going to need to get a 50 foot Aquabus cable, which is $60 from the place I got mine.

I right now I just have my dos with my stand so I never did put the dos and pmup into a seperate room. I was trying to avoid paying $60 for a cable, it just seems too expensive for what it is. I never even thought about running an extension cord from the energy bar to a pmup, that's not a bad idea.

 

[reefdiver73]

I right now I just have my dos with my stand so I never did put the dos and pmup into a seperate room. I was trying to avoid paying $60 for a cable, it just seems too expensive for what it is. I never even thought about running an extension cord from the energy bar to a pmup, that's not a bad idea.

I'm about to do both actually.
- Extension Cord #1 + Aquabus USB to DOS for Water Change
- Extension Cord #2 to PMUP for ATO
Should be done this weekend. Fingers crossed that it works as I expect it all to.

It's worth the $60 for the quiet. We're changing 5 gallons daily. The DOS runs a LOT.

 

[Gtinnel]

I'm about to do both actually.
- Extension Cord #1 + Aquabus USB to DOS for Water Change
- Extension Cord #2 to PMUP for ATO
Should be done this weekend. Fingers crossed that it works as I expect it all to.

It's worth the $60 for the quiet. We're changing 5 gallons daily. The DOS runs a LOT.

Why not just plug the dos into any normal outlet. The apex controls it through the aquabus and the power could be plugged into any normal outlet.

I'm using a masterflex pump for my AWC. I was just trying to move it into a different room so dosing containers don't take up space in my stand, plus it would be nice to mix up 5 gallons of 2 part and not have to touch it again for close to a year.

 

[reefdiver73]

Why not just plug the dos into any normal outlet. The apex controls it through the aquabus and the power could be plugged into any normal outlet.

I'm using a masterflex pump for my AWC. I was just trying to move it into a different room so dosing containers don't take up space in my stand, plus it would be nice to mix up 5 gallons of 2 part and not have to touch it again for close to a year.

Nerd reasons honestly. I can watch the power consumption from the Apex. I can also program emergency shut-down of the DOS regardless of the rest of the programming given certain conditions. (Conditions I have not thought through yet, but I've seen some programs on the Apex "control freak" forums about shutting down the DOS through code).

 

[Gtinnel]

Nerd reasons honestly. I can watch the power consumption from the Apex. I can also program emergency shut-down of the DOS regardless of the rest of the programming given certain conditions. (Conditions I have not thought through yet, but I've seen some programs on the Apex "control freak" forums about shutting down the DOS through code).

It made sense to me with just the explanation of nerd reasons. You're not alone...I put a tablet on the front of my stand displaying fusion just because it looks cool. I never, ever even look at it, but I still like it being there.