New Osmolator update

[Juanzingo]

Looks nice!

 

[rvitko]

Would you have the dimensions of the sensor?

thank you,

I can get them this afternoon, it is the same basic magnet as any Nano product we make, so the diameter is 2"

 

[rvitko]

Can it be checked on your phone when you are on holiday?

Yes, but to clarify, to have this feature you need the Professional version which is further out from release, we hope to launch in time for Black Friday, the regular model is only a couple months out.

 

[MileZer0Reef]

What about us “pumping from the basement” guys? The old power cable was easily splice-able with speaker wire. These cables look a bit more sophisticated

 

[rvitko]

Would you have the dimensions of the sensor?

thank you,

2" by 1.25"

 

[rvitko]

There is a limit to cable extending as the pump uses BEMF technology and has to have a two way digital communication signal with the controller, we will have a 5m extension cable which should be more than sufficient for this, but this is the maximum cable extension possible without a lot of added cost and complexity in signal amplification.

 

[West1]

Awesome!!

 

[rvitko]

I did get an update on delivery time, all parts are either ordered or in stock, however, the last of the parts to start series production of the PCB as well as the time to produce enough to launch, likely puts availability in September, it is not impossible they will come in late August, but this is our best current estimate. Meanwhile the Pro version will continue development and hopefully won't be much further behind.

 

[trevorhiller]

Yesterday, I received a preproduction sample of the New Osmolator for testing. A lot has changed from what was initially teased in 2021. It is a much more feature rich and robust unit. First, the name is still in discussion, while initially we had called it Osmolator 2, the reality is we (Norbert Tunze) invented the ATO in 1988. Osmolator is a contraction of Osmotic Regulator. Technically,if we go by only major controller revisions it is at a minimum Osmolator 3, if we include half cycle major board updates and pump updates it could be Osmolator 6. At this time we are inclined to name it Osmolator 3 as it is the 3rd major controller revision. At the start, we had planned to replace both the Nano and regular Osmolators with 2 new versions, designated Osmolator 2 and Osmolator 2 Professional. However, the realities of producing in Germany, especially post COVID and post Ukraine war, limit how much we can compete on a very basic inexpensive product, we have first world labor costs and high energy costs and we mold all parts in house on our own tooling and we use only premium plastics from BASF and GE. In the end, the products are an Osmolator and a soon to follow super premium Osmolator, there will not be a basic entry model price point and over time, we will largely move away from such products, we simply cannot effectively compete on price with China, but we can best anyone on service, quality and engineering details.

I installed it yesterday in my MRC sump on my 265. All that is unfinished on what you will see below is the Y connection cable for the pump and power supply. This cable will be much nicer, what is shown is hand made. Even this cable will be made in Germany. Everything is made in Germany except the power supply and for the power supply, we have moved to a medical equipment grade power supply produced by a German company in Vietnam, it is a very safe and robust power supply rated for use in damp locations. The standard pump is the High Jet, however, it is different than the current High Jet in that the driver is in the controller, the pump will have a much lower replacement cost if ever needed. The pump also has a waterproof connection, the final power supply connection will be heavily corrosion resistant as well. The entire unit has a 5 year warranty.

First photo, what you will receive, High Jet with waterproof connector, Controller, 3m of 6mm polyurethane tubing, power supply-

The next photo is just the controller. The controller is incorporated into the magnet holder, It is the same size as our standard nano magnet holders. Again, the cable will be much more refined in the retail unit.

Here is what is the actual heart of the unit, a new optic sensor system that has been in development for over 4 years, it is much more robust, in fact, we have sanded the lens, run it in kalkwasser, it can take a tremendous amount of abuse and still function. The back up is the small nipple above the optic sensor, a thermal sensor. The status lights are still incorporated on the board and the sensor status is shown through the openings in the housing cover.

The power supply-

Pump with details of the waterproof connection

Installed controller showing status light

While we regret that it has taken so long, we are very close to releasing the New Osmolator and I think you will find that despite the hype of any of our competition, we will continue to lead on innovation. We have a lot of new products that are very close to finished and as I have updates to share, they will be posted here.

I really appreciate the design considerations put forth into this. IMO, other manufacturers should take notes. The equipment appears well designed, quality and I appreciate the waterproof connectors. Barrel connectors, 3.5 mm, BNC, DIN connectors need to die! They have no business around a reef tank-even on low voltage stuff. It's not much more money to use a waterproof connector. I'll happily pay the additional couple bucks for durability.

 

[ChiCity]

^ tunze has been putting out reliably quality products for a long time now…
products they stand behind!

wish this was the industry standard across the board too.
but alas… there’s too many shady companies out there looking to make a quick buck on subpar electronics hastily mashed together

 

[Gumbies R Us]

^ tunze has been putting out reliably quality products for a long time now…
products they stand behind!

wish this was the industry standard across the board too.
but alas… there’s too many shady companies out there looking to make a quick buck on subpar electronics hastily mashed together

Have to agree with Tunze products. They make some quality products I definitely can get behind!

 

[rvitko]

Just to clarify, while the pump connector is a waterproof twist lock connector, on power we are limited to what power supply manufacturers produce and what safety standards require, there are somethings a smaller company cannot reinvent as approval gets extremely costly, but we have chosen the most durable barrel type connectors that are plated to have a high resistance to corrosion.

 

[trevorhiller]

^ tunze has been putting out reliably quality products for a long time now…
products they stand behind!

wish this was the industry standard across the board too.
but alas… there’s too many shady companies out there looking to make a quick buck on subpar electronics hastily mashed together

Amen! lol

We as consumers of these products need to demand the higher standards. If we don't there is never an incentive to bring them to market. Aquarium products shouldn't be designed to disposable electronic standards when they are life-support products. Especially with the price tag on some of this stuff and the animals involved.

Just to clarify, while the pump connector is a waterproof twist lock connector, on power we are limited to what power supply manufacturers produce and what safety standards require, there are somethings a smaller company cannot reinvent as approval gets extremely costly, but we have chosen the most durable barrel type connectors that are plated to have a high resistance to corrosion.

I get that, not everything can be perfect. It's a step in the right direction though and change happens slowly; I still appreciate the effort. I've spent too much hard-earned money on half-***ed products that have almost zero consideration to the environment in which they are intended to be used in. Marine environments are harsh on everything, but I think it's important to let manufacturers out there know that some of us care about these things and it's in the details that one company stands out from the rest. Think Ranco (which comes in a NEMA 4X enclosure) vs an Inkbird. I'd happily pay the extra money for the more durable product every time.

Before I go off on heater standards, I'll end my rant there.

 

[Special K]

do you guys have an idea of price? Sorry if I missed it already. Love my 3155

 

[rvitko]

Price is expected to be very close to the same as the 3155.

 

[Muffin87]

likely puts availability in September, it is not impossible they will come in late August,

Anymore news about the availability of the osmolator 2?
I'm particularly interested in the pro version with internet connectivity! thanks!

 

[revhtree]

Tunze is TOP NOTCH 100%!

 

[blaxsun]

Anyone got one of these yet (pictures?) or is this going to be like trying to get the latest toy craze this holiday season?

 

[rvitko]

Tunze will be releasing a very detailed video on the new Osmolator soon, likely in the next 2 weeks. The name will be Osmolator 3 as the first Osmolator came out in 1986 and used 2 floats, what we know today as the Osmolator came out in 2001 and uses the optic sensor and a float so since we are actually on the 3rd major revision, Osmolator 3 will be the name. We expect them to be available end of September, My sample unit has run flawlessly despite trying to push the limits and get it to fail, I had concerns the thermal safety could be an issue but this was very well thought out and I have found it works on cold water (Axolotyl tank at 70 degrees) and is not phased by having hot tap water poured over it. I have not cleaned it or performed any service on it and it has been very reliable. The Professional model with WIFI is still a little further off, likely release is this winter.

 

[Muffin87]

Tunze will be releasing a very detailed video on the new Osmolator soon, likely in the next 2 weeks. The name will be Osmolator 3

Any more news about the release date?
I need to change a not-so-good ATO Ive got.