Switching Controllers from Apex to GHL

[lmm1967]

Quick note about backing up/restoring settings and firmware updates.
This is the last thing which can't be done via GHL Connect (app, web interface, cloud) yet and for what GHL Control Center still must be used.

But we are currently working on it, in the next weeks we will see a huge GHL Connect update with which you can update your ProfiLux 3 and 4 and connected PAB-devices firmware and which offers all backup functions. PAB firmware updates through P3 is already implemented in the current beta-version, rest follows ASAP.

What about calibrating probes? You know what a hassle it is to push those tiny buttons on the front of the P4, run downstairs to the second tank setup, rinse then dry the probe, put it in the fluid, run back upstairs to click the button, wait, run downstairs, rinse & dry, put in next fluid, run upstairs.....

You get the idea - would really have loved to be able to calibrate probes through some means other than the tactile buttons on the controller.

 

[Lasse]

That is a amazing piece of work, Lasse!! I have been trying to wrap my head around controlling a couple 12 and 24v devices with ghl that I use on apex before making the switch. I think this pushes me in the right direction. Thank You.

Here is how it looks like today!

​

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Ditto]

Are you looking for specifically how to set up for Mp40, Mp10 and Mp60 power heads?

 

[LC8Sumi]

Are you looking for specifically how to set up for Mp40, Mp10 and Mp60 power heads?

I have 3 DC Tunzes, and would like to mimic the Ecotech functions with them..

 

[robbyg]

Here is how it looks like today!

​

Sincerely Lasse

Lasse
I have seen this picture before and I keep wondering what are those four blue modules plugged into the Power bar? I assume it's some 24v power supplies? Also what is that probe hanging from the roof?

 

[Lasse]

The probe is a airtemp/humidity probe. Use it for controlling temp and humidity in the cabinet. Connected to the PL4 and to a propeller breeze controller. The blue units are 2 pcs of 12 V and 3 pcs of 24 V power units. 12 V mainly for all my 12 V GHL equipment and 24 V for pumps and Doser 2. 1. I have 3 pcs pf 230 V sockets too. For heater, power unit for the light and one for reserve.

In this way - I have get rid of around 22 pcs of separate power units and that was the general idea around the cabinet.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[PachecoBoston]

The title of the thread says it all. I am not going to bash Neptune systems, all I am going to say mine crashed again, and the word fluke in the technical response left me going I cannot take any more chances. This was my second hard crash of the system, where both time the system came up in an inconsistent state and caused issues.

What I currently Have:
Apex 2016
FMM (Fluid Monitor)
WAV Controller (Went back to my Vortech)
Additional PM1 and PM2 Module used to Monitor Reactors
LSM Module (Lunar simulation)
Leak Detector
Multiple EB832/EB8
ASM Module
Multiple Displays

What I have Ordered:
ProFilux 4 Ultimate Set
PLM-PH-Redox and PH probes * 2
2 Level Sensors (ATO)
3 Power Bar 5.1
Expansion Box
Proflux Touch (Downstairs Sump Display)
Vortech Controller
Mitras Simu-Stick
Mitras Simu-Driver
Temperature-Sensor
5000 l/h Flow-sensor
9000 l/h flow sensor * 2
Assortment of PAB Cables to connect everything
PL-LY cables to Connect

Not ordered yet:
Leak Detectors
New ¼ Relays (I use these as safety I may see if I can re-wire the apex ones or try)
And what the solution will be for PAR readings as I have a ASM module (idea’s welcomed as I may also swap out my CebruSun T5 with Mitras LED)

My plan is to post the actual switching out of the components, and how I converted the programming from my Apex to GHL. Join the discussion, have some fun asking questions or answering some of mine, and I will attempt to show as much as possible!!

hey does this has water tests like the trident?

 

[LC8Sumi]

The probe is a airtemp/humidity probe. Use it for controlling temp and humidity in the cabinet. Connected to the PL4 and to a propeller breeze controller. The blue units are 2 pcs of 12 V and 3 pcs of 24 V power units. 12 V mainly for all my 12 V GHL equipment and 24 V for pumps and Doser 2. 1. I have 3 pcs pf 230 V sockets too. For heater, power unit for the light and one for reserve.

In this way - I have get rid of around 22 pcs of separate power units and that was the general idea around the cabinet.

Sincerely Lasse

How much current can those DC supplies push?

 

[Lasse]

How much current can those DC supplies push?

Your chose when you buy them. I use Mean Well 3 pcs NDR 120-24 and 2 pcs NDR 75-12 (5 A and 6,3 A at the output circuit) Installation manual here 12 V - you can get max 10 A and 24 V - max 20 A. There is tons of other brands and configurations out there.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Ditto]

hey does this has water tests like the trident?

The KH director is used for Alkalinity:

KH Director®

www.aquariumcomputer.com

GHL ION is used for Calcium, and Magnesium, along with a few additional parameters.

ION Director® – GHL (International)

www.aquariumcomputer.com

 

[robbyg]

The probe is a airtemp/humidity probe. Use it for controlling temp and humidity in the cabinet. Connected to the PL4 and to a propeller breeze controller. The blue units are 2 pcs of 12 V and 3 pcs of 24 V power units. 12 V mainly for all my 12 V GHL equipment and 24 V for pumps and Doser 2. 1. I have 3 pcs pf 230 V sockets too. For heater, power unit for the light and one for reserve.

In this way - I have get rid of around 22 pcs of separate power units and that was the general idea around the cabinet.

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks for the answers. I love your setup, it is very neatly done.
Mine use to look neat but over the years with upgrades and trouble shooting wires that have come loose it has morphed into a mess. I plan on buying some of the raceway units to neaten up the wires again.

 

[MnFish1]

Lasse
I have seen this picture before and I keep wondering what are those four blue modules plugged into the Power bar? I assume it's some 24v power supplies? Also what is that probe hanging from the roof?

I keep wondering what all the little white things are?

 

[aquapaul]

Here is how it looks like today!

​

Sincerely Lasse

Have you ever thought about putting dc batteries between the meanwell units and the powerhub’s. Trying to think of where to put in emergency power for the cutover time to generator?

 

[Lasse]

I keep wondering what all the little white things are?

The white ones on the back are 4 GHL power hubs - the two on the right side are power units for my refugium and for my 740 nm fixture

Have you ever thought about putting dc batteries between the meanwell units and the powerhub’s. Trying to think of where to put in emergency power for the cutover time to generator?

Never thought of it because power cuts occurs quite rarely where I live. But I think that it could work if you found the right types of batteries/UPS

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Dr. Jim]

I recently finished reading the 42 pages of this thread and concluded that I should buy a GHL system, which I did, and received a few weeks ago. I'm not sure where to post my question/problem, so I apologize for butting into this thread, but I need some help.
I had everything working fine: connected to GHL Control Center, GHL Cloud, Wifi (with hotspot and P4 home). Something made me think I needed to download the latest Control Center Software (V1.1.3.1)....which maybe I already had?......and now I can't connect. My main pump and skimmer shut off (which I will move to an AC outlet for now). Of course it is the weekend so can't contact GHL support. I'm hoping someone might be willing to try to point me in the right direction....(or suggest where I should post this if this thread is not appropriate). I did back up sensor settings and some other settings (I forget what they were called).
Thanks for helping.

 

[ingchr1]

I recently finished reading the 42 pages of this thread and concluded that I should buy a GHL system, which I did, and received a few weeks ago. I'm not sure where to post my question/problem, so I apologize for butting into this thread, but I need some help.
I had everything working fine: connected to GHL Control Center, GHL Cloud, Wifi (with hotspot and P4 home). Something made me think I needed to download the latest Control Center Software (V1.1.3.1)....which maybe I already had?......and now I can't connect. My main pump and skimmer shut off (which I will move to an AC outlet for now). Of course it is the weekend so can't contact GHL support. I'm hoping someone might be willing to try to point me in the right direction....(or suggest where I should post this if this thread is not appropriate). I did back up sensor settings and some other settings (I forget what they were called).
Thanks for helping.

If you haven't already, close GCC, reopen, then see if you can connect. After launching GCC wait a few seconds or so before trying to connect to a device. I've noticed it fails to connect if you try too soon. It also won't connect to devices following a launch from an install.

For clarification, the pump and skimmer shutting off are not related to installing a new version of GCC? Installing GCC would have no affect on the operation of the P4.

Did you also update the P4 firmware? And that's where the problem happened? If so, maybe cycle power to the P4 and see if that fixes it. When it starts see what version of firmware it displays, if it did update or not.

 

[Lasse]

Do you try to connect with USB or WiFi from GCC to your P4. If you have done a firmware update - it can have reset the whole P4 to default - missing all of your settings and calibration - including the configuration of the wifi. If you look at the display (on the P4). Does it communicate with help of the german language - you have had a reset to default. You need to connect with USB and restore the settings.

Before you do it - have you done a Norwegian reset D) - it means - disconnect the power module for 15 sec and reconnect it again

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Ditto]

Did you perform a firmware upgrade? If you do it needs to be power cycled at the end.

Are you attempting to connect to the unit via USB or WiFI?

if you were backing up the sensor settings and such this sounds like a firmware upgrade, since the P4 lost connection to the power bar the failsafe option is off unless you set them to remain on.

 

[Dr. Jim]

Got it working! Thank you ingchri, Lasse and Ditto. (I'm in New Jersey so just woke up to find your replies; I posted my problem at midnight, before going to bed). After reading your posts for months, it is nice "meeting" you guys and receiving communication from you! You are like "rock stars" in my "book"! THANK YOU ALL!

I have to admit that I am about as low on the totem pole as one can be when it comes to computer/electronics technology and terminology, so it took me a while to figure out what Ditto meant by "power cycled." Lasse's "Norwegian reset" helped me guess that "power cycle" means "pull out the plug and plug it in again"! Sometimes, "child talk" may work best with me! ;Happy So for anyone hesitating to buy a Controller for fear that they are "low tech" and may have problems working/programming it, my progress would be good to follow. So far, except for this present glitch, I have been doing pretty well. I've actually surprised myself as to how much I have been able to figure out so far (and actually bragged about it to my wife.... who gave me no credit, of course).

Ditto: I know your thread was originally about comparing GHL to Neptune but I see others have gone off in tangents. I have a very complex ATO system with layers of redundancy and will need help with Programmable Logic. Do you mind if I post the question here or do you prefer I go to another thread? (I plan to spend several hours today working on as much of this as I can and organizing the question).

ABOUT ME: (skip if not interested)... I am a semi-retired veterinarian so now have time to play with a Controller. I've been in the hobby for over 50 years (worked in the first pet shop in N.J. to have saltwater fish...1968?; started my college career as a Marine Biology major; owned a vet hospital and pet shop for 29 yrs; was a SPS vendor at shows and had an online SPS store. I'm a Board-Certified Avian Specialist.) So, I know a fair amount about the hobby, but as mentioned, not too sharp on the tech end. (When I was in high school, I got excited when my school transitioned to ELECTRIC typewriters!).
I sold my SPS business 1.5 years ago while preparing to sell my home. My house hasn't sold yet and I decided I can't live without my corals! So, I just bought a Red Sea 170 (cube tank) as an excuse to buy and learn the GHL Controller. This small cube won't be hard to move when I sell my house. At my next (final?) house, I will set up a deluxe "Dream system" and get back into my SPS hobby/business. (The cube tank will then become my SPS Q tank). At the moment this tank has water and rock, but no livestock. Fish are being quarantined in a separate tank at the moment.

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Here are some photos of my GHL "Tower" (Cabinet that I modified). Still in progress. Empty area is for the ION Director when it comes.
Last photo is just for laughs. All those wires and tubes are actually more organized than you might think. I bought a label-maker for the cords. Power supplies are all mounted in a row along the back. Wish I knew more about electronics so I can do what Lasse did with getting rid of the power supplies. Maybe after I finish everything, someday I can tackle that project!

Stirrers are under 3 of the 5 tank chambers. (4 will be used for Triton 4-part; RO/DI water for now for testing/calibrating); May have alk in 5th.
Got the KH Director working 2 days ago. Measured 10.4. Salifert measured 10.35! Not bad, but don't like the high reading for a new tank w/no livestock; Instant Ocean salt. Must be from artificial rock leaching; never used artificial rock before.
Dosers took some playing with but so far they seem to be pretty accurate. But still testing them all with RO/DI water. Top left Maxi is for AWC. Top right Maxi is part of my ATO system (which I will discuss and ask questions about programming soon. Stay tuned! ….
Thanks again everyone!

Wife made me use a cabinet with DOORS. Yuk!

Yipee! I'm actually proud of what I did with all the wires, power supplies and tubes so far! Not finished yet....

There was an outlet in the wall which I removed to make a 2" hole to next room which is a closet under the stairs where I have my RO/DI system, RO/DI reservoir, kalk reactor and fish Q tank. (Next room after that is a bathroom where I plumbed RO/DI and waste water for AWC...more holes in the walls!)

 

[ingchr1]

@Dr. Jim, looking good!