:bounce: I just yesterday got the new controler I ordered 8 days ago. Marine Depot was slow in shipping as usual. I am still amazed at the small size of the control unit. The main control is only about the size of a pack of cigarettes or smaller. A Cat 5 cable (like a phone cable) runs from the controller to a power strip about the same size as a small surge suppressor outlet strip. The Temperature gauge, an optional pH probe plug and the Cat 5 cable from the control unit plug into it. It plugs into a standard wall outlet.
The bad part. A week or so ago when I bought it through Marine depot it did not mention things like a splicer adapter needed to use the pH meter while the controller was hooked to your computer. It will work fine with out being hooked up to the computer, but one of the good aspects of this controller at such a cheap price is its flexibility when hugged up to your computer. When hooked up to your computer, if you have a web page you can monitor your tanks pH, temp and anything run by the controller, plus have viewing through web cameras with camera switching capabilities for different views. I ordered the splicer so I should be able to say in another week or two just how well their software is for the controller monitoring and its ability to control multiple cameras.
Another bad aspect. The soft ware disk Aqua Medic supplied with the Reef Keeper 2 could not be read by my Windows Professional XP operating system so I had to go to their site and download all the software and manuals. Of course the manuals were all PDF documents that were huge memory documents so had to be printed in parts as my printer likes to dump any printing job larger than 500 mega bytes.
Physically, ever thing seems well made of good materials, even the cords are heavy and well insulated and well protected by grommets where they go into the case. I ordered a Pinpoint Ph probe for it as I already use them on other equipment. I also ordered the heavy weight expansion socket for it as is recommended for large wattage halides and chillers or heaters. The controller outlet strip is rated for 15 amps, and when you use a expansion socket you have the 15 amps plus the expansion outlets 15 amps as a new capacity etc., etc. for additional expansion sockets. Each expansion socket is a duplex outlet.
:^:
The bad part. A week or so ago when I bought it through Marine depot it did not mention things like a splicer adapter needed to use the pH meter while the controller was hooked to your computer. It will work fine with out being hooked up to the computer, but one of the good aspects of this controller at such a cheap price is its flexibility when hugged up to your computer. When hooked up to your computer, if you have a web page you can monitor your tanks pH, temp and anything run by the controller, plus have viewing through web cameras with camera switching capabilities for different views. I ordered the splicer so I should be able to say in another week or two just how well their software is for the controller monitoring and its ability to control multiple cameras.
Another bad aspect. The soft ware disk Aqua Medic supplied with the Reef Keeper 2 could not be read by my Windows Professional XP operating system so I had to go to their site and download all the software and manuals. Of course the manuals were all PDF documents that were huge memory documents so had to be printed in parts as my printer likes to dump any printing job larger than 500 mega bytes.
Physically, ever thing seems well made of good materials, even the cords are heavy and well insulated and well protected by grommets where they go into the case. I ordered a Pinpoint Ph probe for it as I already use them on other equipment. I also ordered the heavy weight expansion socket for it as is recommended for large wattage halides and chillers or heaters. The controller outlet strip is rated for 15 amps, and when you use a expansion socket you have the 15 amps plus the expansion outlets 15 amps as a new capacity etc., etc. for additional expansion sockets. Each expansion socket is a duplex outlet.
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