Anyone own the Reef Keeper Elite?

[rz1a]

Got mine the other day and I love it, but wanted to know how some of the options worked? I dont understand the dosing procedure:

*In the timer menu*
Timer 01
DoW: All OFF.....................This option does not matter if the timer is set to oscillate
Start At:..........................This option does not matter if the timer is set to oscillate
Time ON: 00:05:00..............Will Turn on the channel for 5 minutes
Time OFF: 05:55:00.............Set an off time for 5 hours, 55 minutes. This allows the timer to run four times a day. (on/off together equals 6 hours)
Repeat: 0.........................This option does not matter if the timer is set to oscillate
Oscillate: YES....................Will constantly cycle between the on and off durations regardless of day of week or start time

so i understand the the run time is 5 minutes, and im guessing it only turns on for a total of 5 hours... how does it turn on only 4 times?

[rz1a]

and what would time off mean?

[ErikH]

*In the timer menu*
Timer 01
DoW: All OFF.....................This option does not matter if the timer is set to oscillate
Start At:..........................SET THIS TIME WHEN YOU WANT TO DOSE
Time ON: 00:05:00..............Will Turn on the channel for 5 minutes IT CAN STAY ON FOR ONLY SECONDS, 5:00 IS JUST AN EXAMPLE. YOU COULD SET IT FOR 00:00:01 FOR ONLY ONE SECOND, OR HIGHER, DEPENDS ON YOUR DOSE AMOUNT IN TIME, NOT AMOUNT
Time OFF: 05:55:00.............Set an off time for 5 hours, 55 minutes. This allows the timer to run four times a day. (on/off together equals 6 hours, AND 6X4 IS 24 HOURS) IF YOU WANT THE DOSING PUMP TO ONLY RUN FOR ONE SECOND, YOU WOULD NEED TO SET THE TIME OFF FOR ONE SECOND LATER... 00:00:02
Repeat: 0.........................This option does not matter if the timer is set to oscillate YOU CAN DOSE SEVERAL TIMES PER DAY, BUT THE TRICK HERE IS TO REMEMBER THAT THIS SCHEDULE STARTS AT THE TIME SPECIFIED (ABOVE, IN RED)
Oscillate: YES....................Will constantly cycle between the on and off durations regardless of day of week or start time. I IMAGINE THIS IS JUST AN ADDED FEATURE IN CASE YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE THIS SECTION FOR DOSING.




Those would be my best guesses. I don't own one, but I have configured worse :)
:thumbs_up:

[tcinaustin]

Check out the Digital aquatics support forum on the Digital Aquatics website. There are several folks that have set up dosing pumps with their RKE. They could probably give you the gotchas when dealing with this new hardware. I have not explored using dosing pumps with mine yet but was considering it with my Calcium reactor since I struggle to get a consistent drip rate. Good Luck!

[rz1a]

hm i still dont understand, im pretty slow at this, lol. Okay, so i understand start at time ON, but what does time OFF mean? How would you know it would turn

OK. assuming we dont have Oscillate on, and in the OFF mode

start time: 11am
time ON: 5 seconds
Time OFF: 6 seconds
Repeat: 0
Oscillate: OFF

so this means itll be on for 5 seconds start at 11 am on whatever day you choose, but willl shut off 1 second after 5 seconds, but will not repeat, so only runs once a day.

when its on oscillate mode it gets a little confusing to me for some reason, but in oscillate mode it would be:

start time: 11am
time ON: 5 seconds
Time OFF: 6 seconds
Repeat: 0
Oscillate: ON

so does this mean after it shuts off, itll start back up, do whatever for 5 seconds, turn off a second after, and just continue? i think im starting to get it :P

[rz1a]

Looks like I got it. Then you have to set the channel as multi-timer and select what timer you want to choose. This thing rocks.

[rz1a]

woops, like time off is just that, how long it remains off after run time

[jc]

I wish I could help but I never use that feature.

[rz1a]

This thing is sweet.. just made a program to do automatic water changes, now all i need are the peristaltic pumps

[jc]

How did you do that?

[rz1a]

JC, mind being a guinea pig? ;p i dont have any channels open, but i had tried it on a couple of equipment that were less important and i think i got it to work but just need someone else to verify this for sure. someone logged on and told me it would work, but dont know. These are the two versions i made, first one is for people that like to add and take out water at the same, second is for those worried about running 2 pumps at the same time:

"okay i think i got this, let me just run this past you guys

Lets just assume that both pumps will take out/add an equal amount of water, and lets say that were going to have to shutoff the ATO so it doesnt interfere...this is what im thinking:

Saltwater Change

Things we need to do:
PUMP A (takes out water)
PUMP B (puts in water)
Turn OFF ATO


Timer 01
Monday through Sunday
Start at 8:40am
RUN time = 5 minutes
OFF= 0

PUMP A:
Multi-timer = Timer 01

PUMP B
Multi-timer = Timer 01


Alarm 01 = Device: choose EITHER pump channel..
Value = .50
Trip = Above

Go to your ATO channel and turn on Alarm 01
if Alarm = OFF

Saltwater Change: version 2

Things we need to do:
PUMP A (takes out water)
PUMP B (puts in water)
Turn OFF ATO
Turn OFF Return Pump


Timer 01
Monday through Sunday
Start at 8:40am
RUN time = 5 minutes
OFF= 0

Timer 02
Monday through Sunday
Start at: 8:45am
RUN time= 5 minutes
OFF= 0

PUMP A:
Multi-timer = Timer 01

PUMP B
Multi-timer = Timer 02


Alarm 01 = Device: choose PUMP A channel..
Value = .50
Trip = Above

Go to your ATO channel and turn on Alarm 01
if Alarm = OFF
Delay = 12 min

Go to your Return Pump channel and turn on Alarm 01
if Alarm = OFF
Delay = 12 min"

[rz1a]

accuracy of pumps is very important. using maxijets will not work for different reasons, but if you use peristaltic pumps on timers i think this would work out great.

[rz1a]

the only thing that caught my attention was that someone said they couldnt add a delay time to their piece of equipment after it was turned back on, but this was unrelated to the saltwater change program i posted

for the second one the delay time is important just so the return and ato wont turn on after pump A is done

if i ever get more PC4s and the SL1 and SL2, i will definitely play around with this more and make useful programs

[rz1a]

btw, looks like second one wont work because delay times are only involved when using standby, but first should work--- you could also change the function for the ATO and Return to be MH so they will delay 15 min

[jc]

What if one pump drains the tank for a set amount of time, like 10 minutes. Then a second pump will pump the replacement water back in until a float switch turns it off? Assuming the return pump is turned off and the float is installed in the tank.

[rz1a]

That's what Version 2 was supposed to do. It turned off the return and ato while pump A and pump B turned on at different amount of times to take out and add water. The only reason it didn't work was because the return and ato wont accept a delay time unless they go in stand by. If this was fixed by DA then it would work great. What someone could do is change the ato and return's function and make it a MH so the they automatically get a 15 minute delay, only problem is that if you use a peristaltic pump (which i strongly recommend) that takes out 150 ml per minute, it would take 25 minutes to take out 1 gallon

DA just came out with a switch module (SW5) that could most likely easily do the same thing that i'm doing, but if it can already be done with a program then that would be better

Im thinking that you still can, I just have to play around with the stand by mode. I think if you make a stand by mode that is only 2 seconds long shuts off the return and ato, then add delays for them like for 30 minutes, and this OFF mode from the stand by will trigger the pump A and pump B. One pump turns on and then another turns on, that would be cool... but i wanted something where it was automatic, and having to press a button to start the process sucks but maybe in the long run better

**nm, stand by only accepts time in minutes, and its too many minutes you have to add before it accepts it. so far the switch module would look promising.. thats if it does what im thinking, but not sure