Aquatronica Controller

[moonpod]

So the thing finally arrived last week. I was out of town so I couldn't set it up. Some brief first impressions. Well built. The small computer box part has a "tight" feel to it. Somehow feels a bit more "finished" than my old ACII. Ditto the powerbar/DC thing. The documentation is professionally done, but the english translation sometimes is....odd. Some of the instructions don't come across smoothly, but the thing is pretty intuitive anyways.

It seems relatively endlessly expandable. You can plug 6 "accessories" into each powerbar (8 individually controllable plugs). The 6 "accessories" seem to be whatever you want. pH, ORP, Float, Conductivity (not available until may), whatever the future holds I suppose. I suppose they could make a CA one as well. I dunno. You can have as many of whatever probe you want apparently.

I am still trying to figure out the flexibility of the programming. It's sort of hard to understand the manual. My belief is that it's along the lines of the ACII with up to 4 program options per plug, and the ability to specifiy days of the week as well for each plug, but again, I haven't had much time to play yet.

There is a place to plug into the controller for what appear to be firmware updates. The computer/usb thing isn't out yet so I can't tell you about that. I only have macs at home anyways and I'm sure that won't be supported. Also no ethernet.

[invincible569]

NICE!!! If you dont mind, how much and do you have pics?

[SeanCallan]

Edward,

I found it for sale here for : 449.99

http://www3.sympatico.ca/scott_hembr...ontrollers.htm

Official(?) Site:
http://www.aquatronica.it/ita/products/acq_products.htm

[nyfireman3097]

what made you go with this one and not aquacontroller ?
Nick

[SeanCallan]

Nick, do you actually ever go and put fires out or do you just post here?

These controllers look like they are much more expandable over the Aquacontroller. Sometimes it's better to break away from the pack and go with the new comer

[nyfireman3097]

lmao well sean i had a ceiling collapse on my head at a fire on the 7th and i had to dig myself out of a mountian of crap when i was out and went to the hospital they found a pinched nerve in my nech a bulging disk a pretruding disk and then my ulna nerve in my elbow moved and when i bend my arm it gets shooting pains in it and my arm and it then goes numb so im home for now and im goin for surgery on friday HTH
Nick

[SeanCallan]

Oh well damn, you have fun with surgery.

Hopefully next year I'll have finished my EMT training and start riding with the dept.

[reefplayer]

Looks like IKS that has been around for almost 2 years back.

[Aged Salt]

WOW, Nick, I trust you will have a good result, & follow your doctor's recovery program, Bob

[nyfireman3097]

just like i have to follow ur zeo program
thank you Bob
Nick

[IK2VOV]

I own this controller from about 1 year, i'm one of the first owner due a test i made on this controller. I think this is a good product, it has to be corrected with some little problems but i think this is one of the best controllers available in europe.

Bye

[Orion76]

just like i have to follow ur zeo program
thank you Bob
Nick

So now you have two doctors you have to listen to

Have a good recovery bro, and try to dodge that ceiling next time

[moonpod]

what made you go with this one and not aquacontroller ?
Nick

I had an ACII and I HATE x10 and the DC4 mods were frankly very dissapointing. So far, the Aquatronica seems like a good unit. Albeit, 2 days or whatever doesn't really make for adequate trial run. Also, since I'm not really reefing right now, I don't really have it doing much more than my ozone unit and my lights in terms of on/off. Also for true computer geeks, it doesn't have the ethernet etc...that they will want. Not yet anyways.

Are you getting your neck fused or your ulnar nerve decompressed. FWIW, the ulnar nerve transposition is a pretty minor procedure compared to the neck fusion, but if you've got a "double crush", you might need both done.

[tonkadawg]

Does this unit include any of the probes/interfaces? From the link SeanCallan posted, it looks like it is $449 for the brain and an additional $75 per interface. Also looks like the plug bar is an additional $330! Hopefully I am reading that wrong!

[moonpod]

Unfortunately, no, you aren't reading that wrong. The plug bar (the 8 plug) is the same price as 2 DC4s so that's ok. You gotta buy probes which kinda sucks, but if you hunt around you can find probes for much less than what we typically pay as aquarists. The extra $$ is essentially b/c the system is endlessly expandable.