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Provides Peace of Mind By Rick W. on 4/30/13
Rick W. would recommend this product to a friend
I bought this controller to be able to go out of town and not worry that all my fish and corals would be dead when I got back. The possibilities to control and monitor your reef tank are almost unlimited. I will say that getting it all hooked to monitor and control the system remotely is not simply plug and play, I've had it about 4 days and still haven't gotten it all ready to go. The steps necessary to configure it to access from outside your network and send you e-mail alerts can be difficult to grasp unless your a IT professional. However, the ability to even do this is amazing, so I 'll be happy when I do get it up and running. The build quality is excellent and the outlet programming seems fairly easy to understand.
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top notch controller By chris on 4/25/13
chris would recommend this product to a friend
Awesome controller. Can do alot right out of the box only thing i got to say is if you want to control AI's get the lower version and buy the vdm module. I bought this controller and even though I have dimming ports I still need to buy a vdm to control the AI's.
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top notch controller By chris on 4/25/13
chris would recommend this product to a friend
Awesome controller. Can do alot right out of the box only thing i got to say is if you want to control AI's get the lower version and buy the vdm module. I bought this controller and even though I have dimming ports I still need to buy a vdm to control the AI's.
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Great Product By allan on 4/4/13
allan would recommend this product to a friend
Overall excellent product! Great build quality and the ability to automate many of the daily chores makes this a must have. Easy to use out of the box but still has the ability to preform advanced functions.
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Where have you been all my ... By John on 4/2/13
John would recommend this product to a friend
After 3 years of using a full tricked out Digital Aquatics RKE with ALL the modules I found what I was looking for with one Controller.
So here are the best points:
1. Everything I need in one box, Temp, PH, 4 Dim-able ports
2. Flexibility in programming
3. Control my system on the road with my iPad not just monitor!
The first several hours I thought I was over my head but after looking at some examples I was able to create a great sunrise sunset pattern for my LEDs and control my wave makers much better than DA could ever wish. The programming is very flexible and allows you to create one and use many! Great Great program.
The desktop app, (web page) is great and easy to customize to you liking and with the settings you can make it do most anything you need for a controller.
If you are comparing this to a Digital Aquatics setup the DA will be cheaper in the beginning but when you are done you will spend more for a DA system and get less!!!
All in all this is a grate product and it is Highly Recommended.
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Control and Peace of Mind By dowtish on 4/1/13
dowtish would recommend this product to a friend
This controller is exactly what I have been needing as I travel for work quite often. There is nothing like being able to access the information from any PC in the world and from my phone. Getting past the initial setup is a little tricky, but the customer support and forums available are priceless. If you are on the fence about which controller to buy, you can stop now. Neptune Systems APEX is the way to go.
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Excellent controller with endless possibilities By cocugreek on 3/27/13
cocugreek would recommend this product to a friend
I love this controller! I would give it 5 stars but getting access to the controller from outside your home network is frustrating. If you get this because you want to watch your tank from afar purchase the apex weeks before you go. The apex people are excellent for support and there is a lot out there for reference. Programming is simple and I am not a techie. I loved getting rid of the timers!
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MUCH Better Than Those Old Dial Timers! By Tony on 3/26/13
Tony would recommend this product to a friend
I don't know where to start with this system. From keeping an eye on the PH and temp, to running your heater, lights, pumps, skimmer and so on, to complete weather seasons, I can't find something that this system can't do!
The learning curve on the system when you start doing custom coding is pretty steep, but it's well worth the time invested. The iPhone app is MUCH better than the Android app, but I'm sure the Android app will be updated soon. No matter, the Android app still works, just not as visually appealing.
One negative, the PH probe is reading VERY low right now. I'm talking it's bottomed out at 5.56 when I know for a fact that my PH is above 8.0. I have more calibration solution on the way, and will recalibrate it. I also ordered the Lab Grade Probe to replace the standard probe.
As stated in other reviews (not on this site), the wire for the display is VERY THIN and can break easily. I have made it a point to make sure nothing is pulling against it every time I work on the tank. The display is great for doing a quick check of the tank temp and PH and so on, but is pretty much useless after that. All programming is done on the computer and is MUCH easier. I'm more than likely going to put the display under my tank in the stand just to get the wires off the front of my canopy.
All in all, this was a great purchase. You can set failsafe after failsafe to protect your tank. From low level alarms, to emails when your tank overheats, the options are endless. And if you find an end, you will find a way to open another door to do more programming. Like building a website, it's addicting playing around with this controller.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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More time for other things By Adam on 3/23/13
Adam would recommend this product to a friend
I have enjoyed the hobby as long as I have been doing it and when I added technology, it got easier and more enjoyable. The hardest thing is learning everything this controller is capable of. It has been running my system with no issues and I still have other features that are untapped. Two thumbs up! Happy reefing...