tvor

Thanks to all who reply in advance...

Can anyone out there tell me where to look for a lighting controller / timer.... Looking to cycle 3 metal halides and 2 flourescents to simulate day/night sun rise/fall....

Any good websites selling such things?

Achilles

Just go to wal-mart or your local hardware store and buy those Home timers, just make sure there the grounded 3 prong type. There cheaper than the ones you buy at your local fish store and they work just great!. There are also digital types but if you need to sve money just do what i said.
Good luck
Todd

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125, 70, 29 gal Reefs, 20 gal Breeder, 12 gal nano reef

Chitown1

You do not want to buy cheapies for MH lights, they have too much draw. I use the dual models of these.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113782

You could prob. get by with the walmart specials for the flourescents, but not the MH.

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Achilles

The Wal-Mart chepies will work fine as long as there the 3 prong type, or grounded type. Ive ran tham for 3 yrs on my 125, one for each ballast. There only timers, thats the only purpose they serve.
Todd

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125, 70, 29 gal Reefs, 20 gal Breeder, 12 gal nano reef

Chitown1

ALL electrical components have a amp rating, using a 10 amp rated timer for 25 amp lighting can cause failure to the timer, fixture and could potentially be a fire hazzard. I dont know where you are getting the info that a 3rd ground plug makes if safe for anything but you are completely wrong.

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Achilles

Check your amps Tvor and if there compatable use it. Otherwise i am completely wrong and as usual Chitown is always right. I am just trying to let ya know what has worked for me, and most likely will work for you. But Chitown has a God complex and has to disagree with anyone who dosnt agree with him.
Good luck eihther way ya go
Todd

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125, 70, 29 gal Reefs, 20 gal Breeder, 12 gal nano reef

dannyLTJ

your total wattage divided by your supply voltage will give you a figure in amps, and the same equation may be used in reverse....10amps of lighting in the US would equate to 1200W of lighting which is a lot of lighting!

The first thing to do is establish what sorrt of load (in amps) you need to switch, and then the type of lighting. The problem with discharge and flourescent lighting is that they have a higher start up current in terms of amps than their normal (and commonly stated in Watts) operating value. this can mean that although you have a timer correctly rated for the total wattage of your lights, it could be put under stress during the switching on period when this current demand is higher. Mechnical timers especially which rely upon a traditional switch to be 'thrown' in the mechanism can suffer more than the digital type, this is because of the mechanical mechanism slowly turning and acting upon the switch mechanism and causing 'arcing'. Arcing is the ability of electricity to 'jump' between switch contacts before they have fully met or contacted and can in extreme cases weld the two switch contact together thus destroying the switch mechanism. digital timers on the other hand rely upon the digital timer to send a signal to a relay which is a switch that 'actuates' almost instantly. it is this ability to switch the load instantly that protects the timer from long term damage.

This does not mean that mechanical timers are not suitable for switching this type of load in a aquarium lighting system. I recently raised this issue with my friend gm333 and he promptly let me know that he has never had a problem with his mechanical timers, and he has been in the business far longer that i have!

the drs foster and smith product looks great and also very cheap too, but if you have a ready supply of standard timers they may also give you realible, long term service.

gm333

I have used and am currently using the "cheaper" timer on my metal halide ballast. But I would also like to point out that I am not an electrician and couldnt tell you whether there is a difference in the two. I know it has worked for me. I personally hate the mechanical coralife timers, I have had two of them that stopped clicking on and off. I have had better luck with the digital coralife timers.

dannyLTJ

quite possibly due to carbon deposits on the contacts as a result of 'arcing'

after all this talk though i am still using mechanicals on my lighting system lol! although i have always intended to install my lights (flourescent) on a programmable and dimmable timer such as this... http://www.futronix.info/p100_dimmer.htm ...I have, of course, already installed dimmable ballasts.

sorry to digress, but it is another way or switching and timing your lighting systems.

Lahatiel

You can always use X10 modules for a truly automated system that you can set up through your pc.

I don't do the sun up sun down thing anymore but have the capability of doing it through X10 remotes. It is more for the cool factor than anything else.

If you're interested I can post the links of the modules you will need for the lights you have. It always provides the benefit of setting all your lamps and lights through out the house on timers.

I should point out that it isn't really cheap...

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58 Gallon Freshwater FTWP (Fish tank with plants)