Apex and USB

Akira · Mar 13, 2014

Can I use a standard USB to connect a new energy bar to my existing 0ne or do I need one from Apex?

boehm742 · Mar 13, 2014

Akira said:
Can I use a standard USB to connect a new energy bar to my existing 0ne or do I need one from Apex?

From what I have read you can not, but i will leave the answer open to someone who knows first hand..I have an apex and i wondered the same thing once and what i read was no....

NC2WA · Mar 13, 2014

No..if you do you will fry the usb cord and damage the unit..you need the one from Apex.

jduck · Mar 13, 2014

You can use most any male A/Male A cable under 15 feet. As long as it does not have a booster. I've ordered them off ebay and they work fine.

Dtech07 · Mar 13, 2014

Yes you can use a standard USB cable to connect from the base to EB8 and other modules. We just finished a big Q&A with Russ M (Neptune Support Forum) on this and even though it says in the manual not to Russ M assured us that it's fine to do so.
Here is the thread if our conversation on it:
http://forum.neptunesystems.com/showthread.php?4463-Aquabus-USB-Cable-V-S-Standard-USB-cable

trido · Mar 14, 2014

I had to use three six foot USB cables and two adapters to make the run from my head unit to the tank room EB8.

NC2WA · Mar 14, 2014

good to know..BRS has a video series says absolutely not

Dtech07 · Mar 14, 2014

You can buy longer cables and buy a booster but you'll have to know the USB signal max, volts and mL amps for the cable for the apex but using less cables. That's how your able to run up to 200ft with one cable.

That's the nice thing about the Neptune Support Forum it's official and if they say you can or can't and something goes wrong Neptune will respect your warranty.

NC2WA · Mar 15, 2014

Darryl,

Who is Russ in that thread?? it says he is NOT an Apex employee, so is this still official?

Dtech07 · Mar 15, 2014

NC2WA said:
Darryl,

Who is Russ in that thread?? it says he is NOT an Apex employee, so is this still official?

Russ M and a few others are the one who headed up and think still do on RC.
He and the others few don't work directly for Neptune but they were selected to manage the official Neptune Support Forum by Neptune.

P3FE · Mar 20, 2014

Yes you can use any standard USB cable to connect the modules, what you can't do is connect any other USB device or computer to the APEX, that will fry ur unit

Dtech07 · Mar 20, 2014

P3FE said:
Yes you can use any standard USB cable to connect the modules, what you can't do is connect any other USB device or computer to the APEX, that will fry ur unit

+1.............,

Velodog2 · Mar 20, 2014

P3FE said:
Yes you can use any standard USB cable to connect the modules, what you can't do is connect any other USB device or computer to the APEX, that will fry ur unit

You have to read carefully but this is indeed what is stated in the comprehensive manual, with the exception of longer cables that have built in boosters.

NC2WA · Mar 20, 2014

I asked this question directly to Neptune, here is their reply:

USB cable can be used as long as it does not amplifiers or repeaters in it (that is, passive cable). Custom USB passive cables can be found here:

http://www.usbfirewire.com/cgi-bin/site/user.cgi/productsearch/results?term=apex