Hydros Power Strip not responding.

[n2585722]

I am going to have to look at this again tomorrow.

Just when I think I am getting somewhere then it does its own thing again. I think (but cannot be sure) that there might be some conflicts between the output notification levels and the notification preferences, but I will need to do some more testing tomorrow to be sure.

Were you able to figure anything out?

 

[FishyFishFish]

I hadn't had time to look but I've just had a play.

Using the temp sensor this time and the local alarm.

1) Temp sensor notification level set to none. No matter what the local preferences are set at, the alarm doesn't sound (as expected).

2) Temp sensor notification level set to yellow. Started with all notifications on (red, orange, yellow) and local alarm sounded as expected. Turned off the yellow notification preference and the alarm sounded, which was not what I expected with the temp sensor level still on yellow. Surely with yellow de-selected on local, I shouldn't get an alarm if the temp sensor is set to the yellow level?

3) Continued test by first turning off the orange preference (red only) and then everything off, with the temp sensor level still set at yellow. Even with all of the notification preferences off I still get the local alarm.

4) Turned the temp sensor notification to off. The alarm no longer sounds.

5) Turned the temp sensor notification level back to yellow (I didn't touch the notification levels, which were still off) and the alarm no longer sounds. i.e. with the alarm triggered with the temp sensor at yellow, turning that to none and back to yellow stopped the falsely triggered alarm.

I don't know if I need to wait in between these changes but the unit flashes and stops again before I try the next step, so I'm pretty sure it has updated correctly.

I'm fairly convinced that there is a bug; at least on my unit.

 

[n2585722]

I think I was waiting around 4 or 5 minutes after I changed before testing. So not sure if that could be the reason I was not getting this issue.

 

[n2585722]

I also have a collective with 8 control units but I don't think that should make it any different.

 

[FishyFishFish]

OK, so I don't think time is the issue. I think (and I stress that I am not yet sure) that the order in which the changes are made affect the outcome.

In particular, it seems that it may be essential to set the notification levels for the local notifications before you set the alert level on the input or output. If you have the input (in my case the temp sensor) set to yellow, with the yellow box checked on the local notifications, and you decide you no longer want yellow to trigger the local alarm and uncheck the box, this doesn't appear to do anything. If you then go back to the temp sensor and set it to none and then back to yellow then it may recognise the new settings.

This may not be correct, as it is extremely difficult to troubleshoot, but I'm going to try a couple of other things and see if I can recreate it.

 

[n2585722]

That could be but I don't normally change the setting at the input though.

 

[FishyFishFish]

It's the same response whether it's the input or output (as an aside, do you not trigger alerts for temp/water level based on the input)?

I have managed to recreate it. You need to decide what level you want email notifications to be set at, what you want push to be set at and what you want local to be set at BEFORE you choose what alert level you want from your inputs and outputs.

If you subsequently change the notifications (e.g. decide that I don't want an email for a yellow alert, just an orange alert) then the system gets confused. The only way to correct that is to go back to the inputs and outputs and change them and change them back again.

If I am right, I would say this is a bug worth fixing. It's fine for me as I only have 2 sensors and a power strip at the moment, but if you have lots of sensors then this could be a pain.

In the meantime, I think I have mine working (sort of) how I want it.

 

[n2585722]

I have not run into it but I don't normally change the notification preferences so that may be correct. I have 30 inputs setup and 76 outputs setup currently and have never seen this.Good find.

 

[rtparty]

Mine disconnect 10-12 times a day without fail. Have since day 1 and CV did nothing to help.

I still believe this an issue that CV needs to figure out and fix.

 

[Jonreefer]

Mine disconnect 10-12 times a day without fail. Have since day 1 and CV did nothing to help.

I still believe this an issue that CV needs to figure out and fix.

Try a cheap router to plug in and just make a network only to connect the hydros to. Mine was dropping like crazy till I got my old router and used it just to create a network for the hydros so it’s not sharing and hasn’t dropped since

 

[Yodeling]

Mine disconnect 10-12 times a day without fail. Have since day 1 and CV did nothing to help.

I still believe this an issue that CV needs to figure out and fix.

IMHO it’s just a bad design decision to make the outlets wifi. In the smart home community it’s a well known fact that WiFi devices are inherently unreliable, which is the reason zwave and zigbee exist. The difference is that smart home functionality is just for convenience for the most part, so it’s not as the end of the world if your light doesn’t turn on automatically. But in the reefing industry it’s just inexcusable.

 

[Jonreefer]

IMHO it’s just a bad design decision to make the outlets wifi. In the smart home community it’s a well known fact that WiFi devices are inherently unreliable, which is the reason zwave and zigbee exist. The difference is that smart home functionality is just for convenience for the most part, so it’s not as the end of the world if your light doesn’t turn on automatically. But in the reefing industry it’s just inexcusable.

Unfortunately coralvue didn't do any design on the power strips. Just choose a WIFI one and put their name on it.
Wifi Outlet

If you put them on your regular network with everything else they drop alot. They dont seem to like to share with other devices. So you have to create their own network and put them on that. Ever since I did that I haven't had a drop and it's been about 1month for me since I made that change and never dropped off once. I had an old router that i used so it didnt cost me anything. If you dont have an old one laying around that is another cost I feel is added to the setup. Even though you can get one for like $20

 

[FishyFishFish]

Tried the access point with them on their own Wi-Fi and it was worse (albeit the new access point was cheap).

I’ve put them back on the main router and moved some other stuff to the WAP. Is better, but it is still dropping off a couple of times a day.

I had hopes when they said they were bringing out a wired power strip, but if the XP8 is the answer then it’s way too expensive.

 

[n2585722]

IMHO it’s just a bad design decision to make the outlets wifi. In the smart home community it’s a well known fact that WiFi devices are inherently unreliable, which is the reason zwave and zigbee exist. The difference is that smart home functionality is just for convenience for the most part, so it’s not as the end of the world if your light doesn’t turn on automatically. But in the reefing industry it’s just inexcusable.

I have very few issue with connectivity and when it does happen it only last a few seconds. There is normally around 35 devices connected to my network at any one time. That said I don't use the power strips with things like RODI, ATO, AWC or dosing. I do or have used them with return, skimmer, heaters and cooling without an issue.

 

[n2585722]

Tried the access point with them on their own Wi-Fi and it was worse (albeit the new access point was cheap).

I’ve put them back on the main router and moved some other stuff to the WAP. Is better, but it is still dropping off a couple of times a day.

I had hopes when they said they were bringing out a wired power strip, but if the XP8 is the answer then it’s way too expensive.

Have you tried a different channel on your wifi? I really like the XP8. It will have power monitoring on each individual output. You set a low and high setting and if it drops below the low setting or goes above the high setting you will get an alert. The price is in line with a 8 outlet controller power bar. I have had a beta unit for several months. It has been rock solid the whole time.

 

[FishyFishFish]

Have you tried a different channel on your wifi? I really like the XP8. It will have power monitoring on each individual output. You set a low and high setting and if it drops below the low setting or goes above the high setting you will get an alert. The price is in line with a 8 outlet controller power bar. I have had a beta unit for several months. It has been rock solid the whole time.

Nope. I'm done messing around with it. It works; it just drops off once or twice per day.

I'm also not going to pay $280 for a power bar. Even the GHL bar is cheaper; admittedly it only has 6 outlets but I don't need 8.

I'm also starting to see some limitations of the Hydros software. e.g. Unless I'm missing something, I appear to be only able to schedule an on/off time and not an off/on time and I can't set a mode on a schedule (e,g, feed pause). I have managed to get it to do what I want by setting up a fake outlet and using that to inverse the output that I wan't to turn off, but it should be easier than that! On top of that, the notifications are still doing my head in and I can't update the email address without raising a ticket, which is ridiculous!

I was really liking the Hydros setup, but I'm starting to think that, despite it's flaws, I might switch that tank over to GHL (as my other one is).

 

[n2585722]

@FishyFishFish

The EB832 is $289 and it has 8 outputs and requires the head unit to do anything. It has been around a few years. The XP8 has beed created recently. So R&D and certification cost have gone up. So it makes it more expensive to come out with one now than it did when the EB832 was created. The XP8 is a control unit with 8 AC outlets.

The easiest way I have found to schedule off time for me is to setup an output to turn on at the times you want the other output off. The go to the settings on the output you want off and set the depends on to the output with the schedule. Set it to off if on. If you had a depends on on that outlet you can set it up on the one with the schedule just keep in mind if you want the original output off you need to turn the schedule output on.

Setting a mode on a schedule has been suggested as with triggering feed mode with the wifi feeder. Not sure how long before they can implement something like that but I think it is on their list.

 

[FishyFishFish]

Last post on this, as I've said this before and I am repeating myself, but I don't want the power bar to 'do' anything. I just want it so that I can remove the WiFi link.

The GHL PAB Powerbar is $250 and, whilst it doesn't have a controller, it does have a microcontroller that will preset the output states if it loses connection to the controller. i.e. unlike the Hydros WiFi strip, if the GHL powerbar loses connection it won't just stay in its current state, it will turn on or off the outlets as has been pre-programmed. GHL isn't known for being particularly cheap, yet their powerbar is still cheaper than Hydros. The current cost of R&D doesn't change that fact.

When Coralvue announced that a wired power strip was in development, I didn't realise it was going to include a controller (but no sense ports). I thought it was going to be a direct replacement for the WiFi strip, but it isn't. I am still of the opinion that they need to release a more cost-effective wired power strip if they want to maintain the Hydros affordability.

The way you have described how to turn off the outlet is exactly as I have it. However, it's a bit of a workaround to the fact that the schedules don't work correctly. What if I want to turn that outlet off 4 times a day? I have to set 4 fake outlets to do that. Schedules appear to have a very limited scope as to what they can actually control, which I found a bit of a surprise.


And I'm still convinced that there is a bug in the notifications settings, and I still have to contact them just to change my email address!

 

[n2585722]

Last post on this, as I've said this before and I am repeating myself, but I don't want the power bar to 'do' anything. I just want it so that I can remove the WiFi link.

The GHL PAB Powerbar is $250 and, whilst it doesn't have a controller, it does have a microcontroller that will preset the output states if it loses connection to the controller. i.e. unlike the Hydros WiFi strip, if the GHL powerbar loses connection it won't just stay in its current state, it will turn on or off the outlets as has been pre-programmed. GHL isn't known for being particularly cheap, yet their powerbar is still cheaper than Hydros. The current cost of R&D doesn't change that fact.

When Coralvue announced that a wired power strip was in development, I didn't realise it was going to include a controller (but no sense ports). I thought it was going to be a direct replacement for the WiFi strip, but it isn't. I am still of the opinion that they need to release a more cost-effective wired power strip if they want to maintain the Hydros affordability.

The way you have described how to turn off the outlet is exactly as I have it. However, it's a bit of a workaround to the fact that the schedules don't work correctly. What if I want to turn that outlet off 4 times a day? I have to set 4 fake outlets to do that. Schedules appear to have a very limited scope as to what they can actually control, which I found a bit of a surprise.


And I'm still convinced that there is a bug in the notifications settings, and I still have to contact them just to change my email address!

You can have an outlet come on multiple times a day. I have one that comes on every hour for 10 minutes. You have to turn on has schedule and turn on advanced settings.

 

[FishyFishFish]

Thanks. That helps

I was looking for the schedules in the schedules menu