MasterTronic Pricing Released

[GoVols]

I already have a Trident, which I'm happy with. I want a machine to test Nitrate and Phosphate (and someday Iodine, Iron, and other trace), I don't ready care at this point about the other tests the Mastertronic does, but I don't want to deal with the issues so many people are having with the ReefBot. I'm hopeful of the quality of the Focustronic device, fingers crossed.

lol
Are you going to be our guinea pig?

....... ;Writing

Might as well sign up (ask to be let in) to be able to access customer support under community.

Focustronic

Focustronic. 4,527 likes · 10 talking about this. Focustronic manufacturers and supplies innovative products to the hobby such as Alkatronic, Dosetronic, Mastertronic and our patented Solartronic....

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[ddaddy2420]

I already have a Trident, which I'm happy with. I want a machine to test Nitrate and Phosphate (and someday Iodine, Iron, and other trace), I don't ready care at this point about the other tests the Mastertronic does, but I don't want to deal with the issues so many people are having with the ReefBot. I'm hopeful of the quality of the Focustronic device, fingers crossed.

Yes do not go with Reefbot, total nightmare of a product. I have tried and tried and tried to work with them (Reef Kinetics) to get my brand new reefbot to be a working product and 4 months later, it still does not work as advertised. I will absolutely be buying the mastertronic.

 

[Naturalreef]

I’m probably going to grab the Mastertronic as well. I have been using the Alkatronic and Dosetronic for over a year now I believe and while they still have some growing pains, the developer is responsive and passionate about his inventions. I travel and the Alkatronic and Dosetronic have made my reef a lot easier to maintain. I need nitrate and phosphate testing to monitor nutrients while I’m gone and the Mastertronic will help with that and allow me to fine tune with the Dosetronic if levels are off.
Not happy with the pricing of the unit, but again a few high end coral lost would probably almost pay for the unit . I thought about jumping ship with GHL, but the ion doesn’t have phosphate which is a huge deal to me. And don’t really want to take a hit on selling all my equipment.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Yes do not go with Reefbot, total nightmare of a product. I have tried and tried and tried to work with them (Reef Kinetics) to get my brand new reefbot to be a working product and 4 months later, it still does not work as advertised. I will absolutely be buying the mastertronic.

Sorry to hear about your experience, but it does seem a common situation, unfortunately. I had hopes they would improve in time, but alas it appears the problems go deeper.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I just noticed this new product. I have an Alkatronic and love it. However, for me to consider getting the Mastertronic, I am not concerned about the price of the unit or the reagent costs. I am concerned about access to my data. Meaning will it have an API where I can pull down the results of my tests? I understand that you have a whole slate of *****tronic devices planned, but being able to drive local equipment and processes based on the results, outside of your ecosystem, is what I would need.

I have read that Reefbot has an open (REST) API so that will be my second choice if the Mastertronic is in a walled garden.

Dennis

 

[mitch91175]

I just noticed this new product. I have an Alkatronic and love it. However, for me to consider getting the Mastertronic, I am not concerned about the price of the unit or the reagent costs. I am concerned about access to my data. Meaning will it have an API where I can pull down the results of my tests? I understand that you have a whole slate of *****tronic devices planned, but being able to drive local equipment and processes based on the results, outside of your ecosystem, is what I would need.

I have read that Reefbot has an open (REST) API so that will be my second choice if the Mastertronic is in a walled garden.

Dennis

You likely won’t get an API from FocusTronic for quite sometime. This industry doesn’t seem too keen on allowing that level of access for developers.

Also figure they are considering cost as well for something like that. Dependent on the hosting plan, that additional traffic will increase operating expenses.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

You likely won’t get an API from FocusTronic for quite sometime. This industry doesn’t seem too keen on allowing that level of access for developers.

More is the pity that they don't. Holding users hostage rarely ends well. Just think Mindstream. When a company either becomes non-viable, or a product becomes so legacy, that the costs to maintain the cloud services become significant, the userbase often get broadsided by having the on-going costs shifted to them (E.g. sudden change to a subscription model for continued access to legacy product) or the product becomes orphaned and non-functional. Though in Mindstrem's case being more open would not have saved them, but being more transparent might have altered the path they went down and perhaps delayed or prevented their collapse.

Also figure they are considering cost as well for something like that. Dependent on the hosting plan, that additional traffic will increase operating expenses.

No extra bandwidth would be needed. The devices are already local. If anything the extra increase in traffic is being born by the users for all these cloud devices as they are all using our bandwidth to push everything through the cloud. A simple appended parameter can go along way to render a (local) status page as a JSON response instead of HTML. Having support for something like this removes the need and fragility for scraping and parsing webpages to manually collect up the data, etc.

 

[mitch91175]

More is the pity that they don't. Holding users hostage rarely ends well. Just think Mindstream. When a company either becomes non-viable, or a product becomes so legacy, that the costs to maintain the cloud services become significant, the userbase often get broadsided by having the on-going costs shifted to them (E.g. sudden change to a subscription model for continued access to legacy product) or the product becomes orphaned and non-functional. Though in Mindstrem's case being more open would not have saved them, but being more transparent might have altered the path they went down and perhaps delayed or prevented their collapse.



No extra bandwidth would be needed. The devices are already local. If anything the extra increase in traffic is being born by the users for all these cloud devices as they are all using our bandwidth to push everything through the cloud. A simple appended parameter can go along way to render a (local) status page as a JSON response instead of HTML. Having support for something like this removes the need and fragility for scraping and parsing webpages to manually collect up the data, etc.

Agree with you 100%. The increase cost I was referring for stuff like server cost (AWS, Azure) for more processing power and the need for additional bandwidth to processes the transactions (could be minimal though). I'd imagine what majority have now is minimal to operate.

Seems companies are trying to do more. Kudos to Neptune Systems for integrating Alexa. I have Alexa and rarely use it or that particular feature of the Apex. Maybe if there was an open-source project for Apex we would do more. Same for other platforms. Would be cool to someone offer an SDK/API.

Heck, they could even monetize it an charge for access to the services.

 

[nvcheeko]

I could pay someone to run a lot of tests for $1300!

Interestingly in Australia the Trident is $1500 and 2 monthly refills are $130 (and you can exchange to USD, however from a purchasing power thing, it is still roughly equivalent)... that’s expensive isn’t it!?

Alkatronic is $1899 in Australia.. :/.

Yes its cheaper by few hundred to ship it from US to Australia go figure, I guess Retailers arnt putting mark up, Shipping should be cheap from HK too, Thats what let Australia down everyone trying to cash in when they should support poeple that will come back and buy corals and test kits.

 

[ReefBeta]

More is the pity that they don't. Holding users hostage rarely ends well. Just think Mindstream. When a company either becomes non-viable, or a product becomes so legacy, that the costs to maintain the cloud services become significant, the userbase often get broadsided by having the on-going costs shifted to them (E.g. sudden change to a subscription model for continued access to legacy product) or the product becomes orphaned and non-functional. Though in Mindstrem's case being more open would not have saved them, but being more transparent might have altered the path they went down and perhaps delayed or prevented their collapse.



No extra bandwidth would be needed. The devices are already local. If anything the extra increase in traffic is being born by the users for all these cloud devices as they are all using our bandwidth to push everything through the cloud. A simple appended parameter can go along way to render a (local) status page as a JSON response instead of HTML. Having support for something like this removes the need and fragility for scraping and parsing webpages to manually collect up the data, etc.

There is API for the test data already. If you go to https://alkatronic.focustronic.com and login, and open the network tab in chrome devtool, you can see it calling the API to get the data to render the chart.

Whether or not they allow you to use that API long term is another question. Apex is an anti example. They actually gave me a call to tell me to stop using their API to access my Trident data, or threaten to disable my service. Neptune System was quite insistent on not letting users make use of their API outside of their app citing their User Agreement, and multiple times declaring that stand on their live stream. They actually need to put in additional effort to NOT have that API and they did it. That's pretty douchbag move looking from the open software world. That's the point I decided to drop Apex out of my future builds.

Whether Focustronic will take similar stand as Neptune System or not is unclear, haven't ask them. But given they want Neptune to open their API access, we can hope they serve an example for it.

 

[SkiCatTX]

There is API for the test data already. If you go to https://alkatronic.focustronic.com and login, and open the network tab in chrome devtool, you can see it calling the API to get the data to render the chart.

Whether or not they allow you to use that API long term is another question. Apex is an anti example. They actually gave me a call to tell me to stop using their API to access my Trident data, or threaten to disable my service. Neptune System was quite insistent on not letting users make use of their API outside of their app citing their User Agreement, and multiple times declaring that stand on their live stream. They actually need to put in additional effort to NOT have that API and they did it. That's pretty douchbag move looking from the open software world. That's the point I decided to drop Apex out of my future builds.

Whether Focustronic will take similar stand as Neptune System or not is unclear, haven't ask them. But given they want Neptune to open their API access, we can hope they serve an example for it.

+1 Here's Hoping!

 

[robbyg]

Whether Focustronic will take similar stand as Neptune System or not is unclear, haven't ask them. But given they want Neptune to open their API access, we can hope they serve an example for it.

LOL not a chance! If past history and recent statements are taken into account then it's not going to happen. Neptune only opens their APIs to products that enhance the sales of their own products. Therefore if it competes with their products it's does not stand a chance. Mastertronic tests ALK, Ca and Mg plus three more in a price bracket per test that is almost on Par with the Trident.

 

[ReefBeta]

LOL not a chance! If past history and recent statements are taken into account then it's not going to happen. Neptune only opens their APIs to products that enhance the sales of their own products. Therefore if it competes with their products it's does not stand a chance. Mastertronic tests ALK, Ca and Mg plus three more in a price bracket per test that is almost on Par with the Trident.

I don't expect Apex will open API at all. They are shining blame to Ecotech for not adding Apex support in Mobious, yet they are doing the same thing for others, how ironic. But I'm dumping Apex system as a whole anyway so don't really care.

I just hope Focustronic won't stop users to make use of the already open but undocumented APIs.

 

[SkiCatTX]

Anyone heard news on this recently?

 

[Naturalreef]

Latest word is they are having a production unit made. Once it gets to them, they will do a finished product testing. If all goes well, they will start manufacturing. Only question is, how quickly they can manufacture and ship with this pandemic.

 

[Lasse]

Anyone heard news on this recently?

Latest word is they are having a production unit made. Once it gets to them, they will do a finished product testing. If all goes well, they will start manufacturing. Only question is, how quickly they can manufacture and ship with this pandemic.

I can confirm this. One of the first production units arrived today to the developer (is a Swedish developer and by the way - he is one of the best reefers in Sweden) - I saw it by my own eyes on his dinner table when he unpacked it this afternoon. Now - he will finish the product tests , adjust and some Beta test will be done according to him.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[SkiCatTX]

I can confirm this. One of the first production units arrived today to the developer (is a Swedish developer and by the way - he is one of the best reefers in Sweden) - I saw it by my own eyes on his dinner table when he unpacked it this afternoon. Now - he will finish the product tests , adjust and some Beta test will be done according to him.

Sincerely Lasse

Glad to hear it, thanks for the update! Looking forward to learning more about it soon...

 

[robbyg]

I can confirm this. One of the first production units arrived today to the developer (is a Swedish developer and by the way - he is one of the best reefers in Sweden) - I saw it by my own eyes on his dinner table when he unpacked it this afternoon. Now - he will finish the product tests , adjust and some Beta test will be done according to him.

Sincerely Lasse

His name would not be Lasse by any chance

Seems coincidental:

Swedish Developer
Best Reefer in Sweden
Saw it with your own eyes.

Seems like you outed yourself my friend, LOL just kidding

 

[Lasse]

His name would not be Lasse by any chance

Seems coincidental:

Swedish Developer
Best Reefer in Sweden
Saw it with your own eyes.

Seems like you outed yourself my friend, LOL just kidding

No - it is not me - this is a total other guy living 130 km south of where I live. The same that developed Alcatronic and Dosertronic.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Pny]

Anyone know the total width requirement of the Mastertronic, including every connector and hose that extend outside the unit?

From the videos it looks like power connector and hose's are poking straight out of the machine all over the place, and it could need another 2-3 inches at each(!) side at least? Terrible design not to have all connectors in the same direction if you ask me!

Can Focustronic provide elbov fittings to make it fit in a tight space?

Can hoses be "re-routed" through the backside, or bottom?

I guess you are supposed to have a dedicated sump room for this one... Maybe I was just too optimistic about the concept and believed I could fit one under the aquarium in my living room!