ReefKeeper SLX, Need Help Troubleshooting

[vetteguy53081]

You may try the RK forum which is still active. The 2.03 may be part of the issue as last was 2.09.... and even at last minute a 2.10. I have mine connected at one of the bus inputs at the PB-4 and the probes to the slx.

 

[nub]

You may try the RK forum which is still active. The 2.03 may be part of the issue as last was 2.09.... and even at last minute a 2.10. I have mine connected at one of the bus inputs at the PB-4 and the probes to the slx.

What RK forum are you referring to? The only one I knew of was the support forums on DA's website which has been down for a while now as far as I know. That forum was dead even when it was active IMO. I tried registering there 3-4 years ago and always got the "your post will be visible once approved by a moderator" or something to the like. After ten or so attempts I just gave up on it and figured I was on my own.

The 2.03 FW mentioned is for the SLX specifically. I think the 2.09 you mention is for the SID which is what I have. My RKL head unit is 2.08.

@vetteguy53081 Can you share a shot of your temp graph and which probe you're using?

 

[vetteguy53081]

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[vetteguy53081]

What RK forum are you referring to? The only one I knew of was the support forums on DA's website which has been down for a while now as far as I know. That forum was dead even when it was active IMO. I tried registering there 3-4 years ago and always got the "your post will be visible once approved by a moderator" or something to the like. After ten or so attempts I just gave up on it and figured I was on my own.

The 2.03 FW mentioned is for the SLX specifically. I think the 2.09 you mention is for the SID which is what I have. My RKL head unit is 2.08.

@vetteguy53081 Can you share a shot of your temp graph and which probe you're using?

Last used support forum early November and sent you the link. Yes 2.09 is SID. My SL2 is 2.08. Temp probe I use is the Non- buss type with the 2 little prongs plugged into SL2

 

[nub]

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This is an archive of the forum which is now down. Not active. Last post was July 2016

 

[vetteguy53081]

Will have to search which one I used. Thought it was this one

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just found the link looking in my history. Uh-oh:

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[n2585722]

Last used support forum early November and sent you the link. Yes 2.09 is SID. My SL2 is 2.08. Temp probe I use is the Non- buss type with the 2 little prongs plugged into SL2

The SL2 module is not the module with the issue. It is the SLX module. The SL2 is a lot older module and it will have a higher firmware version than the SLX.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The SL2 module is not the module with the issue. It is the SLX module. The SL2 is a lot older module and it will have a higher firmware version than the SLX.

I realize that. I have the SLX on my elite unit

 

[n2585722]

I realize that. I have the SLX on my elite unit

Are you using myReef to graph? If so does it have the spikes in the graphs? I have the SLX, but I am using it on an Archon and I don't see them, bit that might be because of the way the graphing is done in the Archon. what firmware is on you SLX module? Thanks for any input you may have.

 

[vetteguy53081]

ARCHON HERE ALSO AND AT VERSION 2.06

 

[nub]

@Jason777 sent me one of the stainless probes to test on my SLX. This was to see if the dips and spikes on his graph were issues with his myReef or SLX which he has two and seeing the same on both modules.. In his original post he had stated he was not seeing this on his SL2 with this probe.

I've been graphing with it for about 22 hours and I am seeing the same thing as he is. It graphed smooth for about 2 hours then started dipping at random times with no pattern over time. The only consistency I see is when it drops it's by 3*F. I have an unused outlet on one of my PB4's and set it up as a heater controlled by the stainless probe (nothing plugged in). I wanted to see if these dips below a set point would trigger the outlet which it did not. I graphed the outlet (#4) and saw no response and never heard the relay close/open in case it was a quick on/off too short to record.

I don't think the spikes in the graph are an issue but I would have the nagging need to check on the system which defeats the purpose IMO. It's already been reported these will start rusting so that will be what I check on every couple of days to see how long it takes to start. I think because of this most would rule this particular thermistor out.

My graph is below with the stainless running along with the iTemp. I included my heater outlet to see if the on/off of the heater coincided in any way but I don't see it.

 

[n2585722]

@Jason777 sent me one of the stainless probes to test on my SLX. This was to see if the dips and spikes on his graph were issues with his myReef or SLX which he has two and seeing the same on both modules.. In his original post he had stated he was not seeing this on his SL2 with this probe.

I've been graphing with it for about 22 hours and I am seeing the same thing as he is. It graphed smooth for about 2 hours then started dipping at random times with no pattern over time. The only consistency I see is when it drops it's by 3*F. I have an unused outlet on one of my PB4's and set it up as a heater controlled by the stainless probe (nothing plugged in). I wanted to see if these dips below a set point would trigger the outlet which it did not. I graphed the outlet (#4) and saw no response and never heard the relay close/open in case it was a quick on/off too short to record.

I don't think the spikes in the graph are an issue but I would have the nagging need to check on the system which defeats the purpose IMO. It's already been reported these will start rusting so that will be what I check on every couple of days to see how long it takes to start. I think because of this most would rule this particular thermistor out.

My graph is below with the stainless running along with the iTemp. I included my heater outlet to see if the on/off of the heater coincided in any way but I don't see it.

I have one of these I have been using for weeks and no rust. True stainless should not rust. The only ting I have reservations about is the epoxy. I added some tubing to that end to prevent water from getting to the epoxy. I have had no issues with it so far.

 

[nub]

I added some 1/4" airline about 7" long to the back side for the same reason and it gave a way to put it in an extra spot in my probe holder.

If it doesn't rust that would be nice because it's cheap. Having said cheap though there are different grades of stainless that can rust. I'm going to keep it wet and see how it goes.

Something I mentioned to Jason is the temperature reading I got was pretty spot on I think +/-. My iTemp is calibrated to an average of two NIST thermometers. One of them has a wider accuracy statement and reads higher than the other so my calibration average is on the high side I think. The stainless probe was within .1-.2*F of the thermometer with the tighter tolerance (+/-.5*F). With that said though who knows which side of +/- you are when comparing multiple devices like this.

Danny, are you controlling with yours or still just monitoring?

I don't want to derail with this as there's another thread for it but I mentioned it in PM with Jason. Has anyone tried a Neptune probe by changing the connector? Are we making this harder than it needs to be? Is the answer to this so near our face we can't see it? I have one on the way to try unless someone already has and it's known not to work. I also have some bits coming from digikey to test out with a different thermistor type and will let all know if there's anything worth mentioning.

 

[n2585722]

I am controlling the primary heater with it at the moment. What I did was measure the resistance at various temps on a DA temp probe and compared it with different thermistor tables and it matched the 10k 3950 correctly. I don't know anything about tye Neptune probe. It could be the same thermistor if it is a thermistor. It could also be a RTD.

 

[nub]

If you don't mind, what is your DA temp probe calibration based on? Your current experience is with the Archon or no? Is the calibration capability different from the Archon, Lite and Elite that you know of? You've mentioned a possible buffering with the Archon previously? You've mentioned single point and dual point calibration before which is the reason I ask. Is that a function within the controller or something else?

 

[n2585722]

The Archon will do a dual point calibration using the PortCalibrate() command for any of the variable input ports. This is within the Archon controller itself. I could do a dual point calibration on the port that has the temp probe I am testing but that would not be like the RKE and RKL, so I just did the standard singe point for now. The DA probe connected to the Archon has had a dual point calibration. I usually do use dual point on all the temp probes. If I don't then they would have a lot more variance between the three readings.

The Archon has buffered graphing that reduces the spiking seen on the SLX module. I think it is done by averaging several readings over a given time period. Since the minimum time period for the grsphing is 1 minutes. It can take a reading every few seconds and average all the readings within that minute as one reading instead of an instant one time reading. This was done I believe because us beta testors were complaining about the spikes in the grsphs and suggested doing this to minimize them. I don't remember but it could have been the SLX that was the worst culprit.

When I got the resistance readings of the DA probe it was not connected to the controller. The calibration settings are either in the module(RKE or RKL) or in the controller head unit(Archon).

The Archon head unit is a Linux based computer and it was easier for them to add the changes to the Archon head unit than the modules themselves. The Archon systems did not come with a SID to change the firmware on the modules that I am aware of. So it was all done inside the Archon head unit.

 

[Jason777]

Thanks @nub for the charts. That leads me to believe that this is a common problem. It could be something in MyReef and its interaction with the SLX but more likely something in the SLX. If you have a pH probe on your SLX you might want to graph it also and see if it spikes at the same time as the temp to get one more confirmation.

 

[nub]

So maybe it is the SLX. My pH has always dipped on the graph that I can remember. I had to do a complete uninstall/reinstall in September because my graphing stopped working. It had been running for about four years so I lost all of my past data, not that I graphed a bunch but fairly regular. I only mention it because I can't verify by actual graph from the past.

I have the pH and SStemp on two separate graphs because I was really only watching the temperature. If I get the times lined up between them and toggle between them I can see them line up.