Solar 1000 dimmers & controllers

[Azurel]

I went to the LFS today and one of the owners gave me 3 dimmers to try out and see which ones work and which ones don't. They have never used them so he wasn't sure about them. There are 2 Solar 1000 and one Solar 750 dimmers. He also said that if they all work I can keep one for myself and I am hoping to keep a Solar 1000......How good are these dimmer/controllers?

 

[Azurel]

The ones I have just have plugs in the back of it, and don't have any ports or anything for controlling other stuff like wave makers etc....

 

[Azurel]

Anybody?

 

[lakewood711]

When I first bought my reef tank(used), the first thing i did was trade the MH lighting for a solor 1000. It worked great as long as I didn't adjust the program. The preset program did not suit my schedule. I adjusted the times it came on and went off and blew two icecap 660 ballast in three days. I found out later the same thing happened to the person I got it from. I won't use one again. Let me say to start with I AM NOT an expert on lighting or anything else for that matter, and I could have screwed the pooch so to speak, but I'm usally pretty good at following directions, and I did follow the directions.

 

[Azurel]

Thanks for the info......This won't be used on an Icecap.....I e-mailed Blueline and waiting to see what they say...

 

[Azurel]

I got an e-mail from Blueline and they said that the Solar 1000 will only work with Icecap ballast....So these things are no good to me.....Ooh well....

 

[lakewood711]

Sorry, for not including that information, I knew they would only work with an icecap ballast. In my opinion you are better off without them. The only good thing about the solor 1000 was that it pushed me to T-5s alot quicker.