WaveMaker made easy...

[malulu]

Some Background Info (can be found here http://www.njreefers.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26&topic=12826.0)

My friend (Renee) got the original ReefCentral's posting circuit working (can be found here http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1411393)
But, i am still wondering WHAT IF the ON/OFF was separated by 2 individual controls? would it get better wave?

So, I asked one of my best friend (Johnson Tseng) to help to design a circuit with 2 individual knobs, with some extra features ofcourse...
;D

The Test:
Home - 210 gals - 6 feet tank - 3/4" wave
http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w61/the_malulu/?action=view&current=MVI_3881.flv

Red Sand - 9 feet tank - 1" wave
http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w61/the_malulu/?action=view&current=MVI_3884.flv

here is the circuit:

But, the result didn't help... to generate the best wave - it seems both controls would have to have the same ON and OFF timing.
Therefore, we added a 3rd switch (SW-#3) to toggle the circuit as 1 control, or a 2 controls mode.

here is the latest circuit:

this image was copied from ReefCentral posting.

the wave-box was made by Renee. thx again!!

Compared to the posting in ReefCentral, this circuit had these additional features:

- a 3-way switch for: ON, OFF, and Timer mode.
- timing would be adjustable between 0.5 to 5 secs (by pushing the #3 switch, the ON/OFF can be adjust with either 1 knob, or 2 separate knobs).
- a push button (as PAUSE) for fish feeding time, it can be adjusted for timing... (~0.5 min to ~4 mins)
- LED-1 to show on/off status
- LED-2 to show it is in pause mode (so we won't mistakenly think it was off if only have one LED)


The circuit seems complicated, BUT, no worry... you can simply follow below TWO maps to get the circuit done quickly.

FONT:

BACK:

Please Note: the below image looks a little bit different compared to the above mappings,
this is due to i already made the final product BEFORE adding the 3rd switch,
I also made some mess on the below layout, not as clean.
:-[

BOTTOM line is: just use the above TWO MAPPINGS, you WILL be FINE!


some of you may be confused how to read and identify the Capacitor, LED, Diode symbol - here is the illustration compared to the symbol.

here is how you should connect the POTs

here is how you should connect the Switch #2

the front

the back

the full front

the full back

getting ready

the box

the process

it is in

the final product

enjoy!!


oh, it works!
;D

Please let me know if you need more info.
-David

 

[Olivier]

pictures does not load

 

[malulu]

really? can anyone else check to see too?
thx

 

[JohnS_323]

A lot of them don't work for me either.

 

[malulu]

John,

that is one of the reason i don't like to put pics on non NJRC website...

but i do not have enough space to upload here...

for now, here are the pics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/the.malulu/FishTankWaveMaker#

can you see if you can to fix the link?
???

thx

 

[malulu]

i think the images are only temporary cached...
even myself can't see some of them...
i uploaded the important one to NJRC...
this is the BEST i can do for now...

thx

 

[MadReefer]

Ummmm where does the easy part come in...... ???

 

[malulu]

Mike,

(1)
the total cost is around $40 for electrinic parts. I will post the part # from where i got them from later tonight.

(2)
I have no idea how much it cost for the wave box - Renee build it, and i sort of just took it from her. the ideal one would be using black acrylic.


(3)
the wave is controll by the TUNZE pump, i am using the model 6100, and if you use 6200 or higher, it would have a bigger wave. the pump have a build-in turn dial switch that you can turn to have max or lower power output.

(4)
the current market value of a used TUNZE 6100 pump would be $200+.

thx

Dave:

I was looking at your thread last night. The wavebox looks great. Can you tell me what the total cost was to build. I think I would like to build one. Can you control the amount of wave so it doesn't spill over the tank?

Mike

 

[malulu]

Ummmm where does the easy part come in...... ???

you don't need to pull your hair out while trying to figure out connecting between the dots...

 

[malulu]

Please Note:

we tried on DanTheManJ's beautiful tank, we did *noticed* that it have wave - but may be 1/2"...


my guess is, it could be due to his tank have high powerful water flow, which countered the wave significantly…

way to improve (option 2 would be cheaper):

option (1) have a more powerful pump - ie. 6200, 6300…

option (2) have two pumps (one on each side), I am currently working on this new circuit, to allow you to connect TWO pumps, with a switch to specify both pumps ON/OFF at the same time, or when pump-1 ON and pump-2 OFF…etc. (stay tune - may be in about 2 weeks or so).

thx

 

[fisheye]

On my 90 gallons, we had about 1" to 1.5" on the first test.

The wavebox is very big in my 90, so I will try to run it without a box when my 6100($200 from RC)gets here.

 

[GregW]

Ummmm where does the easy part come in...... ???

you don't need to pull your hair out while trying to figure out connecting between the dots...

says you

 

[MadReefer]

The last time I saw a diagram like that 25yrs ago in college. It won't easy then either....LOL

 

[GregW]

i think the images are only temporary cached...
even myself can't see some of them...
i uploaded the important one to NJRC...
this is the BEST i can do for now...

thx

I had the same problem linking to pictures on Picasa

 

[Hawkeye]

On my 90 gallons, we had about 1" to 1.5" on the first test.

The wavebox is very big in my 90, so I will try to run it without a box when my 6100($200 from RC)gets here.

the wavebox is not designed for 4 ft tanks - so if malulu mirrored his box of the original 6212 - the wave frequency is not ideal and obviously the box is rather big in the tank.

 

[concept3]

techno dudes, my hat's off to ya's!!!!

I can build cabinets and put together pipes and setup tanks from scratch, but all those dots and numbers and squigglies made me dizzy.

 

[malulu]

it doesn't matter how big is your tank, as long as you do not have strong current to counter the wave, it will work, by adjusting the time interval, it will change the wave length which work fine in Peter and Renee's 4 foot tank (both with about 1.5" wave.)

as you can see on the 9 foot tank in Red Sand, it created 1" wave.

the wavebox is not designed for 4 ft tanks - so if malulu mirrored his box of the original 6212 - the wave frequency is not ideal and obviously the box is rather big in the tank.

 

[malulu]

Merv,

compared to all your great works illustrated before, this is nothing man...

it is just the damn symbols are confusing ... just get the parts and insert them in, flip it over, solder them, that's all...

techno dudes, my hat's off to ya's!!!!

I can build cabinets and put together pipes and setup tanks from scratch, but all those dots and numbers and squigglies made me dizzy.

 

[malulu]

Mike (NEWSALT),

- here is the total from my invoice (total of 4 set) from www.AllElectronics.com, some of them sold as a package of 10 or so, therefore would be some extra parts.

- i originally went to local stores near by you to get a quote (R.S., and G.E.), but a one set cost $109!! i sort of run out of that store...

- some of the parts i can't find in www.AllElectronics.com, therefore i went to R.S. to get them individually
- the CAP for the POTS and SWITCH ($5)
- the Keyboard cable that plug in to the controller. ($8)


Qty Item Price Subtotal
12 291-100K (100K OHM 1/4 WATT - (291-100K)) $0.05 $0.60
12 291-10K (10K OHM 1/4 WATT - (291-10K)) $0.05 $0.60
10 291-470 (470 OHM 1/4 WATT - (291-470)) $0.05 $0.50
4 RS-95 (1 POLE 3 POSITION ROTARY - (RS-95)) $1.00 $4.00
12 DT-106 (100UF 16V DIPPED TANTALUM CAPACITOR - (DT-106)) $2.50 $30.00
4 AT-685C (6.8 UF 15 VOLT AXIAL TANTALUM CAPACITOR, CUT LEADS - (AT-685C)) $0.35 $1.40
8 MMC-103 (.01UF 400V 10% MINI-METALLIZED POLYESTER CAPACITOR - (MMC-103)) $0.20 $1.60
10 LED-1 (T 1 3/4 RED LED - (LED-1)) $0.10 $1.00
15 1N4148 (SWITCHING DIODE - (1N4148)) $0.07 $1.00
12 LM555 (LM555 TIMER (MC1455) - (LM555)) $0.75 $9.00
12 ICS-8 (8 PIN IC SOCKET - (ICS-8)) $0.20 $2.40
4 TB-4 (PLASTIC BOX - (TB-4)) $3.30 $13.20
4 PC-4 (SOLDERABLE PERF BOARD - (PC-4)) $2.00 $8.00
4 PB-138 (SPST N.O. PUSHBUTTON, RED - (PB-138)) $1.00 $4.00
12 ATP-2MS (2 MEG AUDIO TAPER POT - (ATP-2MS)) $0.33 $4.01
1 24YL-100 (24 GA. YELLOW HOOK-UP WIRE, STR. 100' - (24YL-100)) $4.60 $4.60
1 24BL-100 (24 GA BLUE HOOK-UP WIRE, STR. 100' - (24BL-100)) $4.60 $4.60
1 24RD-100 (24 GA. RED HOOK-UP WIRE, STR. 100' - (24RD-100)) $4.60 $4.60
10 LED-3 (YELLOW 5MM T1 3/4 LED - (LED-3)) $0.15 $1.50

Item Subtotal: $96.61
Shipped via UPS GROUND $ 7.00

Total: $103.61

 

[Phyl]

If you paid 103 online then 109 locally where you didn't have to wait (especially if you were able to get the extra couple of parts) sounds like a decent deal to me. No?