What Time is On Your Reef Controller

[redfishbluefish]

This poll is for those of us who have a reef controller with a clock.

Most of us need to change our clocks twice a year, alternating between Daylight Savings and Standard Time. How many of you change the time on your reef controller, or just leave it? And if you just leave it, is it left in Standard Time or Daylight Saving time?

 

[jgraz]

Mine changes all by itself.

 

[Alcohol120]

apex is smart
i change my regular timers with dials though twice a year

 

[TanksNStuff]

I use a Reef Angel Controller. I don't believe there is a "daylight savings time" option or anything, but I do know that if you want to get creative with the coding you could easily automate the controller to adjust on it's own. It would be as simple as adding a check in the loop for the current date, and if it's the day you turn the clocks back an hour... just have the If/Then function check current "hour" and then write that value -1 to the current "hour", and another If/Then to add an hour for the day you turn the clocks ahead an hour. In fact, I know there is code available to set your controller on a lunar cycle and adjust lighting to what it actually is outside (whether you set it to your houses latitude/longitude location or whether you set it to something tropical like the Bahamas).

However, I also have the ability to use my smart phone app to change the time of the controller based on the current time on my phone. And, since my phone automatically changes for DST, I just hit the button to "Set Current Time" and it will run the command to change the controllers time through WiFi (and I can do this from anywhere my phone has internet connection). The app even allows you to "Get Time" which will display the controllers date/time info on the phone for you. That way, you can check before/after to make sure it's set to the correct date/time. As a bonus, you can even manually enter any specific time you want. So, if you want to test to see if something set at a specific time works (lighting, skimmer, fans, whatever) you can just enter that time in and watch that function happen. Then just hit the "Set Current Time" button to switch it back when done testing. This feature also comes in very handy when there's a power outage where the controller would begin from the time the power went out. Hitting this button sets everything right.

The reason I do change to current time though (as opposed to letting the time stay the same) is because my lighting schedule is set to specific times based on when I leave for work and come home at night (normally). It may throw off the tanks day cycle a bit, but the fish/corals don't seem to notice that I'm changing it up.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Mine changes all by itself.

John, what controller do you have that changes the time automatically?




And George, I’m a dinosaur…..a Dumboptrasaurous to be exact. I very recently learned how to text…..and in the time it takes me to text three words, I could have called you voice and recited the Gettysburg Address. What a social disconnect this new technology is…..but that’s another story.

(NOTE TO SELF: Never, ever, buy a Reef Angel because the only IF/THEN statement I can come up with is, “IF I buy a Reef Angel, THEN I’d be lost.”)

So anyway, let me get this straight. I get on a plane and fly to San Diego…a four hour difference. When I turn my phone on, it automatically resets the clock to current time. Is my tank now on San Diego time? Not sure if I’d like that.

 

[ecam]

Paul, that would only happen if you click the update time button on the website\app. Otherwise, the controller ignores the time and feeds you the data.

So anyway, let me get this straight. I get on a plane and fly to San Diego…a four hour difference. When I turn my phone on, it automatically resets the clock to current time. Is my tank now on San Diego time? Not sure if I’d like that.

 

[Alcohol120]

John, what controller do you have that changes the time automatically?




And George, I’m a dinosaur…..a Dumboptrasaurous to be exact. I very recently learned how to text…..and in the time it takes me to text three words, I could have called you voice and recited the Gettysburg Address. What a social disconnect this new technology is…..but that’s another story.

(NOTE TO SELF: Never, ever, buy a Reef Angel because the only IF/THEN statement I can come up with is, “IF I buy a Reef Angel, THEN I’d be lost.”)

So anyway, let me get this straight. I get on a plane and fly to San Diego…a four hour difference. When I turn my phone on, it automatically resets the clock to current time. Is my tank now on San Diego time? Not sure if I’d like that.

san diego is definitely a 3 hour difference but yea like ecambero said you choose when to update it. and to answer the other question, i think jgraz has an apex, not sure though. the coding language for the controllers are meant to be simple, logical, and intuitive in most cases. i know most of the language for my apex is easy and whenever ive had a problem, the customer support is pretty great and you get a response usually in minutes of posting on their forum.

 

[redfishbluefish]

san diego is definitely a 3 hour difference .......

Hey, I told you I was a Dumboptrasaurous!


Four time zones in the contiguous US makes for a three hour difference to San Diego. I stand corrected.

 

[Cdiggy]

Reef angel can be intimidating, that's for sure. I have worked with programming languages in the past so I can muddle through but I am not really 'good' at it. RA's are cost effective and they will do a lot of things well though.
I change the time on it manually just because it matches my schedule. We like to come home to a fully lit tank with the daylight a going off at 10pm and actinics at 11pm.
My rotary timer I spin manually to adjust the time just because the phyto lights are on a 16 hour cycle and is in our bedroom otherwise I wouldn't care.

 

[TanksNStuff]

Paul,
I believe that if you understand chemistry, you should have no problems figuring out a simple coding structure/language. Other than the intimidation, it's not really a big deal to figure out.

I was no expert either, and the only coding education I ever got was learning BASIC in high school back in the day (yea, that shows my age I suppose, huh?). That's much different than Arduino (the RA controllers language) but it's just a matter of following a path and understanding the flow. You determine what you want the thing to do, then steal other peoples coding that already figured it out and plug it into your code. You may need to adjust certain variables to match what you have... but it's mostly just a copy/paste thing for me.

Oh, and the controller does have a GUI that will let you pick certain settings and then it makes the basic code for you. It also has some preset functions that the beginner could use and get by with easily. The braver folks will just add the tricky stuff to make it extremely customizable.

 

[jgraz]

John, what controller do you have that changes the time automatically?

Apex jr

I think it only does this automatically cause it's connected to my home network. Otherwise I think I would have to change it manually, which as it happens can only be done by connecting to the network since I don't have the display module.

 

[Cdiggy]

Paul,
I believe that if you understand chemistry, you should have no problems figuring out a simple coding structure/language. Other than the intimidation, it's not really a big deal to figure out.

I was no expert either, and the only coding education I ever got was learning BASIC in high school back in the day (yea, that shows my age I suppose, huh?). That's much different than Arduino (the RA controllers language) but it's just a matter of following a path and understanding the flow. You determine what you want the thing to do, then steal other peoples coding that already figured it out and plug it into your code. You may need to adjust certain variables to match what you have... but it's mostly just a copy/paste thing for me.

Oh, and the controller does have a GUI that will let you pick certain settings and then it makes the basic code for you. It also has some preset functions that the beginner could use and get by with easily. The braver folks will just add the tricky stuff to make it extremely customizable.

It actually reminds me of SQL code but it's weird, they are all very similar in what they do and how they do it, just different qualifiers that they use. The structure is basically the same. It is just like learning a new language, once you get the 'lingo' you actually read it like a foreign language and then your brain makes the adjustments and you see what it is telling you (or maybe you see what you want to tell it). Hard to explain but it is not difficult. Just repetition of the format. I don't ever see it enough to get fluid in it so I am a cut and paste guy too, just replacing what I want it to do or say so it jives with the format.

I know it sounds like gobblygook but it really is that simple, not that it is really that simple!!! I compare it to tech manuals where rereading and repetition makes it easier.

My unscientific explanation and $.02

 

[malulu]

I use a Reef Angel Controller. I don't believe there is a "daylight savings time" option or anything, but I do know that if you want to get creative with the coding you could easily automate the controller to adjust on it's own. It would be as simple as adding a check in the loop for the current date, and if it's the day you turn the clocks back an hour... just have the If/Then function check current "hour" and then write that value -1 to the current "hour", and another If/Then to add an hour for the day you turn the clocks ahead an hour. In fact, I know there is code available to set your controller on a lunar cycle and adjust lighting to what it actually is outside (whether you set it to your houses latitude/longitude location or whether you set it to something tropical like the Bahamas).

However, I also have the ability to use my smart phone app to change the time of the controller based on the current time on my phone. And, since my phone automatically changes for DST, I just hit the button to "Set Current Time" and it will run the command to change the controllers time through WiFi (and I can do this from anywhere my phone has internet connection). The app even allows you to "Get Time" which will display the controllers date/time info on the phone for you. That way, you can check before/after to make sure it's set to the correct date/time. As a bonus, you can even manually enter any specific time you want. So, if you want to test to see if something set at a specific time works (lighting, skimmer, fans, whatever) you can just enter that time in and watch that function happen. Then just hit the "Set Current Time" button to switch it back when done testing. This feature also comes in very handy when there's a power outage where the controller would begin from the time the power went out. Hitting this button sets everything right.

The reason I do change to current time though (as opposed to letting the time stay the same) is because my lighting schedule is set to specific times based on when I leave for work and come home at night (normally). It may throw off the tanks day cycle a bit, but the fish/corals don't seem to notice that I'm changing it up.

this may NOT be as easy as you expected...
if you have the code there - every time it pass that code, it will -1 ALWAY!! and eventually you may end up days off...

it need to know it adjusted already and don't do it again...
force reset it would be easier than the simply IF/THEN statement...

 

[ATLL765]

this may NOT be as easy as you expected...
if you have the code there - every time it pass that code, it will -1 ALWAY!! and eventually you may end up days off...

it need to know it adjusted already and don't do it again...
force reset it would be easier than the simply IF/THEN statement...

I don't own one of these controllers, I have a RKL, but I've yet to use it. My point is that if you set it to -1 hr for the fall back and you set a +1 hr for spring forward, why would you ever have to change the code?

 

[TanksNStuff]

I don't own one of these controllers, I have a RKL, but I've yet to use it. My point is that if you set it to -1 hr for the fall back and you set a +1 hr for spring forward, why would you ever have to change the code?

this may NOT be as easy as you expected...
if you have the code there - every time it pass that code, it will -1 ALWAY!! and eventually you may end up days off...

it need to know it adjusted already and don't do it again...
force reset it would be easier than the simply IF/THEN statement...

As long as your argument to check for is a specific day of the year, the "THEN" part won't do anything unless it is that specific day of the year. So, if you have it -1 on the Fall date and +1 on the Spring date... then you will only have 2 time adjustments per year.

You just need to be very specific when it comes to the "IF" part so that it doesn't keep changing on you. What you would do is

I see what David is saying though. and I can see an issue where every time it subtracted an hour on the fall back date, the time would run through and then after 1 hour it would end up at the original change date/time... and then subtract an hour again.

The way to fix this would be to add a counter variable in the loop there too. Then, whenever it does the "THEN" part, you would add a +1 to the counter variable. After you do this, you would also have the "IF" part check that counter variable to see if it's a 0 or 1. Then you put in another IF/THEN before this DST function and only allow it to run if the counter variable is not 1.

To make this complete and ready for the next seasonal change... you could also make a function for the day after the dates you used above... and IF date = the day after THEN set the counter variable to 0. That way when the next seasons date comes around, the counter variable will allow that function to run once.

There is a way to do anything you want. You just have to be creative enough to tell it what to do and exactly when.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Wow! Has this thread taken a turn. Let me try some code:


IF you wish to comment in this thread THEN you better first vote in the above poll.


As of this 16[SUP]th[/SUP] post, only five people have voted! Capiche!

 

[jgraz]

Poll? What poll? Stupid TapATalk never shows them.




Oh well can't vote. No place for those of is whose controllers update themselves.