Extending the Apex salinity probe cable

[spacedcowboy]

So I'm planning on using an Apex to handle the NSW for my tank, and one thing I'd like to be able to do is read the salinity of the NSW that's in the "ready to use" storage-tank while I'm using the "in-use" storage tank. The wrinkle is that these tanks are outside, at the other end of the house from the display. So I bought one of these to house the Apex, an energy bar, and a PM2. The plan was to mount it on the wall between the two storage tanks and just run the salinity probes, float-valves etc to mounts I'd make.

Then, however, "She who must be obeyed" objected to the "ugly as sin" box that I was planning on placing on the outside of the house, in view of the street. Never-mind the two enormous black tanks, but I digress...

So now I want to mount the "ugly as sin" box behind the fence where pedestrians will not react with revulsion as they pass by the house, but that throws up the problem that the cables are too short now. Float valves etc. I don't care about, but for the salinity probes...

• It looks as though I could get some DIN-4 <---> DIN-4 male:female extension cables for the salinity probes and just run them along the outside of the house behind the tanks back to the PM2/Apex head unit
• Or I could get another PM2 (thus wasting the one I paid for on the Apex [sigh]) and run the USB-style apex <-->module cable out to just by the tanks, and put the PM2 on the wall (that's small enough I could probably get it in behind the curvature of the existing tank).

The second option would mean the PM2 was in the open air, and although I live in the Bay Area, and rain makes people run from this strange phenomena of "Water! Water, falling from the sky!", it does happen on occasion. I guess I could get some (much) smaller versions of the box above and put the PM2's in those...

Anyone got any thoughts ?

 

[blaxsun]

Yes. I'd definitely go with option #2 (happy wife, happy life)... Also, you can and should keep the Apex controller inside where it's away from the elements. For the PM2 module, why don't you just use a plastic container with a lid (the ones with the silicone rubber seal), drill a hole in the side and then mount it sideways so that the cables go out the bottom. That should keep all the moisture out and if you ever need to do maintenance just pop the lid off.

Something along the lines of this.

 

[spacedcowboy]

Yes. I'd definitely go with option #2 (happy wife, happy life)... Also, you can and should keep the Apex controller inside where it's away from the elements. For the PM2 module, why don't you just use a plastic container with a lid (the ones with the silicone rubber seal), drill a hole in the side and then mount it sideways so that the cables go out the bottom. That should keep all the moisture out and if you ever need to do maintenance just pop the lid off.

I can't have the apex inside, unfortunately. The NSW tanks are on their own 70' away from any easy (ie: not drilling through the wall of the house) way to get inside.

It's the long-rectangle geometry of the house that's the problem. When I was setting up the tank, the best place for it in the house was to build it into a wall in the living room, but there's no space on the other side of that (exterior at the time) wall without impacting the driveway, so the NSW tanks had to go on the other end of the house...

The link in the first post to the Amazon box points to the waterproof enclosure that I plan to put the Apex in. It's just not that attractive

Still, I think you're probably right. I'll try one more time and if she's resolute, then PM2 it is...

 

[blaxsun]

I actually think the junction box you picked out looks great (waterproof, ABS plastic and you'll be able to mount everything). I honestly don't think it's that unsightly - you can tell the wife I said that. So you run 2 Apex systems then? One on the aquarium itself and the one you plan to run outside with the NSW tanks?

 

[spacedcowboy]

I actually think the junction box you picked out looks great (waterproof, ABS plastic and you'll be able to mount everything). I honestly don't think it's that unsightly - you can tell the wife I said that. So you run 2 Apex systems then? One on the aquarium itself and the one you plan to run outside with the NSW tanks?

I can't quite believe it even as I type, but ... telling her that actually worked Well, I did point out that the back of the house wasn't exactly picturesque ...

... and she was running out of the door to take the kid to a birthday party when I showed here where I wanted to put it, which probably helped as well I have become devious in my old age

And yep, I'm planning on running 2 apex systems. I looked into the costs of running an aquabus cable the 120' or so I'd need to connect to the tank Apex, the energy bar and the two PM2 units, and there wasn't much in it, plus, my existing Apex display is pretty crowded, so I opted to go for the two units.

I might even find more uses for it at that end of the house, who knows

 

[Delloman]

I would personally want it all on one you can get the cable http://www.pacificcable.com/USB-Cables.html 120 feet is $75 you can return the extra stuff and buy coral just get the eb832 and the pm2 BTW I have 26 modules on my apex it can do 46

 

[spacedcowboy]

I looked at that exact cable when comparing prices. The difference in price was ~$60 and I already find it tiresome to scroll up and down when I'm looking on my iPhone. Even the Mac has to have the window pretty much maximized to see it all.

I'm good with the separate Apex

 

[Delloman]

Sounds good do you have all the switches hidden? If I can't activate it I have it hidden.

 

[spacedcowboy]

What I have on my Apex:

• 5x EB832's, 3 on one side of the tank, 2 on the other. most of which are fully populated, although there are spare slots on one on each side of the tank. I like the output switch state/control to be there and handy underneath the relevant EB832 , so that takes a fair amount of space
• Probes: DO, ORP, PH x3, Temp x4, Salinity x2
• Trident
• WAV pump x4, each with their own pane + the FLO pane
• Float switches etc. All with their own status
• 3x DOS, each with their own pane
• Video feed of underneath the tank
• Clock, Note, Log and Reminder panes

This ... really adds up in terms of screen real-estate. There are also many (many!) in the "drawer" which I don't currently use.

 

[Delloman]

Wow how big is the tank?

 

[spacedcowboy]

Wow how big is the tank?

350 gallon display, 100 gallon sump. Sticks out of the wall, which was built for the tank, and to create a small “fish room” behind it.

I had a rather epic build-log on Reef Central, but it all went away when they had server issues a few years back.

 

[Delloman]

Dam. bummer about the build log

 

[blaxsun]

You’ll have to share an image or two of your tank. We’ve side of the house (not that unsightly, btw - you should see all the plumbing, ducts and air conditioner that are on one side of my house).

 

[Delloman]

Here is a 60 second video I took today will get a pic of my cab we just finished cable management!

New video by Alex Benz

photos.app.goo.gl

Here is my mixing station this was last week done some more upgrades since then all I have to do is add salt every 8 weeks or so everything else is controlled by the apex

 

[spacedcowboy]

> since then all I have to do is add salt every 8 weeks or so everything else is controlled by the apex

That's pretty much what I'm aiming for as well. Ran the RODI lines to the tanks today, with manual ball-valve overrides, and am just waiting on deliveries from Amazon to wire up the new Apex into its case. I've got one of the Adaptive Reef switch boxes ready so I can dump salt into the target tank, press a button, and sit back and wait. If there's not sufficient salt, according to the temperature-adjusted salinity reading, I can add some more and repeat. Ought to be pretty sweet once I've got it up and running

I'm mildly concerned that the heat of the sunlight out there might be too much for the Apex, and I asked on the Neptune forums to see if there was an operational temperature range, but no answer as yet. I guess I could always run a temperature-controlled fan there [grin] It is a controller after all

 

[Delloman]

Should be fine you live in north California you don't have hot lol if you get your code done before me please post it would love to check it out I ordered my last order of apex parts from a reseller that also has a YouTube channel and sadly he did not disclose that even though he had it as in stock he did not and would not have it till Tuesday would have ordered from brs or another place if I had known waiting on another pm2 and more solinoid valves and the probes as I have 2 50 gallon mixing bins they both get setup for salt no moving water from one to the other I have conductivity and temp for each.

 

[spacedcowboy]

I'm waiting on another salinity probe - I have the PM2, but no-one "big" has the probes in stock atm. I'm looking at next weekend to do the work at this point. My NSW tanks are 350G ones...

- that's the first one, there's another one next to it now, and the hedge was cut back to allow access to them both. There's also a black coverall over them both to further prevent light from getting in. My black-paint job didn't really cover *everywhere* and light has a habit of "finding a way", to butcher the quote from Jurassic Park.... The problem is that they're not so easy to attach things like probes to.

For the RODI lines, I got some cable grommets, and drilled a hole in the top, and then realized that the plastic is about 1cm thick, and my grommet wasn't big enough. So I got another (larger) spade bit and drilled halfway through, which let me seat the grommet in the plastic and feed the 1/4" RODI into that.

I've got a laser-cutter, and I want to design something that lets me suspend the temp and salinity probe from the flat part (upside down for the salinity probe to prevent bubbles) and anchor it to the top. Still got to do that...

 

[Delloman]

If you can make it work get the sps I have had it since day one and my probe is stable all the time apex proves are waterproof I have them on holders but at the bottom of the dum

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/sali...aR6cfvz05KHu9jl55zkBgzX16M00n-uxoCft4QAvD_BwE

 

[spacedcowboy]

If you can make it work get the sps I have had it since day one and my probe is stable all the time apex proves are waterproof I have them on holders but at the bottom of the dum

Cool - ta. I'll definitely look into these.