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Thread: Weather Lighting and Lighthing with VDM

  1. #1
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    Lightbulb Weather Lighting and Lighthing with VDM

    Hello,

    I've built myself a custom LED Lighting system with CREE LEDs and a MakersLED fixture. I'm dimming to LEDs with Meanwell LDDs and talking to the Apex through a voltage to PWM converter through this: http://www.stevesleds.com/Aquarium-C...ess_p_183.html

    I started playing around programming it and so far, it seems to be working well as in rising and lowering with sunrise and sunset and being able to perform weather such as cloudy and stormy.
    I'm using all four VDM outlets for my LED colors: Ultraviolet, Royal Blue, Cool White, Deep Red.

    I followed the How-To here: https://forum.neptunesystems.com/sho...eather-events& and modified slightly so all four channels rise and set instead of just two. The Cloudy and Stormy features are still the same though.

    The problem I'm finding now is I don't ever actually see lightning. I'm not quite sure if it's working and it's just not what I expected, or if I did something wrong. I'm also curious if anyone else has a similar set up. I'm looking for a quick flash, especially from the CW LEDs like lightning, but my concern is possibly, the flash is too quick that the voltage to PWM converter is just skipping. The code was also written in 2013, so curious if there are any code updates that need to be done?

    If anyone can shed some light on how exactly to handle the lightning setting, that would be great Thanks!

  2. #2
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    I think I might have answered my own question through another post I found. The weather option pertains specifically to certain lighting systems, so essentially have to make my own lightning.

    Does anyone already have an efficient way of doing that?

  3. #3
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    It looks really cheesy on most light fixtures without built in lightning features. The closest you can get is to have a lightning virtual outlet that turns on for a few seconds. When that happens you have that outlet trigger a profile that dims blues and colors to nearly off or off completely, and a different profile using the pump type for whites that turns on for 1 with divide by 10 checked and the off time set to your "restrike" time (or the length of the OSC on time if you only want one strike).

    You might be an engineer if...You have no life and can prove it mathematically.

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    Quote Originally Posted by zombie View Post
    It looks really cheesy on most light fixtures without built in lightning features. The closest you can get is to have a lightning virtual outlet that turns on for a few seconds. When that happens you have that outlet trigger a profile that dims blues and colors to nearly off or off completely, and a different profile using the pump type for whites that turns on for 1 with divide by 10 checked and the off time set to your "restrike" time (or the length of the OSC on time if you only want one strike).
    I actually found your post on another thread:

    Stromy
    OSC 000:00/007:00/027:37 Then ON
    If Time (enter non daytime hours) Then OFF

    Lightning
    OSC 001:00/000:02/005:23 Then ON
    If Outlet Stormy = OFF Then OFF

    Lights
    (Enter current programmins here)
    If Outlet Stormy = ON Then Stormy
    If Outlet Lightning = ON Then Lightning

    Lightning. (Profile)
    Type: Pump
    Divide by 10: Enabled
    Initial OFF time: 0
    ON time 1
    OFF time 3
    Min intensity 0
    Max intensity 100

    -----

    I'm giving it a shot. You're right, it does look a little cheesy, I'll play around and see if I can make it any better, but may eventually take it off.

    Thanks!

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