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Thread: Notification when UPS (battery backup) is activated

  1. #1
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    Notification when UPS (battery backup) is activated

    I currently have a UPS setup. How can I get a notification when it's activated?


    Virtual Output

    Name: PowerOut5Min


    Configuration:
    Set OFF
    If Power Apex Off 000 Then ON
    Defer 001:00 Then ON

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    I have my EB832 plugged into the battery back-up outlet. The head unit is plugged into a regular outlet. Here is my code in my email alarm

    If Power EB832_2 Off 000 Then ON
    If Power Apex Off 000 Then ON

  3. #3
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    Your router and modem will also need to be on back up power.

    If they have no power, the Apex will not be able to send notifications.

    You should also have Heartbeat turned on for situations that indicate a loss of connectivity with the internet.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

  4. #4
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    Somewhat related question,,, Can we use the power supply that comes with a DOS to plug into the Apex head unit to monitor the power?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Car2n View Post
    Somewhat related question,,, Can we use the power supply that comes with a DOS to plug into the Apex head unit to monitor the power?
    No. That is a 24V power supply with a different pin size, which is required to run the motors on the DOS unless you use 1link. The base unit power supply is a 12V, 500mA (larger is okay on amp rating), 2.1mm tip center positive.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

  6. #6
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    I run an UPS (to mitigate power interruptions) - and have my EB8 on the battery and my EB832 on the surge protected outlet on the UPS. I connect my controller to both the EB832 with an aquabus cable and to a wall outlet with the optional power supply. I do have code that monitors for loss of power to both the EB832 and the Apex, but because the house router needs power in order to send an email, I actually find the monitoring heartbeat from fusion to be a better indicator of whether or not the apex has connectivity.

  7. #7
    Frequent Contributor zombie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Detour View Post
    I run an UPS (to mitigate power interruptions) - and have my EB8 on the battery and my EB832 on the surge protected outlet on the UPS. I connect my controller to both the EB832 with an aquabus cable and to a wall outlet with the optional power supply. I do have code that monitors for loss of power to both the EB832 and the Apex, but because the house router needs power in order to send an email, I actually find the monitoring heartbeat from fusion to be a better indicator of whether or not the apex has connectivity.
    I would suggest getting a small UPS for your router too. The cheapo <$50 ones can usually run a router/modem for like 8 hours and the ability to talk to your apex during an outage is well worth that small investment.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

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    Hello everyone, I am NEW to the APEX world and just trying to setup the APEX today and I have a UPS battery backup but wasn’t sure should I plug the EB832 in the backup/surge outlet or directly to the wall outlet. As if I plug directly to the wall outlet then I am not protecting my investment Incase of surge during thunderstorms and our power outages. Also if I plug to the battery backup then in an event of power outages I won’t know until the APEX stops working or can’t connect to the internet. I would really appreciate any and all help as I said I am just stepping into this world of controllers.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by fellowreefer View Post
    Hello everyone, I am NEW to the APEX world and just trying to setup the APEX today and I have a UPS battery backup but wasn’t sure should I plug the EB832 in the backup/surge outlet or directly to the wall outlet. As if I plug directly to the wall outlet then I am not protecting my investment Incase of surge during thunderstorms and our power outages. Also if I plug to the battery backup then in an event of power outages I won’t know until the APEX stops working or can’t connect to the internet. I would really appreciate any and all help as I said I am just stepping into this world of controllers.
    The EB832 should be plugged in to a backup/surge outlet. Then you will want to get a power adapter to plug in the apex brain to a surge only outlet. I plug the power adapter in to a surge only to protect that as well. I lost an apex classic a few years ago to what I think was a surge, so I am no overly cautious. This is how I have mine set.

    BUT the only way you will get an alert is if your network gear is also on a battery backup. If your network goes down, there is no way for the Apex to let you know if it loses power.

    This is the last 3 lines of code in my email alarm

    If Power EB832_2 Off 000 Then ON
    If Power Apex Off 000 Then ON
    Defer 002:00 Then ON

    The Defer 2:00 statement makes sure the alert/alarm is present for 2 minutes before sending an email/text.

    Hope this helps

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by fellowreefer View Post
    Hello everyone, I am NEW to the APEX world and just trying to setup the APEX today and I have a UPS battery backup but wasn’t sure should I plug the EB832 in the backup/surge outlet or directly to the wall outlet. As if I plug directly to the wall outlet then I am not protecting my investment Incase of surge during thunderstorms and our power outages. Also if I plug to the battery backup then in an event of power outages I won’t know until the APEX stops working or can’t connect to the internet. I would really appreciate any and all help as I said I am just stepping into this world of controllers.
    Here's how I have mine connected:

    image5-17[1].png
    This is from my tutorial article on Apex Power Monitoring: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptun...onitoring.698/

    Since you're new to the Apex, you may benefit from reading the full 8-part tutorial series to get started with programming.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by SuncrestReef View Post
    Here's how I have mine connected:

    image5-17[1].png
    This is from my tutorial article on Apex Power Monitoring: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptun...onitoring.698/

    Since you're new to the Apex, you may benefit from reading the full 8-part tutorial series to get started with programming.
    That's almost the same as I have mine. Like I stated in my reply above yours, I also put the aux power on a surge only outlet to protect it as well.

    BTW, You have some great tutorials!!

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    Hello Willy, thanks for the prompt response. I see what you are saying with plugging the EB832 to the battery backup/surge outlet but then I lost you when you said to plug the brain with a power adapter as I have used the AQUA BUS to the EB832 isn’t that the right way??

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by fellowreefer View Post
    Hello Willy, thanks for the prompt response. I see what you are saying with plugging the EB832 to the battery backup/surge outlet but then I lost you when you said to plug the brain with a power adapter as I have used the AQUA BUS to the EB832 isn’t that the right way??
    The AquaBus cable powers the Apex, and if the EB832 is on battery power it will remain powered during an outage. The reason for the additional Auxiliary power adapter is so the Apex has a way to know when the power fails. When it senses the Aux adapter has no power, the Apex can then take action to turn off certain devices and to send alerts. This is all explained in the tutorial I linked above.

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    Okay so that’s fine I get what you and Willy says, so I can plug the aux power along with the AquaBus at the same time. I just was confused with that but I think I got it now. I really appreciate all your help and responses. And yes I have started reading all those threads on R2R and will continue to learn from that. But I will certainly come to you guys if get stuck anywhere along the line and I hope you guys won’t mind me asking. Thanks once again guys..

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    Quote Originally Posted by SuncrestReef View Post
    Here's how I have mine connected:

    image5-17[1].png
    This is from my tutorial article on Apex Power Monitoring: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/neptun...onitoring.698/

    Since you're new to the Apex, you may benefit from reading the full 8-part tutorial series to get started with programming.
    John, i have read your article referenced above as I am getting ready to add UPS backup. I am just curious about how you have your return pump set up. I do not see it in the diagram. I have the COR 20 for my return and hope to program it to slow down during power outage.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by shellsea View Post
    John, i have read your article referenced above as I am getting ready to add UPS backup. I am just curious about how you have your return pump set up. I do not see it in the diagram. I have the COR 20 for my return and hope to program it to slow down during power outage.
    I do not have my return pump on UPS battery power. Return pumps are high-draw devices, even at lower speeds, so it’s generally recommended to shut them down when running on battery power to maximize the run time for powerheads. But if you choose to run the COR-20 on battery, it will work. I’d just recommend doing a controlled test to see how long the battery would last with and without running the COR.

  17. #17
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    Thank you. good idea.

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    Quote Originally Posted by SuncrestReef View Post
    I do not have my return pump on UPS battery power. Return pumps are high-draw devices, even at lower speeds, so it’s generally recommended to shut them down when running on battery power to maximize the run time for powerheads. But if you choose to run the COR-20 on battery, it will work. I’d just recommend doing a controlled test to see how long the battery would last with and without running the COR.
    So, with the EB832 plugged into a battery backup, during a power failure will you still have control over powerheads and such that aren't plugged into the EB832? Say I have a Tunze Stream but in the event of a power outage I want to run it off it's own 12v battery using the Tunze Safety Connector. I think I could get much longer times running DC to DC than through the UPS and the UPS would just handle the Apex.

    Hope that makes sense.

  19. #19
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    Question about programming

    Sorry to appear so dense, but:

    Is the virtual outlet programming shown by FoxTalbott and the Email alarm coding shown by Willy BOTH required to get the Apex to send the email alert should the UPS be activated (assuming that the Apex has its 12V adapter plugged in and the home router also has a UPS)?

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by marineboy View Post
    Sorry to appear so dense, but:

    Is the virtual outlet programming shown by FoxTalbott and the Email alarm coding shown by Willy BOTH required to get the Apex to send the email alert should the UPS be activated (assuming that the Apex has its 12V adapter plugged in and the home router also has a UPS)?
    No, all you need for an alarm notification is this in your EmailAlm code:

    If Power Apex Off 000 Then ON

  21. #21
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    Questions

    1) Is the single line of programming in the email alert adequate to get a notification (assuming your router/modem are backed up and your Apex has the 12V DC adapter plugged in)?

    2) Do you need a virtual outlet for the UPS so that the other components "understand" that the system has a UPS running backup? And would the switch position on the virtual outlet be ON or AUTO?

    3) What would be the programming to shut off the non-essential outlets on the EB832 unit that is plugged into the UPS? For example if you only want the WAV pumps going during the outage [My 1LINK is connected to my EB832 by Aqaubus cable but is also getting power from its own transformer that is plugged into another outlet for "back up"].

    Is this the correct correct programming for the non-essential outlets?

    SKIMMER

    If UPS ON, Then OFF
    Defer 0001:00 Then ON

    Does the above coding infer that the skimmer will go back on if the "regular" power to the Apex is restored or do you need to add a command like:

    If UPS OFF, Then ON

    Thank you.

  22. #22
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    @zombie you say that, "The base unit power supply is a 12V, 500mA (larger is okay on amp rating), 2.1mm tip center positive." I am guessing this will be ok? PXL_20240109_184516772.jpg

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by zombie View Post
    No. That is a 24V power supply with a different pin size, which is required to run the motors on the DOS unless you use 1link. The base unit power supply is a 12V, 500mA (larger is okay on amp rating), 2.1mm tip center positive.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
    Can someone tell me how to find out if the center tip on an existing power supply is positive or negative?

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