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Thread: if you are not good at reading complex directions this might not be a good product for you

  1. #1
    Regular Vistor
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    Unhappy if you are not good at reading complex directions this might not be a good product for you

    If you are not good at reading complex directions you might want to pass. I saw mr saltwater tank use this and said what a no brainer went out and got led lights to run off the apex and tunize pumps. I still can not get my blinky lights to stop blinking. Grant it it is only monday but i have been trying to do this since friday . i have gotten 2 emails back from neptune the first telling me to read the instructions and the next asking me to set up a time for telephone support. I email them back over an 90 mins ago asking what times where open still no response. If i had bought this at a local store i would just return it. It might be a great product but i am having no luck out with it.

    - - - Updated - - -

    this is what one person who dose not work for neptune said to me in a forum "This is not a tv stand you buy from ikea and throw away the instructions and expect to assemble it. You need to download the manual and study it. You cannot expect to take it out of the box and have it running in one day. Set it up connected to a coupl e lamps and practice programming it."

  2. #2
    Fish Whisperer cypherljk's Avatar
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    I am sorry that you are having issues with it. I found it relatively easy to set up (Disclamer: I am a developer for a living ). Even without programming knowledge though the outlets provide wizards and there is plenty of help. You absolutely will need to read the manual. You have think about it like this... You have just brought a computer controller and the way you use that is by giving it simple programs to control power outlets. The lamp suggestion is a good idea as well as reading through the manual. I have the programming section printed out just to use as a reference and you can also search through the forum here for already answered questions to many situations. This knowledge has been invaluable in solving problems and getting a better understanding of how the controller works and processes data so use that to your advantage.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by cypherljk View Post
    I am sorry that you are having issues with it. I found it relatively easy to set up (Disclamer: I am a developer for a living ). Even without programming knowledge though the outlets provide wizards and there is plenty of help. You absolutely will need to read the manual. You have think about it like this... You have just brought a computer controller and the way you use that is by giving it simple programs to control power outlets. The lamp suggestion is a good idea as well as reading through the manual. I have the programming section printed out just to use as a reference and you can also search through the forum here for already answered questions to many situations. This knowledge has been invaluable in solving problems and getting a better understanding of how the controller works and processes data so use that to your advantage.

    +100

    Jon

  4. #4
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    got it working today. i just i am not a very patient person

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by shawnOANA View Post
    got it working today. i just i am not a very patient person
    I am glad you got your apex working!!!

    I hear you not be a patient person, I used to be that way....lol

    The best recommendation is to read and study the Comprehensive Manual cover to cover, Before I even bought my Apex I read that manual multiple times and even stared to wright down my programs in anticipation of getting the unit and this helped me understand what I am trying to do and how to make it work....It helps with the lingo and then understanding others programming so you can understand why they wanted to do what they did and then you can make your programming better.

    By no means am I a expert at or on the Apex!!! As mater of fact I was reading a post last night that Russ was helping a person with a defer and min time statements and I noticed that I had some redundancies in my programming that were not necessary.

    Set it up connected to a couple lamps and practice programming it.
    Yes I do recommend getting a lamp, I actually have a night light W/ the sensor taped and plugged into an outlet called TEST. This is an outlet that I will put new unproven programming and test it to make sure it will work as I am picturing in my head before I will put on a physical outlet.

    I used this to help my set up my auto top off pump with multiple float switches and it took me about 1 week to get it dialed in the way I wanted it. (see not the best at programming but I figured it out......lol)

    Jon

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    im with you shawnoana

  7. #7
    Regular Vistor
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    yes, you just made my point. I don't think 600$ worth of equip. should take this amt of time to set up

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by crawfish aka bill View Post
    yes, you just made my point. I don't think 600$ worth of equip. should take this amt of time to set up
    That's the fun part.



    Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Tapatalk

  9. #9
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    this is getting fun to program

  10. #10
    Wanna Be Control Freak RickHrdlicka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by shawnOANA View Post
    this is getting fun to program
    Shawn,
    I am glad to hear you are getting the hang of it. You will find it has quite a few more features that that Ikea TV stand!
    Rick

    Rick
    300g Mixed Reef with Full apex, PM1, ALD, AWM, AFS, PM2

  11. #11
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    I agree with the comments on reading and studying the manual. Use this forum as there are many master level programmers here to help. When you buy a piece of canned software the code has been written to perform the actions you want by pressing buttons that activate the code. In Apex you are the code writer!

  12. #12
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    What I like to tell people is it is fairly easy to do the basics by only using the recently created "get started" online guide and the basic wizards.

    Of course everyone sees some of the complex things the masters are doing with their apex systems and thinks that they will be able to do the same thing by plugging it in and clicking through a few screens. There are so many variables and permutations of aquarium equipment that this is just not possible.

    The upside, however, is that the apex is flexible to do lots of things with just a bit of time, the reference manual, and this forum consisting of thousands of apex users.

    I tell people to skim through the entire comprehensive reference manual so they become familiar with WHAT the Apex can do and then can reference that specific section WHEN they need to do it.

    I am glad you didn't give up. I think you will be really glad too when you look back at this time a year from now.

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