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Mini electronic timers

Ichthyologist

Ichthyologist

Member
Joined
1 Dec 2012
Messages
72
Location
East Renfrewshire
The big orange DIY store is selling 3 mini electronic timers for 10 squids in the Xmas section just now. Quality is great and cheaper than any on flea bay. As you were.
 
I was looking for something that I could integrate into a DIY pump, are there any small mountable timers? This would eliminate the need to have a physical timer in the plug and would look nicer integrated into the pump mounting box.
 
I bought wilkinsons own digital timers before and they have been poor....randomly stopping working and needing a reset until recently when they have just given up at probably around 7-8 months old.....I've now replaced them with the bog standard pin timers which don't account for power cuts, but at least last the distance!
PPage666 said:
I've had these for about a year now still working, and yes they are 7 days.
Click to expand...
Good to know the b&q ones perform better, may give them a go in the future.
Cheerio,
Ady
 
LondonDragon said:
I was looking for something that I could integrate into a DIY pump, are there any small mountable timers? This would eliminate the need to have a physical timer in the plug and would look nicer integrated into the pump mounting box.
Click to expand...
I looked at integrating a timer into my dual peristaltic pump, but in the end decided not as:
  • Mountable timers were not cheap, starting at about £25 each for a digital one. See Surface Mount Timer section on rswww.com to get an idea of costs.
  • Often mountable would have needed a relay (and PSU) to switch the mains pumps as well.
  • When mounted in a box, would need to be easily accessible to changes times and set time clock as well easy to get to move forward & backward 1 hour in spring and autumn.
  • Would have made my dosing box even bigger.
In the end I went for the remote control Home Easy timers as in here.
Anyone used Byron/Home Easy remote timeswitches ? | UK Aquatic Plant Society.

These have worked brilliantly.
  • Sockets are small, so you can get 4 switched sockets next to each other on an extension block.
  • Can set the time periods for timers from comfort of arm chair.
  • Current time is set on remote, so easy to move forward/backward in spring/autumn.
  • Can control up to 16 sockets.
  • Has 16 timer slots.
 
What I was looking for was this: http://www.salfatis.com.br/produtos.codigo_192.html saw them on a DIY light unit on a portuguese forum but the guy is no longer active so can't ask where he got them from! This are small and really smart and would do the job perfectly.

Full details on size on this PDF: http://www.salfatis.com.br/manuais/INV-49101.pdf

EDIT: Further in the topic I have seen that the guy took one of these apart:

13203.gif


Interesting! :)
 
LondonDragon said:
Found these on ebay also! but this are bulkier! Digital LCD 7 Day Programmable Timer Time Relay Switch 16A | eBay
Think the Digital timer that B&Q sell can be dissembled for this purpose, for six quid will get one and try!

these could also work attached to the back of the box where I mounted the pump: Cn101A LED Digital Power Programmable Timer AC 110V 16A | eBay
Click to expand...
Couple of issues
  • Last item is 110V ?
  • You want to risk your fish to a cheap timer from China (note CE probably means China Export, not Conformité Européenne) so has it been safety tested ? Why do you think I was looking at spending £25 on a "proper" timer ?
  • Remember if the timer fails to on, your fish will be over dosed.
  • I have had issues with the B&Q timers just forgetting their settings. Definitely due to inductive load as when I connected my air pump through a computer surge suppressor the timer was OK (but Belkin suppressor was so big it wouldn't fit in the cupboard under the tank! ).
Maybe take apart the B&Q one, they just switch a 16A relay on live pin, and fit a suppressor of some form. Reason I had one apart (needs a security tool kit to open security screws) was once to see if could be panel mounted and other time to possibly fit some suppression/surge capacitors to the electronics, which I couldn't do as a the timer is a single chip is bonded directly to the PCB under a block of epoxy.
 
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