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Felix smart aquarium controller, exciting prospect...

Iain Sutherland

Iain Sutherland

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Exciting new project from George, Oliver and Ester.

https://www.felixsmart.com

Seems this will be a very versatile bit of kit and very affordable... launching on Kickstarter on October 30th.



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It's a bit hard to discuss without some more specific details. It sounds like a hub/smart plug socket i.e. you can control on/off functions via an app. I'm using a panasonic hub at the moment, which includes sockets you can plug anything into and set on/off times .... your coffee machine in the morning or your fish lights.

I would guess, unless they are bringing out their own lights, it doesn't give you more than a straight on/off option no ramp up/down/spectrum control. It is lovely programming a timer via app though - so much easier! I'd be interested to see what future devices there might be to tie in with the hub. The door open/close sensors I have are not particularly fish useful, but something like a flow sensor, water level sensor, flood sensor or auto dosers could be.
 
I’d buy it for the Health Check :wideyed:
I can’t take a picture anywhere near as good :oops: :oops: :oops:
 
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I don't know a great deal more aside it can run multiple systems on one unit as well as integrate with other units... I'm only speculating here but maybe Bluetooth lighting can then all be run by Felix?? ..

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Heiko Bleher again...guy is like the Erdos of aquariums, I noted another venture he had going about biotopes recently, but haven't seen much else
 
Iain Sutherland said:
I'm only speculating here but maybe Bluetooth lighting can then all be run by Felix??
Click to expand...

I would guess they would need to do deals with the manufacturers, I don't think it's possible to just connect and control any device as they would all have different formats/data requirements. It's not quite like a speaker, for example, that's designed to take input that way.
 
tam said:
I would guess they would need to do deals with the manufacturers, I don't think it's possible to just connect and control any device as they would all have different formats/data requirements. It's not quite like a speaker, for example, that's designed to take input that way.
Click to expand...

very easily done tbh.as an ex reef keeper alot of hich spec tanks use this sort of system for years like "ecotech live " which lets you controll your lighting and circulation pumps no matter where you are.
profilux have being doing this for many many many years with their plug bars (digital extension socket that connected to your home router) you then tap into your router, peer to peer and hey presto you can now turn on / off / adjust equipment that is plugged into the profilux bar.

looks like its near plug and play now instead of hours of jumping through hoops and programming. "hopefully"
 
tam said:
I'm using a panasonic hub at the moment, which includes sockets you can plug anything into and set on/off times .... your coffee machine in the morning or your fish lights.
Click to expand...
I would be very very very very weary about using wireless plugs to control my fish tank after having numerous experiences with various wireless sockets, that prove the "wireless is not 100% reliable". A failure on an air pump not being turned off is OK, no harm done, failure to turn light on, OK, no harm done, but I once had a 90% fish & plant wipe out due to a liquid carbon dosing pump not being turning off and dumping a load of liquid carbon into the tank. Also had 2 litres of EI macro solution dumped in my tank, again a wireless socket failure to switch off, giving 350ppm nitrate and 80ppm phosphate for a week before I noticed. This was two failures to "on" in about 5-6 years. This is what prompted me to design/build my PLC controller, no wireless switching 100% reliable in last 3 years.

There is a reason the Felix Smart uses switched mains sockets, rather than wireless controlled sockets. :cool:.
 
Yep, I wouldn't use it for anything critical, if the lights don't turn on/off no harm done.
 
tam said:
Yep, I wouldn't use it for anything critical, if the lights don't turn on/off no harm done
Click to expand...
Correct. First time I noticed it, with wireless sockets, was when I came down one morning and air pump, that is normally is on from 10:45pm to 2am was still on. Should have taken this as a warning :( of disasters to come.

The timed remote sender was located in cupboard next to the switched sockets, as in the picture below. It runs on 433MHz, so shouldn't be affected by WiFi/Bluetooth, though some users report IR video senders (which I have), baby monitors and car keyfobs interfere with them. To improve reliability I used multiple off times on my 3 dosing pumps, so that if the first turn off failed, it might work the second time.
upload_2018-10-22_11-36-5.png


Final nail(s) in coffin for them was some of the switches failed, would turn on for say 5 seconds then switch off. Failing mains 240V capacitor that was underrated. I changed them to bigger rated capacitor and worked again, but never trusted the sockets again. Some were replaced under warranty, but newer ones usd different (more reliable !!!) radio code and were incompatible with my remote so was sent a new remote, which didn't support as many timer slots as original remote. All a faff really and might improve reliability a bit but will never be 100%.

This is why I built my PLC controller
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/how-to-use-a-plc-to-control-your-fish-tank.42993/

Here it is just now, been running for 19,819 hours ( 2 1/4 years) with 100% switching on 12 outputs, no issues. Well chuffed. :cool:.
upload_2018-10-22_11-50-10.png
 
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So far my favourite item from this thread has been the Knight Rider theme.

Rest is just hype. :p

Except for the PLC, that looks like a reliable system.
 
rebel said:
Rest is just hype. :p
Click to expand...

Who knows, maybe it realy talks back!?.. Something like command "Feed my fish Felix!".. And it asnwers "What would you like me to feed Rebel? Flakes or pellets. Maybe some bloodworms? My sensors say, some fish craving for it.." By the way i sense somebody at the door, trying to sell you a Vacuum cleaner..
 
Looks very interesting especially at the £99 for three outlets and 8 outlets for £299, which seems quite reasonable, especially considering the functionality. 3 outlets, one for lights, one for CO2 and final for dosing pump would make a cracking automating starter system.

Just hope they haven't just put a Raspberry Pi (or equivalent) in a box with a couple of relays and some software and are hoping it works reliably. They will be very disappointed.

Making reliable electronics and software is not easy, not cheap and takes time and experience to do it right.

We wait to see.
 
It is interesting...

But, I just purchased a smart power strip, has 4 outlets, individually controlled, works via IOT apps, schedules everything, can work with Alexa and Google home, and paid about £30.

What more would Felix give me to justify the price?

Looking forward to view the full specs.
 
Shame it hasn't got a display to indicate what it is doing and to allow local setup/programming. I suppose a decent colour screen, that "looks the biz", would add substantially to the cost, for little return.
 
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