Neptune has a Big Announcement Today @ 4:30 PST

[jonmos75]

BRS video about the new Apex

 

[sfsuphysics]

Gotta say after watching that it makes me want one... however that desire is squashed with the fact that I own a number of controllers already and the fact that $800 is a crap ton of money, in fact looking at the difference between the standard Apex system (even before nearly $100 price drop), I'm wondering where the extra $300 is going, is wifi & a salinity probe and a few ports to run Neptune exclusive items really a $300 investment? Is current sensing really that expensive of an add on? I think the Reefkeeper products have had that for a long while now. If I was buying new, there's really nothing that's compelling me to want the newer version over the "classic" Apex.

Also would have been nice for them to have a rundown of all the modules they used, that way you won't get even more sticker shock to find out that $800 you just forked over can't do much of what they're doing because you need to buy all the add-ons.

I did think the switch panel was a snazzy touch, however it seems a modest investment to make for something which has been pushing you to use a tablet/phone as an interface that can do all those things as well. I would personally have been happy with simply having a big "FEED" button instead, everything else can be turned off/auto based on a swipe on a tablet/phone. The idea of mounting a tablet to the board was very cool too, I got a super crappy Android based tablet, that I have never really used because it can hold a charge for shit (get what you pay for, and it was free), but repurposing something like that would be neat, especially if you can have it give you a graphical display and all the other fancy stuff.

 

[roostertech]

ohhhh, he just leaked the new optical water level sensor for apex at 22:47. Somewhere out there, tunze just shed a tear. Next week is the Vertex upcoming (if ever get released) controller. Interesting.

 

[sfsuphysics]

I wonder if you don't see a miss-mash of controllers in one episode since in the US it's Neptune & DIgital aquatics and everyone else is barely a blip on the radar. Tunze just announced a controller too at Interzoo, but BRS doesn't sell anything other than those two brands, so won't hear much of a peep from them, and hey if I was going to document the building of a tank I'd talk about stuff I could sell the consumer and use what basically is wholesale cost (or perhaps free if they're being sponsored)

 

[Flagg37]

@jonmos75 youre a neptune beta tester right? Did you have this before it was announced?

 

[jonmos75]

@Flagg37 to my knowledge there were only internal beta testers on this product

No I do not have one yet but I am sure I will shortly. I will move my current Apex to my saltwater mixing station that I have 3/4 the way built and already have written the programming for a Apex to make it 90% all auto mated. I was going to purchase another Apex for it, yet now that this is released I will get the new one test it out and then move it to my Tank setup. It was perfect timing for me as I am migrating all my Neptune product out from under the tank into a cabinet next to tank.

 

[OnTheReef]

They exist. If they used something like zigbee, it could even be wireless. Stuff like thread or brillo or weave.

Zigbee is a carrier protocol, just like WiFi, only much simpler. What's needed is a sensor and control protocol like the IEEE 1451.2 protocol stack (TEDS, STIM, etc).

 

[Flagg37]

Zigbee is a carrier protocol, just like WiFi, only much simpler. What's needed is a sensor and control protocol like the IEEE 1451.2 protocol stack (TEDS, STIM, etc).

Hey now, getting a bit too technical here. I know this is the Silicon Valley and all but I lost you when your keyboard stuck on the "E" key.