Moonlights sneak preview

[rimai]

Hi all,

I'm very happy with the results.
This moonlight module is capable of being plugged in into any boosted PWM channel without any other additional hardware necessary.
I just placed in the tank I just filled with water and here are the results:

[alexwbush]

I would probably mount mine on the light. I don't like being blinded by lights while I try to look into my tank, but if you have a hood, this would work perfect. I'd never seen them mounted on the back of the tank before.

[Ace25]

Awesome! So you have plans to sell them right?

[astralmind]

Very interesting! If I was stupid enough not to buy the PWM booster, is there anything I can do at this point to have those potentially working ?

Thanks!

[rimai]

The last batch of relay boxes have "easy to install" PWM booster.
You could just buy the booster alone and install it yourself.
The alternative way is to get a PWM expansion module, which gives you 6 boosted PWM channels.

[astralmind]

The last batch of relay boxes have "easy to install" PWM booster.
You could just buy the booster alone and install it yourself.
The alternative way is to get a PWM expansion module, which gives you 6 boosted PWM channels.

Interesting thanks for the info. What other current or future use would PWM channels bring ? I don't intend to go with dimmable ballasts anytime soon so besides the moonlights, anything else they could drive ?

[rimai]

Basically anything that has a variable, such as dimming and speed control in fans or motors.
I'm putting fans in this new tank with speed control, so when it's not too hot, they run silently just for air circulation and when it gets hot, they spin faster to cool down the inside of the canopy.

[Jedo]

The alternative way is to get a PWM expansion module, which gives you 6 boosted PWM channels.

That sounds interesting. I am looking for a solution to control my AquaMedic NanoProp 5000 or OceanProp 15000 .
Jens

[bmhair03]

interested

[rimai]

http://www.reefangel.com/Products.Dimma ... light.ashx

[astralmind]

Excellent ! How many would you recommend for a 90g 4' long ?

[rimai]

I think 2 would do it, but 3 would be optimal if you don't want shadows

[jemw]

I notice there appears to be 3 LEDs in the fixture. By dimming to moons cycle, does the device present lighting levels in conjunction with the phases of the moon. Or does it just light on/off with the phases?

[rimai]

Yes, 3 LEDs.
It will vary the intensity according to the phases of the moon, but you need to put it in your code, in order to do that.

[jemw]

Yes, 3 LEDs.
It will vary the intensity according to the phases of the moon, but you need to put it in your code, in order to do that.

A couple of questions regarding the code.

One of the other posts I read indicate that the standard relay box can support two of the moonlight add ons by using the LED ports. I would be looking at placing the moonlights apart to simulate moon rise and moon set. Are the two ports individually controlled, or are they ganged?

Waiting for delivery of my order, so I can't experiment yet with coding and how it works. Is there a way to add longitude and latitude information into the moonrise/set coding?

[binder]

One of the other posts I read indicate that the standard relay box can support two of the moonlight add ons by using the LED ports. I would be looking at placing the moonlights apart to simulate moon rise and moon set. Are the two ports individually controlled, or are they ganged?

Yes, they are 2 independently controlled ports.

Waiting for delivery of my order, so I can't experiment yet with coding and how it works. Is there a way to add longitude and latitude information into the moonrise/set coding?

I'm not sure about this yet. There was discussions about it earlier but I don't recall what the outcome was of it.

curt

[rimai]

Does the moon phase change around the world?
I didn't think of that when I created the code, but in my mind, it should be the same.

[jemw]

Does the moon phase change around the world?
I didn't think of that when I created the code, but in my mind, it should be the same.

The moon phase does not change. But moonrise and moonset times are different depending on you location.

[rimai]

There is no moonrise or moonset in the code. The code simply calculates the % of the full moon for a particular day.
Are you talking about a ramp up and down of the moonlights?
In my experience, the moonlights emit so little light compared to your main lights that if you did want to create the rise effect of the moonlight, it wouldn't be noticeable.
How did you envision it working. Maybe we can come to a solution.

[jemw]

There is no moonrise or moonset in the code. The code simply calculates the % of the full moon for a particular day.
Are you talking about a ramp up and down of the moonlights?
In my experience, the moonlights emit so little light compared to your main lights that if you did want to create the rise effect of the moonlight, it wouldn't be noticeable.
How did you envision it working. Maybe we can come to a solution.

When the moon rises and sets during the lights on time, there would be no effect, but at night, when some corals and fish are programmed by nature to spawn given the state of the moon, it would provide a great benefit to the aquarium.

As an example of moonrise/set - Where I live, today the moon rises at 6:35PM and sets at 7:33AM and is Full.

I will have two moon light devices which would ramp up in 20% increments to full between 6:30PM and 6:35PM and ramp down in 20% increments between 7:28AM and 7:33AM and transition down to 20% of the % of the moon value (in today's case 100%) and back up randomly at a programmable number of times to simulate cloud cover during the time period. Regarding the rise and set times: If you could program a "worldwide standard" for the rise and set times and allow the users to plug in an offset (+ or -) for their location, we would have a standard for all users.

OTHER: Would also be nice to program dusk/dawn and daylight lighting to match the seasons of the year.

Hope this isn't asking too much!

[rimai]

Can you provide the algorythm to calculate the rise/set of both moon and sun?

[jemw]

Can you provide the algorythm to calculate the rise/set of both moon and sun?

Roberto - here is a link to a program written in Basic which:
' Rise and set times for Sun and Moon
' Adapted and modified from Montenbruck
' and Pfleger, 'Astronomy on the personal
' Computer' 3rd Edition, Springer
' section 3.8
' Accuracy of detection of 'always below' and 'always above'
' situations depends on the approximate routines used for Sun
' and Moon. For instance, 1999 Dec 25th, at 0 long, 67.43 lat
' this program will give an 8 minute long day between sunrise
' and sunset. More accurate programs say the Sun is always below
' the horizon on this day."

http://www.stargazing.net/kepler/riset.bas


Jim

[cain]

W@W!!!!
this is getting very very very interesting!!!
tagging along...

[rimai]

Ok, so I started converting this function and midway into the convertion I realized that this is too intensive for our little processor.
It uses too many floating point computatinal calculations and I'm pretty sure it will exceed the 1K RAM we have.
I think our best option would be get the times for sunset/sunrise and moonset/moonrise from the Client or the reefangel.com website.
What do you think?

[jemw]

Ok, so I started converting this function and midway into the convertion I realized that this is too intensive for our little processor.
It uses too many floating point computatinal calculations and I'm pretty sure it will exceed the 1K RAM we have.
I think our best option would be get the times for sunset/sunrise and moonset/moonrise from the Client or the reefangel.com website.
What do you think?

Are you suggesting that we hard code the times into the controller? If so, how would the times change with the date?

[rimai]

No, I'm suggesting having the code that calculates the times be moved to the Client Suite that Dave has developed or to the reefangel.com website.
All the controller would have to do is query one of the two everyday at midnight and ask for the the 4 parameters for that particular day (sunset/sunrise/moonset/moonrise).
With the 4 times on hand, it could act accordingly.
The only issue with this solution is that it would require wifi attachment or the Client running (assuming that Dave implements this too ... lol)

[jemw]

No, I'm suggesting having the code that calculates the times be moved to the Client Suite that Dave has developed or to the reefangel.com website.
All the controller would have to do is query one of the two everyday at midnight and ask for the the 4 parameters for that particular day (sunset/sunrise/moonset/moonrise).
With the 4 times on hand, it could act accordingly.
The only issue with this solution is that it would require wifi attachment or the Client running (assuming that Dave implements this too ... lol)

I'm too new to be familiar with the Client Suite. I'll have to review.

Thanks!!

[jemw]

Roberto,

I have installed the Client software and worked with it. I believe what you have suggested might work if Dave could add it to his program.

[Seedlessone]

How many watts are these led? Are there ever plans on making some with more than 3 leds?

[rimai]

They are standard LEDs and consume about 25mA.
No plans on more LEDs.