Going to give the Apex Controller a big thumbs down

So, I spent over $800 on the controller, the connection cables, and the energy bars.  I've read the user guide that came with it, and the unoffical users guide. I've read hundred of hours on the Reef Central BBS.
Right now, my opinion is that I was robbed.  Once Upon a time I built an AIM65 (a really old computer, you had to solder it together yourself).  That computer worked better than this Apex is.
The list of problems is way long, but my biggest concern is that it is so buggy it is more of a danger to my tank than an advantage.
Here's just one of many, many problems I've had with it:
I create a virtual outlet with it so that if the Moon is up, the outlet is on.
I have a left and a right return pump, and I want one to be on while the other is off, switching when the moon goes up or down.  I dropped dozens of hours checking and rechecking my programming.  I tested it...it wouldn't work.  The virtual outlet would show that it was on, and it would show one of the return pumps as on....when it was in fact off.  I set it to manual on, and on it came.  So, the return pump *says* its on, but really isn't...unless you manually force it.
That's the sort of bug that renders it pretty much useless, and unreliable.  And yeah, I left it sit for hours, rebooted it, plugged other items into it and tested.....
And that's one of......perhaps a dozen? things that even tho I followed the letter of the manual, still does not in fact work.
IMHO, this thing is not ready for sale, and think hard before you trust it.
Oh yeah, I asked multiple questions in the user forums for it....and finally got an answer of "it can't do that" to every question I asked.
Don't waste your money on this POS.  I'm going to go and get a few timed outlet strips, and I have a funny feeling they will work just fine.
Your Mileage May Vary of course /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif.

 

Yeah, its been a part of the tank build for way too long to return it....and it would take hours upon hours to get all that wiring out and replaced, all while the careful planning I set up for that $800 brick fails, with the resulting loss of life in my tank. (admittedly small, its live rock and some blue/green chromis, but did I mention *$800* dollars????) At the moment, I'm calling it a $800 mistake.

And I did ask questions on the RC board.....which were not answered generally, and when they were it was an abrupt "it can't do that". The sort of things I asked would involve complicated math....like dividing by 2. (Sarcasm, just in case).

Since were talking about a device that is mostly if then else statements, we're talking about programming technology from the early 70's. For $800, I expect 40 year old technology to at least function....but the Apex will report an outlet on that is not. For $50, I would put up with that. For $800, its just insulting. And remember, it is the Apex itself reporting my outlets are on...when they are not. Even if my programming is the poo, it is still reporting the wrong information.

And I'm not doing funky programming, I gave up on that a long time ago. I'm talking simple "If outlet Moonup = on then on".....which will fail. (and endless combination's of syntax)

And, the intensity of the moonlight must be done through the 4 channels that are variable speed ports.....which I have my $600 worth of Tunze plugged into. No matter what program I input, what profile I use, they are either all the way on or all the way off. Gosh, am I happy I spent the extra bucks on controllable pumps. You have to use the aquaillumination system for the intensity to work at all....and I'm just using Icecap blue LEDS. And, I tried hundreds upon hundreds of combination's to try and alter that, including examples straight out of the Apex book....all in vain. (pump speed I mean) It *reports* it is changing speeds....but if you stick your hand in front of the pump, it is doing no such thing.

And, attempts to contact customer support have met with utter failure.

I guess you need to come back to why you would buy a controller. For me it was so that I could automate various regular functions of my tank to ensure consistency. The Apex sounds great on paper, but my personal experience says it just flat out can't do that.

I did have the cycle working, for 4 days. Today, it just stopped functioning while reporting everything as fine. Pump checked, it functions, outlet checked, it functions.....just not the way that the manual says it will, or how the apex reports it is actually functioning.....and it worked for days, several cycles...but then barfed.

And, to make sure I've covered the bases, I have tried many, many different programs trying to get it to function....all in vain. Several cut and pasted out of the manual simply don't work.

I've dropped over 12 grand setting this tank up, so I figured 800 wasn't such a bad idea to help keep it safe. Money wasted.

Mostly, my beef is it can't do what a $15 timer can do.

 

I was *wondering* when you would speak up! /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/wink.gif

I'm bluefool on RC too; use that as a search. It was a long time ago, so they may be way back.

I'm slowly beating the thing into submission, but if the online community didn't exist, this thing is a brick. And I'm sorry AJ, but its 2010....and we are typing if then else statements? Heck, my free phone with service has all graphically based set up.

I can't wait to see ya at Fall Fest to discuss it /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif. Maybe we should try to get everybody in the club using an Apex together at once and compare tricks?