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Smart plugs


Bicyclebill

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Any of you non Apex people tried using smart plugs instead of full blown old school timers for items such as lights, or anything else you don't want on 24/7? I just ordered a couple and am going to replace my big bulky timers for my fuge light and ATO solenoid. They have a phone app to set everything up. That way I have one more way for China and Russia to focus more on me and not on you.

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I've been using WEMO smart plugs for my Christmas lights for a few years now, both inside and out of the elements outside. I've also used them on grow lights for seed starts indoors and about a year ago i started using one on the iron so i didn't have to walk across the room and plug it in and unplug it every day. WEMO has alexa integration too so for the indoor christmas lights we say - 'alexa, turn off the christmas lights' and all the indoor lights turn off. Outdoors i set a timer through the app.

 I've had great experience. I've seen them at Costco though not recently for 2 for $30 I think.

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The reef-pi now supports control of smart outlets as well, the main thing to be careful of is low-draw devices. The types of relays in those outlets can leak current if the device plugged in is really low draw. Lights are fine, but something like a 1.1mL dosing pump might not work the way you want

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I didn’t want to buy another powerbar for my apex just for my garage mixing station so I tried this smart power strip. I just use it to turn on my mixing pump daily on my salt barrel. So far it’s been issue free! For $22 it was cheap/easy to try. Only been about a month now so I can’t speak to longevity.

 

LARKKEY Smart Power Strip WiFi Power Bar with 4 USB Charging Ports and Smart AC Plugs, Compatible with Alexa,Google Home, Surge Protector 2.4GHz, FCC Listed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P15SJ84/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JoCeFb6BG64WW

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+1 on the Wemo smart plugs.  I have 5 of them controlling xmas lights, landscape lights, string lights on my deck, and my pond waterfall pump.  They work great and the app is pretty flexible.  I like that you can schedule lights based on actual sunrise/sunset times.  That could be useful in reefing, too.

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I can't wait for the reef-pi to be able to read the /cgi-bin/status.json file of an apex in order to link the two together.  Then we can essentially control smart outlets with the apex.
 
Ya, that's tricky because Neptune doesn't like to play nice with others. There's no robust way to integrate to it if Neptune doesn't treat it as a external API (a data contract)

Parsing a file is about the most brittle way to integrate systems, especially when there's no contract regulating changes to the schema/etc

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

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I use various brand smart plugs for mixing station, pond pump, landscape lighting,etc. Work fine. I do try to only buy ones that work with either the Tuya Smart or Smartlife app, since they are interchangable. That way I don't have to use more than one app. 

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6 hours ago, goldenbasketreef said:

How about GHL instead of apex, pro and con?

That debate has been beaten to death over on R2R and other forums.  GHL is slightly more rugged with more of an industrial build, but has a clunky interface that's way overdue for an overhaul and little US-based support.  Apex has more plastic construction, but has a much larger user base and broad community support, of which I'm a frequent contributor.

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3 hours ago, SuncrestReef said:

That debate has been beaten to death over on R2R and other forums.  GHL is slightly more rugged with more of an industrial build, but has a clunky interface that's way overdue for an overhaul and little US-based support.  Apex has more plastic construction, but has a much larger user base and broad community support, of which I'm a frequent contributor.

Thanks John.

True I am considering it because of the build, German made products in the trade tends to last

With profilux 4 it is getting better

Website and manufacture support need improvement

 

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