newbie apex ?

[eran]

Could I put all of this onto one eb8:

3- 400 watt MH's
2-110 watt VHO's
2- red dragon 1500 skimmer pumps
50 watts of T5HO's

This is what would be on my other eb8:

dart return pump
mag 3(calc. reactor pump)
solenoid for co2
2-500 watt heaters
tunze osmolator
maxi-jet for kalk reactor
1- 250 watt MH

If not how could I better mix things up with the 2 eb8's that I have so not to have power issues. I would really not like to buy another eb8 to break up the wattage. Let me know what you APEX PRO'S think!!!

[aquamanic]

There's no power balancing necessary with the EB8's. It's simply a function of total amps (15) or roughly 1500 watts. Add it all up. You're close if not over on that first one. The only consideration other than total current draw is how many very low draw devices you have and whether you have enough relay switches in those two EB8's (you would have 4) to handle them. Doesn't look like you have any so it's really just a question of total amps. If you have too much load you can always look at a HD4 assuming you have the house power and number of circuits to supply it.

[eran]

so does the hd4 connect to the apex to allow the MH's connected to it be controlled?

[aquamanic]

Yes. The only difference is it's not an AquaBus module and as such cannot report to the controller the current (amps) draw. It's connected to the base module using the control port and not the USB-looking AquaBus cable.

One of the beauties of Neptune's system is the backwards compatiability of the base unit with legacy modules. You protect your investment as the product line is enhanced.

[swearint]

There is one other consideration, and that is the current rating of each outlet. The triacs (#s 1-3 and 5-7) are rated at 5A, the mechanical relays (#4 & 8) are rated at 10A. So for example, you need to avoid running both heaters on a signal triac outlet. Also, be aware that not all devices follow the rule: A = W/V. That rule is for 100% resistive loads. In particular, flourescent ballasts run nearly twice the amperage you would expect.

Todd