Power Center under stand?

d2mini · 11/03/2009, 05:06 PM

I have to run one main power line to my tank (it's a few feet from any walls).
So once i get power into the stand, I'm wondering what I should do with it. I have a Reefkeeper Lite with two pc4's so i need two outlets for those plus at least a few extra for my under cabinet lighting and other random items that don't need to be run off the RKL. Anyone have any examples to show?

trb · 11/03/2009, 05:44 PM

I'm planning to use this power strip for my new tank. I've seen it on a couple of tanks on here:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/American...36-i1155517.gc

I like that you can easily turn on or off anything with a push of a button, plus it is very compact. I will probably run a regular plug in surge protector on the wall and then plug this power strip into it (6 ft cable).

They also have a 4 plug model:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/American...19-i1155516.gc

hillscp · 11/03/2009, 08:03 PM

You might try one of these

http://www.amazon.com/American-DJ-ch...7296576&sr=8-1

Lots of people use them to consolidate power and cabling.

d2mini · 11/04/2009, 09:46 AM

Thanks.
So i guess I would run a power line into the stand and connect it to a standard wall outlet mounted in the stand and then plug one of those dj units into it?

tjanowski · 11/04/2009, 09:59 AM

What I am in the process of doing is this. I will run 8 independent outlets in the stand. Each outlet will be connected by an extension cord (bare wire on one side, plug on the other) that plugs into 1 of the outlets on the dj power center. So basically I will have 8 independent outlets that are controlled by the switches on the DJ power center. The DJ power center will then be plugged into the wall, giving everything power. I'm doing this so I can use the switch on the DJ power center to turn off say the protein skimmer instead of having to unplug the wire when my hand is wet.

d2mini · 11/04/2009, 10:06 AM

Why have all the outlets in the stand along with the dj power center?
Couldn't you just plug your devices directly into the dj and still be able to turn them off individually with the switches? Or are you just looking to get two outlets per switch?

Also, if anyone has pics of how you have one of these dj power centers installed in your stand, or pics of other solutions, that would be awesome.

james3370 · 11/04/2009, 10:47 AM

there is also a 4-plug version of the dj strip. i like it better cause you could then split the tank up between the 2 & have each plugged into a seperate GFCI circuit. that way if something tripped the circuit, it would only take out 1/2 the tank.

http://www.amazon.com/American-DJ-ch...4&sr=8-2-spell

by the time you buy 2 of those, its the same price as 1 of the 8-switch models & you still get the free amazon shipping....but you gain the flexibilty of seperating the tank you can't do w/ the 8-switch

Quote:

Originally Posted by d2mini

Also, if anyone has pics of how you have one of these dj power centers installed in your stand, or pics of other solutions, that would be awesome.

here are some clickable thumbs of mine when i was building it

der_wille_zur_macht · 11/04/2009, 10:56 AM

Browsing Amazon, I saw this:

http://www.amazon.com/Eliminator-ELI...ref=pd_cp_MI_2

Anyone used this brand before?

james3370 · 11/04/2009, 10:57 AM

here are dimensional pics of each strip as well

as you can see, the 8-switch, the plugs are on the back. the 4-switch, they are on the top rear & the rear isn't parallel to the front face....kinda awkward

james3370 · 11/04/2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by der_wille_zur_macht

Browsing Amazon, I saw this:

http://www.amazon.com/Eliminator-ELI...ref=pd_cp_MI_2

Anyone used this brand before?

best i remember when i was researching these dj strips is that there are some off-brand (ie not american dj) that are cheaper, but the built-in circuit breaker was lower rating

the american dj is a 15a & i seem to remember some of the cheaper ones i saw back when i was shopping were 10a but that listing doesn't give the circuit breaker rating for that one

der_wille_zur_macht · 11/04/2009, 11:08 AM

A quick google search shows that this unit has a 15A breaker, too. And it's cheap. Even with the vendor's $5 shipping charge it's $10 less than the 8-switch American DJ unit. . .

james3370 · 11/04/2009, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by der_wille_zur_macht

A quick google search shows that this unit has a 15A breaker, too. And it's cheap. Even with the vendor's $5 shipping charge it's $10 less than the 8-switch American DJ unit. . .

well there ya go LOL

personally, unless i am doing a MONSTER tank in the future, i will stick to the 4-switch version for my next build simply for the ability to split tank items up between GFCIs......but that's just me

Curve · 11/04/2009, 10:52 PM

The eliminator is identical to the american dj. I use both brands and they both wok well.

lastlight · 11/05/2009, 02:04 AM

The pics show the two American DJ power centers I installed and all the gear in place. I love these things!

kentlighting · 11/05/2009, 02:44 AM

Working in the entertainment lighting field, its common to find products in the lower price ranges to look similar. mainly because the larger companies like american dj and chauvet will sub contract other manufactures to make the products then just silk screen the american dj or chauvet logo on them, you are buying the same product just with out the "brand" name

justinm0424 · 11/05/2009, 08:36 AM

Do you guys have any problems with humidity having the sump and power center in the same compartment? It seems like the humidity would rustout the stuff and cause trouble. I use 2 of those knockoff american DJ powersupplies and put them vertical on the side of my tank and plan on covering them. I wish i had pics to explain. When I had my acjr I kept the power under my tank and eventually the thing rusted and almost caused a fire.

justinm0424 · 11/05/2009, 08:36 AM

Do you guys have any problems with humidity having the sump and power center in the same compartment? It seems like the humidity would rustout the stuff and cause trouble. I use 2 of those knockoff american DJ powersupplies and put them vertical on the side of my tank and plan on covering them. I wish i had pics to explain. When I had my acjr I kept the power under my tank and eventually the thing rusted and almost caused a fire.

james3370 · 11/05/2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastlight

The pics show the two American DJ power centers I installed and all the gear in place. I love these things!

nice use of drawer slides for the front panels......i might have to "borrow" that idea on a future build LOL

lastlight · 11/05/2009, 12:23 PM

This gives a good look at the ventilation in my stand. I don't think the humidity is going to linger there too badly. If it does a few computer fans pushing fresh air in will work well.

d2mini · 11/05/2009, 12:49 PM

Lastlight, that looks great!

How did you mount the dj's?

james3370 · 11/05/2009, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d2mini

Lastlight, that looks great!

How did you mount the dj's?

i don't know how they did it, but if you look at the pics i posted at the top, the middle pic on 2nd row pretty much shows mine.....piece of thin plywood cut out for the dj strips.....dj strips screwed to it....it screwed to inside of stand

d2mini · 11/05/2009, 01:08 PM

Yup, and i may be doing it just like you. I ordered the two 4-bangers from amazon yesterday.

I can't see the mounting points in lastlights though, so curious how that was done.

lastlight · 11/05/2009, 01:39 PM

Yeah same here. I cut really thin strips of 3/4" plywood (because I don't WANT you to see them lol) and mounted to the backside of the face of my wood stand. Then mounted the racks to these. Very solid.

justinm0424 · 11/05/2009, 02:40 PM

I forgot about the back of your stand. I read your build thread great work.

11/03/2009, 05:06 PM	#1
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 333	Power Center under stand? I have to run one main power line to my tank (it's a few feet from any walls). So once i get power into the stand, I'm wondering what I should do with it. I have a Reefkeeper Lite with two pc4's so i need two outlets for those plus at least a few extra for my under cabinet lighting and other random items that don't need to be run off the RKL. Anyone have any examples to show?

11/03/2009, 08:03 PM	#3
hillscp Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Chico, CA Posts: 64	You might try one of these http://www.amazon.com/American-DJ-ch...7296576&sr=8-1 Lots of people use them to consolidate power and cabling. __________________ Click on my name to get a sweet drop down bib then click on my home page to see my 125 tank build :) Current Tank Info: 35 Long - Putting together a 125

11/04/2009, 10:56 AM	#8
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 7,793	Browsing Amazon, I saw this: http://www.amazon.com/Eliminator-ELI...ref=pd_cp_MI_2 Anyone used this brand before? __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992

11/04/2009, 10:57 AM	#9
james3370 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 3,531	here are dimensional pics of each strip as well as you can see, the 8-switch, the plugs are on the back. the 4-switch, they are on the top rear & the rear isn't parallel to the front face....kinda awkward __________________ Click the lil red house for my build thread Yes I hear voices in my head, but they speak spanish so I can't understand anything they say. It's a shame that stupidity isn't painful.... Current Tank Info: currently tankless....but planning an AIO

11/04/2009, 11:08 AM	#11
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 7,793	A quick google search shows that this unit has a 15A breaker, too. And it's cheap. Even with the vendor's $5 shipping charge it's $10 less than the 8-switch American DJ unit. . . __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992

11/03/2009, 05:44 PM	#2
trb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 2	I'm planning to use this power strip for my new tank. I've seen it on a couple of tanks on here: http://www.guitarcenter.com/American...36-i1155517.gc I like that you can easily turn on or off anything with a push of a button, plus it is very compact. I will probably run a regular plug in surge protector on the wall and then plug this power strip into it (6 ft cable). They also have a 4 plug model: http://www.guitarcenter.com/American...19-i1155516.gc

11/04/2009, 09:46 AM	#4
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 333	Thanks. So i guess I would run a power line into the stand and connect it to a standard wall outlet mounted in the stand and then plug one of those dj units into it?

11/04/2009, 09:59 AM	#5
tjanowski Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Windermere, FL Posts: 50	What I am in the process of doing is this. I will run 8 independent outlets in the stand. Each outlet will be connected by an extension cord (bare wire on one side, plug on the other) that plugs into 1 of the outlets on the dj power center. So basically I will have 8 independent outlets that are controlled by the switches on the DJ power center. The DJ power center will then be plugged into the wall, giving everything power. I'm doing this so I can use the switch on the DJ power center to turn off say the protein skimmer instead of having to unplug the wire when my hand is wet.

11/04/2009, 10:06 AM	#6
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 333	Why have all the outlets in the stand along with the dj power center? Couldn't you just plug your devices directly into the dj and still be able to turn them off individually with the switches? Or are you just looking to get two outlets per switch? Also, if anyone has pics of how you have one of these dj power centers installed in your stand, or pics of other solutions, that would be awesome.

11/04/2009, 10:52 PM	#13
Curve Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Farmerville, Louisiana Posts: 615	The eliminator is identical to the american dj. I use both brands and they both wok well. __________________ If you don't take some meds, you're going to burn out of this hobby everytime a shrimp farts. Current Tank Info: 135 REEF , 150 fish only, and the new 225 stingray

11/05/2009, 02:04 AM	#14
lastlight Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: calgary, alberta Posts: 321	The pics show the two American DJ power centers I installed and all the gear in place. I love these things! __________________ 225 In progress - 72Lx30Wx24H glass , Dart Gold, BK SM250, Sfiligoi Stealth 12x80w, Tunze 6101 (1) + 6100 (2) + 7095

11/05/2009, 02:44 AM	#15
kentlighting Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 97	Working in the entertainment lighting field, its common to find products in the lower price ranges to look similar. mainly because the larger companies like american dj and chauvet will sub contract other manufactures to make the products then just silk screen the american dj or chauvet logo on them, you are buying the same product just with out the "brand" name __________________ Will Kent Lighting Desinger www.ilightthings.com Current Tank Info: Building 60 gallon Reef with a 20 gallon sump

11/05/2009, 08:36 AM	#16
justinm0424 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dublin, OH Posts: 356	Do you guys have any problems with humidity having the sump and power center in the same compartment? It seems like the humidity would rustout the stuff and cause trouble. I use 2 of those knockoff american DJ powersupplies and put them vertical on the side of my tank and plan on covering them. I wish i had pics to explain. When I had my acjr I kept the power under my tank and eventually the thing rusted and almost caused a fire.

11/05/2009, 12:23 PM	#19
lastlight Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: calgary, alberta Posts: 321	This gives a good look at the ventilation in my stand. I don't think the humidity is going to linger there too badly. If it does a few computer fans pushing fresh air in will work well. __________________ 225 In progress - 72Lx30Wx24H glass , Dart Gold, BK SM250, Sfiligoi Stealth 12x80w, Tunze 6101 (1) + 6100 (2) + 7095

11/05/2009, 12:49 PM	#20
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 333	Lastlight, that looks great! How did you mount the dj's?

11/05/2009, 01:08 PM	#22
d2mini Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 333	Yup, and i may be doing it just like you. I ordered the two 4-bangers from amazon yesterday. I can't see the mounting points in lastlights though, so curious how that was done.

11/05/2009, 01:39 PM	#23
lastlight Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: calgary, alberta Posts: 321	Yeah same here. I cut really thin strips of 3/4" plywood (because I don't WANT you to see them lol) and mounted to the backside of the face of my wood stand. Then mounted the racks to these. Very solid. __________________ 225 In progress - 72Lx30Wx24H glass , Dart Gold, BK SM250, Sfiligoi Stealth 12x80w, Tunze 6101 (1) + 6100 (2) + 7095

11/05/2009, 02:40 PM	#24
justinm0424 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Dublin, OH Posts: 356	I forgot about the back of your stand. I read your build thread great work.