DIY Wavebox Tutorial from start to finish!

[stugray]

xtm,

The signal you are giving the controller is just a Digital signal to the Turbelle driver box ( pin 3 of the 555 = Output ).
It just goes from HI to LOW.

Is the Driver Box capable of analog input?
I have never had one, so I cant experiment.

I believe the box allows speed control. If we took advantage of that, maybe we could tune the system to any resonance.

Are these pumps reversible? I cant tell from the online docs.

Stu

[seagul]

i see that koralia just introduced their DC pumps onto the market for 10$ more than their AC pumps.


anyway to use a small koralia pump on this?

ive got a 36" x 12" x 12" tank, i would love to have a wavebox instead of a bunch of bulky PH's

[stugray]

"anyway to use a small koralia pump on this?"

Absolutely. That's why I was suggesting the above. With a DC motor, you have speed control & direction switching.

Stu

[aries70]

From what I Understand the new Koralia pumps are 12 VAC not DC

[stugray]

aries70

"the new Koralia pumps are 12 VAC not DC"

If that is true then I am truly disappointed. I have been waiting for a DC power head so that we can really control it the way we want to.

DC motors can be precisely controlled ( speed AND direction ) with DIY levels of electronics. Controlling the speed of AC pumps is difficult ( to say the least ).

WHY CANT SOMEONE BUILD A DC POWERHEAD?!?!

Oh...... I guess that's my que.... off to the workshop ;-)

Stu

P.S. I have been assuming all along that SOMEONE makes a DC powerhead.......

[aries70]

Stu I hear ya but renisel had gotten one to build a controller for it and Discovered they weren't DC here's the thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=2

[seagul]

"Hydor Koralia DC Powerheads
Koralia 12V pumps connect to the WaveMaker control system to provide a safe and easy wave effects ideal for the well being of marine and reef aquariums. "

^straight from aquabuys-.-com


im officially confused.

[xtm]

Originally posted by stugray
aries70

"the new Koralia pumps are 12 VAC not DC"

If that is true then I am truly disappointed. I have been waiting for a DC power head so that we can really control it the way we want to.

DC motors can be precisely controlled ( speed AND direction ) with DIY levels of electronics. Controlling the speed of AC pumps is difficult ( to say the least ).

stugray,

I just quickly skimmed through that thread posted above by aries70, so my question is -- do Koralias have brakes/clutches/mechanism that prevent them from spinning backwards? I would assume that they do since they are 12VAC. If this is the case then they can NOT be used on the wavebox as the prop need to fully stop and doing this will kill the brakes prematurely.

I need to get ahold of these Koralias and study them... maybe we can try to build a controller for it.. but I would assume it goes something like this:

AC > Step down transformer > bridge rectifier > PWM > [DC] >inverter > Koralia.

If all you can do with a Koralia is alter the AC freq. to change the speed, couple that with the brakes I mentioned above then you won't be able to do much with these pumps.

[seagul]

"Hydor Koralia DC Powerheads
Koralia 12V pumps connect to the WaveMaker control system to provide a safe and easy wave effects ideal for the well being of marine and reef aquariums. "

^straight from aquabuys-.-com


im officially confused.

[seagul]

im typing up a quick e-mail to the product director of hydor.. talked to him previously about getting a replacement prop.

basically im going to flat out ask if the new "DC" pumps are actually dc, so we can settle this once an for all.

[aries70]

It will be interesting to see what Hydor has to say about this

[D2daJAZ]

The new Koralia DC pumps are DC, but they dont work without the Hydor controller, I have played with one myself. We need someone to build a DIY controller/transformer in one for them and we will be set.

[aries70]

interesting

[freetareef]

xtm,
can you post some pics of the backside of your completed board and some dumb man instructions or point me in the right direction to learn how to read your wiring diagram? cause I'm going to radio shack and i have a 3 day weekend!!!!

[freetareef]

oh yeah... and it's my birthday!!! oh yeah!!!

[freetareef]

xtm,
can you post some pics of the backside of your completed board and some dumb man instructions or point me in the right direction to learn how to read your wiring diagram? cause I'm going to radio shack and i have a 3 day weekend!!!!

[freetareef]

xtm...

if you post a how to video about the wiring of your controller on youtube you will be my offical hero... nice vids buy the way!

[flat broke]

Originally posted by stugray
xtm,

with your electronics skills, you could have built the entire DC speed controller with only a few more components.

You can build a 555 based Pulse Width Modulator circuit which uses a IRF510 Power mosfet to controll the current to the powerhead. You would just add a 12Volt wall wart supply that can supply the PH.

I have one sitting in front of me that I intend to put in my hood to control the moon lights & fan speed. Since I have four channels & only using two, I could control two of those waveboxes. Oh, and my 4-channel PWM is accessible via ethernet & programmable.

Very good job!

Stu

Stu,

Do you have a schematic/diagram/parts list for this version? If the new Koralias do turn out to be DC, that would make for a very inexpensive alternative. For that matter, I could also run em off an Aquasurf with litte wiring work.

Chris

[xtm]

The Koralias are 12 VAC as per the link above.

[xtm]

Originally posted by Lunchbucket
So how could one make a 7095 (multi controller) DIY like this XTM? PM me if needed! I'd like to get one but they are TOO much money!

Lunchbucket

The 7095 has way more features than this DIY. This is only a simple on/off.. I'm sure the 7095 can be DIY'ed but it will take tremendous effort in prototyping the circuit.. to the point where it's not worth prototyping when you can get the 7095 for $200 used.

[xtm]

Originally posted by stugray
xtm,

with your electronics skills, you could have built the entire DC speed controller with only a few more components.

You can build a 555 based Pulse Width Modulator circuit which uses a IRF510 Power mosfet to controll the current to the powerhead. You would just add a 12Volt wall wart supply that can supply the PH.

I have one sitting in front of me that I intend to put in my hood to control the moon lights & fan speed. Since I have four channels & only using two, I could control two of those waveboxes. Oh, and my 4-channel PWM is accessible via ethernet & programmable.

Very good job!

Stu

Thanks Stu.. but in all honesty, I don't have all the "skills" in electronics.. I still rely on other people's schematics once in a while for reference.

I could prototype the PWM circuit for variable output... but that's IN another project Maybe a DIY 7095 next? (I wish I have the time)

Thanks again for the kind words Stu.

[xtm]

Originally posted by freetareef
xtm,
can you post some pics of the backside of your completed board and some dumb man instructions or point me in the right direction to learn how to read your wiring diagram? cause I'm going to radio shack and i have a 3 day weekend!!!!

fretareef,

I'll snap a pic for you.. in the meantime, read THIS TUTORIAL on how to read schematic diagrams. It's very easy to learn and this is a very basic circuit. Again, my suggestion is to practice your wiring on a breadboard.

[Lunchbucket]

Originally posted by xtm
The 7095 has way more features than this DIY. This is only a simple on/off.. I'm sure the 7095 can be DIY'ed but it will take tremendous effort in prototyping the circuit.. to the point where it's not worth prototyping when you can get the 7095 for $200 used.

Got yah.

I was just thinking of making a 7095 just like the single controller of Tunze. Where you can set two points (from 30% to 100%) on each and let em fly. Not the sync tide stuff. Only on w/ alternating between two presets? That hard?

Lunchbucket

[reefer4sho]

awesome!!!! love the schematic..

thanks xtm!

[shelburn61]

Originally posted by Lunchbucket
Got yah.

I was just thinking of making a 7095 just like the single controller of Tunze. Where you can set two points (from 30% to 100%) on each and let em fly. Not the sync tide stuff. Only on w/ alternating between two presets? That hard?

Lunchbucket

Very interested as well if this is a possibility?