Direct Connect 8 Module

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent!

Great product!! by fish4us (reefcentral handle)

Experience Level: Expert

Posted on 7/24/2009 from SURPRISE, AZ UNITED STATES

Comments: We bought another reef tank some time ago, from a friend of a friend who was moving. In the past we had always used the individual plug controllers, but the new tank was set up with the Direct Connect 8 "powerstrip". The setup was SO simple (Aquacontroller was already configured), literally, all I had to do was remove the plugs from the old strip/controller units, and plug into the appropriate slots on the Direct Connect. It is nice and compact, yet still has room for (small-to-medium) sized transformers, and mounted very easily on the back of our stand, so everything is nice and tidy, and out of the way. When purchasing this product though, you should definitely buy a separate GFI (ground fault interrupter) to go between the DC8 and the wall. I'm not sure why they did not build one in, but it can (literally) be a lifesaver. A little bit expensive, but more convenient, and cheaper than the individual controller boxes, if you go the "old fashioned" route. I highly recommend it. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Average

Not bad, for a power strip by Matthew

Experience Level: Expert

Posted on 5/26/2009 from HENDERSON, NV

Comments: A bit confusing to set up at first, but not too bad in the end. The strip defaults to the "A" address space. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Great

Works great by MATT MARTIN

Experience Level: Expert

Posted on 3/30/2009 from SAN DIEGO, CA UNITED STATES

Comments: I've had an aquacontroller for about 5 years and I was always having to fiddle with the x10 modules. I got out of the hobby for a couple years and when I decided to get back into it, I found the x10 modules to be extremely frustrating and more unreliable than I had remembered. It can be a disaster when you are controlling a heater and chiller. I decided I needed to get the direct connect module because the value of the livestock was just too much to risk. The direct connect solves all of the problems and has been 100% reliable, but I can't give it 5 stars because I'm still mad that I had to spend $150 more dollars to get the aquacontroller to work correctly. Plus it doesn't look like it should cost $150 and although it seems sturdy and everything, it looks like it was built in someone's basement out of scrap computer materials. Whatever, I'm happy and recommend it if you don't mind the cost. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent!

Charm by jonboy1969

Experience Level: Expert

Posted on 8/8/2008 from LEESBURG, VA

Comments: Works great. easy hook-up and chains in easy with my LED moonlights. All I need is a second one! Once you start filling in the outlets your gonna want more control over everything! Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Great

a little tricky by Pelican

Experience Level: Beginner

Posted on 6/24/2008 from FLORIDA

Comments: You will not need anything extra to hook this unit to your Aqua Controller. It's a complete kit. The instructions for the pin out and program language could be written a little better. Small powerheads will not work on certain outlets. Requires trial and error to set up. Hint...much easier to set up if you use at the very least aqua notes basic to write language and set destinations. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent!

Great! by WILLIAM PINELLO

Experience Level: Expert

Posted on 11/29/2007 from SCOTTSDALE, AZ UNITED STATES

Comments: Works perfectly. No more noisy relay switching! Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Great

Smaller than it looks by MARK HOGUE

Experience Level: Intermediate

Posted on 8/27/2007 from EL CAJON, CA UNITED STATES

Comments: This a good product for a compact system. I use two, one under the tank and one on-top of the hood; yes I like to control lots of stuff. That way I don't have to run as many wires up the back. A similar quality power strip would take the same amount of space and cost about half as much. Plugging a bunch of x-10 modules into a power strip would take much more room and cost more. The four mounting holes on the DC8 allow you to fasten them almost anywhere including on the "ceiling" of the stand (below the tank). The sockets grip the plugs well, including heavy "wall-wart" DC transformers. This spot prevents leaks from running down the wires into the sockets. The flashing LED provides a good indication when it is receiving a command. I got my first one 8 months ago and have had zero problems with it. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent!

Easy. by ANDREW OCONNOR

Experience Level: Intermediate

Posted on 8/27/2007 from BURLINGTON, VT UNITED STATES

Comments: Had this hooked up and working in 15 minutes. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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