Strange Problem with lights, or Apex controller

I have a strange problem. I have a 28 Gallon Nano Cube that came with the MH lights, it's an HQI. I noticed they did get kind of hot, so I decided to upgrade to the LED hood that is the 85 watt model, it's the hood with the LED's Dusk lights and the night lights.

I have everything plugged into my Apex, but when the main LED's are off every 10 or 15 seconds they will flash for a split second, it looks like lightning. I have tried diffrent outlets on the Apex, but all of them do the same thing. I have no problem with anything else just coming on for a split second.

I thought at first that a copasitor is charging or something and I wrote a note to premium aquatics who I purchased the hood from and Jason mentioned that in his note.

He is calling Jbj Monday to follow up, but I am curious if anyone has heard of any problem like this with either the LED hood, or Apex.

 

Did you ever get a Answer to the problem as I am having the same problem ...

Do you have the wave maker port on ... witch is 7 and 8 on the power bar..

 

do you have tried your lights plugged into 4 or 8 in the power strip of your apex to see if that helps? these are the 2 outlets that use mechanical relays for switching

 

I have not tried that but I have 3 different lights plugged into the power bar ... White, blue and sump light ... so that is 3 different plugs and they all do it and not at the same time... I have a wave maker pump running on outlet 4 but I will try plugging something into 8 and see what that does ...

From what i have read you are on the right path the RELAYS for 1-3 and 5-7 seem to go bad and what happens is they do not open all the way and do not turn the power off 100% so the small amount of current is getting to the lights Balis or driver for leds. What is happening is the capacitors in the Lights power supply are charging up and when they finaly get full they discharge to the light making them flash like this.

Ways to fix the problem are try different outlets but Age seems to get them all at some point in life and you need to send the power bar out for service... I am not happy about this and wish there was a better answer but it seems these ppl maybe right. I will do some testing some ppl say you can plug a night light in the outlet and it will come on really DIM and you what the problem is that way and you can check the outlet with a vote meter...

 

i needed another outlet on the apex, so i just added a splitter to make room for that reactor on the energy bar, the splitter was one that you buy at the hardware store for about a dollar or two,i than plugged my uv pump and uv light into one outlet which was outlet 8. i never had a problem. i know this isn't what neptune would want you to do but it worked fine doing that. as long as its not more amps than the outlet is set to handle, i figured why not, since those two items could be set up to be controlled together . recently bought a new light with its own controls, so this light is not on my apex which gave me my outlet i needed back. i now have room for all items to be in their own outlet, and removed the splitter .

from all i have read the solid state outlets can have on and off issues with lower watt items. also other items switching on and off such as power heads that are set to make waves can effect the other solid state outlets. so i would think it could be effecting your lights.

 

I am not doing outside of what it post to do... Run the Wave making side of thing is something the device is post be made to do... I am going try turning the Wave maker off but from what i have read that will not help...

But you did give me a idea maybe i can put a slitter on the outlet with the lights and then plug small normal light buld into to burn the power off so that it does not get to the LED drivers the power...

From what i can find it is a problem with the power bars... I do not have a problem with knowing something is not right just would like a work around you know...

Thank for all the help I will let you know my findings

 

So I called NS Apex today to get my Power bar serviced ... They told me to pick up some single outlet surge suppressor and put one on each outlet that is blinking that should make it stop for $5 each i will give it a try... It is $60 + shipping to ge the bar serviced...

I will let you know if it helps.. Thanks for all the help