Matts 500 gallon funhouse

[Willie McDaries]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

Hi Guys,

Just to give some very important information here about the EVG

The card is developed by GHL for the use with GHL controllers only, its unique, not one other controller manufacturer at this time offers such features, however lamp manufacturers for a long time now have favoured compatibility with GHL due to the amount of control and functionality it brings to their system.

The reason for the connection terminals is to provide 100% flexibility to ANY project, if it was ethernet plugs then all manufactures would have to follow the same wiring protocol.

Couple of companies to note are

ATI
Geismann
Sifiligio
Fauna Marin

The history of the EVG comes from GHL making lighting and lighting controllers way before aquarium controlllers hense the name ProfiLux (professional lighting solutions) they were the first to offer dimmable lighting to the auarium market.

As the brand grew globally the GHL owners started to get inventive with what this card could do, first it was all about making custom dimmable T5 fixtures, and then with the advent of DIY LED the EVG card and too the ProfiLux just stormed away in populatarity.

In honesty GHL are not going to cry too much about LED companies that are dedicated to GHL dimming through this card, why would they? They are a global company and LED companies that use this card all of a sudden too have a global dimmable lamp on the market, not just North America.

I have lost count of how many of these cards have now been sold to DIY'ers and third party LED companies, its a hot product and any company using it has really reaped the rewards.

The product is designed as Allen stated to be mounted inside the lamp rather than being hot wired in this case, and its for the lamp manufacturer to decide if this retrofit is worth it in their market. However we do provide plenty of support in how to fit these externally as in Matts case.

Hope that gives some insight into this little beast EVG-AP-2F

I don't/wouldn't have an issue with it,as is,and like the universal capability of it but would it be possible to incorporate a case with the EVG installed and have multiple plug and play ports to accommodate multiple uses ? I know it would add to the expense of manufacturing it but it could simplify connection to some extent,making it more user friendly for the less than technically advanced users...just a thought

 

[aqua_digital]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

I understand and supportive of the logic here, however the card would need a mass of plug and play ports for each unit, where as the card right now does come with a point to point wiring diagram and excellent support from us.

I will do a video right now for you all, not wiring it but pointing out where everything goes You will have to put up with my UK accent and my daughter shouting in the background at max and ruby (tv show) but it should give a better idea to everyone

 

[ChrisY]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

Lol. I am sure that would be more than welcome. My daughters yell and giggle at the TV all the time!

 

[dmatt88]

I'm not sure I'm making my case clear. The phone cord from The ac to the evg. Should have Jack's both sides since all colors meet the board the same way.

Matt leaves out punctuation.

 

[Willie McDaries]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

I understand and supportive of the logic here, however the card would need a mass of plug and play ports for each unit, where as the card right now does come with a point to point wiring diagram and excellent support from us.

I will do a video right now for you all, not wiring it but pointing out where everything goes You will have to put up with my UK accent and my daughter shouting in the background at max and ruby (tv show) but it should give a better idea to everyone

yea,that's kinda what I figured,maybe the lighting manufacturers could implement the case with plug and play ports idea for their specific product and use it as an add-on option,to simplify connection between their product and the Profilux controller....

I think as each feature is implemented and documented,as in this thread,it will become easier for everyone to understand and wire DIY,not a doubt in my mind that you guys are all over the customer support with this,big kudos for that.....the video would probable help greatly in understanding all the features of the EVG

 

[ChrisY]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

Agreed. Standards are standard for a reason. It would be great if the industry agreed that we will use this type plug and these are the pins. some will use all, some will use fewer depending on the functionality available, but having a Plug that connects the White cable from the driver to the controller with the same end on each side would be GREAT. In my line of work thats what the IETF and IEEE RFC's are for. Nothing exists like this in aquaria-land, but maybe it should. it sure would make product development and adoption a lot easier. Just my $.02

 

[aqua_digital]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

In this case ALL lamp manufacturers around the world would have to get together and decide a protocol for a 3 pin socket, that is not feasible, when the EVG card comes with a 3 pin terminal block that requires nothing more than a screw driver and wire cutters.

I understand the logic but you just will not get hundreds of lamp manufacturers spending the time talking to each other over one card. And then that also leaves the DIYers out in the cold.

A 3 pin terminal block is the easiest method.

 

[ChrisY]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

I get what you are saying but why use 3 pin when if say you have 2, 3 or 4 fixtures to control. Wouldnt it just be easier to say 'On this end I provide +x on this pin and -x on this pin and +y on this pin and -y on this pin and +z on this one and -z on this one' Thats 3 out of 8 pins on an RJ45 jack. so then it is easy to add more if you have more then 3 or 4 fixtures to add then ok, add another jack for the next 4. I am not trying to be difficult, I am just saying there is a way to make this more plug and play if folks can agree on connectors and pinouts.

 

[aqua_digital]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

This is simple device that is nothing more than a few terminal blocks that already gives you all you require, yes you have to use a screw driver but that should not be a negative.

Having this plug and play would quadruple the cost all for the sake of a screw driver, I just do not see the market value, and it makes it restrictive.

To back the little pcb up here a bit, the EVG card has been on the market since 1998 I personally have never received a complaint about its functionality so it would be very hard to change anything based on that.

take into account also the main use of this card

1. lamp manufacturers
2. DIY'ers who love tinkering with electronics. If you dont like playing with electonics then this may not be for you.

I am hoping the little video will show everyone how simple this device is. If you can wire a plug you can wire this

 

[aqua_digital]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

Here is the video

[video=youtube_share;EFf-10DvocA]http://youtu.be/EFf-10DvocA[/video]

 

[steved13]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

It would be pretty easy for Apollo to make their light plug and play with profilux. Apollo buys the EVG card, wires up the EVG like Matt did, puts a box around it, and sells it as a plug and play solution. Am I missing something here?

 

[aqua_digital]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

we have suggested this, yes. I think its being looked into, it would give apollo a global audience in sales for sure.

 

[steved13]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

Well where is the quadruple cost in this soution? Give me a market and I'll be happy to double my money...that's providing I can't build an EVG for half of what it's sold for in the first place, and then I still double my money with no cost increase for the end user.

 

[BigAl07]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

Well where is the quadruple cost in this soution? Give me a market and I'll be happy to double my money...that's providing I can't build an EVG for half of what it's sold for in the first place, and then I still double my money with no cost increase for the end user.

What Mike meant was to make the light fit every controller option or vice versa would make it sky rocket in costs.

But you're exactly right in that the LED fixture company can do this for next to nothing and greatly increase their market potential.

 

[aqua_digital]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

I will leave it to someone else to device a card that is plug and play to every diyer and lamp manufacturer out there, I will be sure to buy the first 100 now theres a challenge But for now, I hope the video was of some help.

 

[Bearjohnson]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

It would be pretty easy for Apollo to make their light plug and play with profilux. Apollo buys the EVG card, wires up the EVG like Matt did, puts a box around it, and sells it as a plug and play solution. Am I missing something here?

+1

Only as they do that they give Matt a kick back for time well served. :angel2:

 

[Willie McDaries]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

great video and simple enough for me,but after seeing the wiring diagram,I figured it out from it

 

[steved13]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

Ah, that's what I mised...to make compatible with all of them. I was stuck on the Apollo only, and there I don't see much extra cost, nor any feature reduction.

 

[Willie McDaries]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

It would be pretty easy for Apollo to make their light plug and play with profilux. Apollo buys the EVG card, wires up the EVG like Matt did, puts a box around it, and sells it as a plug and play solution. Am I missing something here?

exactly what I meant,either company could do this but it would be more reasonable for the light manufacture to do for their lights specific needs.....because it is a universal card,GHL would have to add so many different cables or whatnot to make it a cost efficient option would be impossible...I see a potential money making endeavor for a 3rd party manufacturer here

 

[aqua_digital]

re: Matts 500 gallon funhouse

In this case then its easy of course just like the other manufaacturers have done with the product, but GHL cant do it for them, too many products out there to do a dedicated hook up for each and everyone, unless they have a unique system such as Ai TMC, Pacific sun and Ecotech, then of course GHL would implement a dedicated set up, but none mentioned here use the EVG card.

TMC = LED-control-1
Radion will work off the existing Ecotech GHL driver
Ai is nothing more than a serial cable
Pacific sun - LED control-4 (and that still has a terminal block)