If your considering a Coralife Digital Power Center...

[higorc]

If you are looking into getting a timer for your lights or other equipment and are considering the Coralife programmable power center save yourself $10-$20 bucks and pick up a GE digital 7 day programmable timer instead. It's the exact same unit @ half the cost in most cases. I bought my Coralife timer at PetSmart for $38 last week. Today while shopping for more timers at Home Depot I found the GE digital 7 day programmable timer for $20.

Another key difference between them is that the 4 programmable outlets in the Coralife work in pairs. Like, if the day light ones are On, then the night time ones shuts Off. While in the GE 7 days the 4 programmable outlets can be set to turn On/Off separately!

Now I don’t need to buy a separate timer for one of the cords in my Light (so I can shut off the whites before the actinics at night and turn them on after the actinics goes on in the morning to simulate dusk/dawn).


GE 7 Day, 8 Outlet Power Saving Strip Timer - 15077 at Home Depot

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100685866&R=100685866

PDF Manual

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...9Gtm4jO0d1LB-s7Pw&sig2=aPvmC05ErIMESfkuFAUeVw

Coralife Aqualight Digital Power Center

http://www.thatpetplace.com/aqualig...7c209292&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cpc

PDF Manual

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...hOoFWlw5H4BXuPl7w&sig2=7fjVAsqj0IvxAZauJmLtMg

Hope this helps you guys save $ like I did!
Higor

 

[FinsUp!]

Thanks! I actually almost bought a coralife the other night! Glad I didn't...

 

[jazzsam]

Wow, I need one of those.

 

[Skeeter7424]

Also, search for that timer on Google and read some of the stories. They have been connected to a bunch of fires. I personallly have had 3 fail on me. All of them would stop working and either leave lights on or off. Twice I woke up in the middle of the night to find that all of my lights were on.

There was apparently an updated version of it that was put out, but of the 4 I have owned, all were replaced under warranty, all did the same thing, and looked the same. I ended up throwing my last one out, still brand new in the box, because I didn't want to sell it and people go through what I did with it, or possibly worse.

I also have one of the GE timers running all my sump functions and ATO. It works just fine.

 

[pillowfish]

Mine caught on fire, just do a search on here and see what so many people have had go wrong with the Coralife strips. Jordan did the smart thing, just throw it out, not worth the risk.

 

[jackd625]

Also, search for that timer on Google and read some of the stories. They have been connected to a bunch of fires. I personallly have had 3 fail on me. All of them would stop working and either leave lights on or off. Twice I woke up in the middle of the night to find that all of my lights were on.

There was apparently an updated version of it that was put out, but of the 4 I have owned, all were replaced under warranty, all did the same thing, and looked the same. I ended up throwing my last one out, still brand new in the box, because I didn't want to sell it and people go through what I did with it, or possibly worse.

Are you referring to the GE one or the coralife one? I have one of those GE ones but haven't used it since I bought my reefkeeper. Was thinking about using it again for some other stuff, but if that's the one you had issues with I won't.

 

[Skeeter7424]

Also, so people know on the GE timer, the 4 "timer capable" outlets are not programmable seperately. All 4 are either on or off. You can set them to 7 different programs, but again they are either on or off. Then the right side is just always on.

 

[Skeeter7424]

Are you referring to the GE one or the coralife one? I have one of those GE ones but haven't used it since I bought my reefkeeper. Was thinking about using it again for some other stuff, but if that's the one you had issues with I won't.

I'm sorry for not clarifying, this is about the Coralife. Again, I like the GE one, but as you can see in my last post, it is not as flexible as it was originally explained to me.

 

[higorc]

No problem people. Glad I can help.

About the timers/powerstrip catching on fire, I believe that would happen to any powerstrip, timer or anything electrical for that matter if it gets wet. I have had power strips get wet and start smoking a couple of times. The key thing is putting them in a place where it's less likely they will get wet. I personally have learned from my 2 close calls and now I anchor them to the bottom of my aquarium wood stand as close to the bottom of the tank, away from my sump and somewhere I won't splash it. If you have them above their power cord (so water doesn't ride the powercord to the strip) and away from places u might splash water when doing tank maintanence you should be ok....

Again, I know people have different opnions about them, I can only speak for my self. And I never had any big issues with them.

Thanks
Higor

 

[stingythingy45]

Yes,put it close to wood.j/k
I have also had a Coralife "digital" programable strip fail,and no it was not getting wet.
However it did not catch fire,the timers just failed to do anything after about a year.

 

[willray]

They look alike but are not the same.As skeeter mentioned the Ge one is very limited to only 4 outlets being all controlled at once and no has no other functions.IMO not much use unless your turning 4 things on/off of at a time....which is highly unlikely.

 

[myram]

I've been using the GE strip for about 6 months, works great for $20.

Steve