TC420 LED Time Controller - review and progamming

[@tersamdiyaquarium6284]

Thank you, that's clear enough

[@fungiracing4774]

Hi, can this unit be used with a trigger switch. In other words, could I connect a switch to this unit so that it only begins to run a program when the switch is activated/triggered? Many thanks

[@laminar_flow]

I would doubt it. This one is pretty primitive. You may need something more like a micro controller

[@jean87luc]

I have installed the controller with the setting it does turn on at 4pm (it was around 2pm during installation), turned on the voltage and it lit the light up despite the mode has a rule of 0% on all channels from 00:00 to 16:00. Technically it should be off until 4 pm. Does the RUN option on the menu turns the entire controller on or off or just the programme?

[@amaurydecocqueau4514]

Great tutorial! Can you also program up to seconds?

[@frederf3227]

I am interested in making a false lighted window in a kitchen. Would it be possible with this product to program an entire year's worth of programming based on almanac data so the timed lighting would match the seasonal daylight?

[@laminar_flow]

You could make a lot of schedules to match the season ( not sure of the limits on numbers of schedules, but I am sure there is one somewhere), but I believe you would need to change which schedule you are running manually. There is likely a more fully featured scheduler out there now, this one is a few years old

[@kenoberg]

Does this TC420 controller only work with RGB LED strips and aquarium lights? I have a single 12V 5W dimmable GU5.3 white LED bulb attached to CH1 for a sunrise/sunset scenario and when the scheduled time begins, the light will only turn on to 100%. It will not dim even though the bulb is dimmable. Thanks for any information you might can provide.

[@KennethiSlite]

Hi I have a TC420 that suddenly went down. Now I don't have any text in the LCD panel and trying to reset it did not help. I tried to make contact with the chineese seller on Amazon but no response. My guess is that the unit has lost its basic programming. I cannot find the CD and now asking you if you possibly can check your CD if there are som code i can use to do a restauration of the unit. Thanks in advance! /Ken

[@nastynate84nc]

So basically on the channels on this controller you have your blue strip/board on say channel 1 and your white led chip/board on channel 2 , so you can dim them independently at certain times? Or do you gave the leds boards daisy chained together then connected to the controller?

[@laminar_flow]

Correct, blue and white are on separate channels and programmed independently

[@bigrue10]

Hi can you please tell me how to clear the timer times back to factory settings I’ve tried holding the reset button but nothing happens as I want to change my times and if I make a new mode it just adds to the times that’s already exist thanks.

[@laminar_flow]

I don't know of a way to do that. Sorry

[@laughingcoffin741]

Can you connect a flood light(100w) to it or its only for stripes?

[@laminar_flow]

Doubtful a flood like would work. It varies the voltage output and has a max output of 12v.

[@ronnymorsen-qualitybreed]

Can anyone help with troubleshooting? 1) Can't find my old program's. *Not listed. 2) Can't create new programs. *Message popup: Access to (package name) was denied. So I am stuck with what's already on the controller. Any ideas?

[@kjohn4170]

Hi,first of all thank you for the review. Does it come with the power supply included? i m thinking of using it for a helialux juwel,can i connect the voltage from the transformer of helialux (20v )to input v+ and - of the controller? Also does it need the aditional power supply in this case? thank you.

[@laminar_flow]

No power supply with this item. Think of it as a complex in-line dimmer. You need to have your own power supply and lights, this would just be connected in between. There are two ways to connect power, direct wire, or with a barrel plug.

[@Grafcommunication]

When you program the controller do you need the power supply also or USB is suffisant ? - Thanks for the video!

[@laminar_flow]

The USB will supply the power when connected to a computer. Thanks for watching

[@Grafcommunication]

Thanks. I saw some indication that some people seem to use also the power supply when connected to a computer ?

[@S0K0N0MI]

@@Grafcommunication Thats only if you want to demo the lights while you edit em.

[@Novice-Speedster]

good evening I have a question is it possible that I can get the excel document from you

[@laminar_flow]

sure, I can email it out if you give me an address

[@gavogr69]

laminar flow Cheers for the video if you could email me the spread sheet aswell that would be great [e-mail] Cheers

[@rupheandtumbelle]

I just bought one of these for model railway use and I'm not very happy with it. It's very hard to figure out, the Chinglish instructions don't help with that, but the dimming ability is what really kills this thing for me. If you're looking for nice smooth dimming, you won't get it from this thing. the dimming is VERY steppy! it doesn't seem to gradually dim from one percentage setting to the next. It's just a series of small jumps. Fine if you're going from one colour to another at a fairly high setting, but smoothly dimming to black is a no go.

[@S0K0N0MI]

You should have gotten the TC421 instead. That one has 30 minute time blocks, meaning a fade takes 30 minutes to go from A to B. Some say its too slow, but for my fishtank its good enough.

[@Bruceiwish1234]

even though mine has 5 channels how do i tell chanel 2 or 3 etc what to do i only seem to be able to alter channel 1

[@sunkingpoet]

When you program a new package, you designate how many channels you'll have and what each one will do during that Mode. The Mode has all of the channels in its program.

[@togaf1]

Need something exactly like this except something that supports a 7 day timer instead of 24hr timer, any ideas?

[@laminar_flow]

I don't know of a timer that does 7 day schedules, sorry. Don't bother looking at the TC421, the wifi version of this one. It's crap, totally un-usable from my attempts. The software fails with no indicator why, can't connect on the wifi, downloaded program isn't saved after power fail, total train wreck...

[@togaf1]

thanks for the reply. I'll stick with the TC420 and add a 7 day timer electrical plug at the wall instead. The TC420s in my neck of the woods don't come with software, got a reliable link?

[@lukasprochazkaprod]

The timer has second values can you also programme seconds in pc? thanks

[@laminar_flow]

I don't think so. At least I haven't ever tried that.

[@thend007]

While programming let say if per channel is 4A does 50% means half of those 4A or half of actual load

[@tersamdiyaquarium6284]

Thank you, but you did not really answered my question. I was asking about the total of watt and how did you connected them. Did you connected them pararell or in serial?

[@laminar_flow]

Sorry, I felt I answered the questions as you asked them. Adding details changes the question, doesn't it? I am currently running three channels off my controller. One is running a pair of 24" reefbars, connected in series, on my display tank. They consume about 18W each, so 36W for that channel, which I run at 100% for 12 hours a day with a ram up and down on either side. www.21ledusa.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RB573012KWP The other two channels are each driving half of a pair of reefbarPro fixutues (one blue channel and one white). Each channel is split, and then connected in parallel to one of the two connectors on the units. These bars are rated at 72W each, so I am running about 65W on the blue channel, 12 hours a day and about 36W on the white channel for 8 hours a day, each with a 2 hour ramp on either side. www.21ledusa.com/aquarium_led_reefbar_pro_actinic_blue_p/rbp505024.htm

[@tymon4o]

your explanation is great i never manage to install the disk due to no CD drive on my laptop not found reliable source online to download useless

[@Davelembo]

Great video. I may need to play with one of these.

[@laminar_flow]

You have the skills to possibly wire it into one of your other boxes, perhaps? I will definitely try the wifi version if I get another one, though. I've seen em on ebay, but you may have to wait a while for shipping

[@tersamdiyaquarium6284]

how much are you running on it? how did you do the connection?

[@laminar_flow]

I have 4 24" bars running on it. Two of those are tied to the same line (it's the blue bars up on my display, which I hung on my cheap LED lights with a bit of aluminum angle). The connections to the controller are just bare wires screwed down to the connectors. I did pick up a pack of male/female barrel plug connectors to mate into my lights. Here's the amazon link for those: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IBFNJ3A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@tersamdiyaquarium6284]

Thanks

[@laminar_flow]

Sure thing. Thanks for the sub! BTW, my LEDs are all from 21LEDusa.com pretty reasonably priced

[@captivebredcanada]

Maybe a stupid question, but why are you ramping up and down your frag tank lights? I know you do a lot of projects in the basement but you do mention you don't observe the corals in the frag tank that much. I'm also under the impression you are using low powered / par producing led's. With that being the case I don't see why you are not just running them on a simple on/off schedule with the highest amount of light they produce assuming this is not too much for your corals. I would assume growth and colouration although perhaps not necessarily in that order are your only concerns since you're not sitting down their enjoying the entire daylight cycle like you might on your display tank upstairs.

[@laminar_flow]

I guess the simple answer is because I can. Not observing, is really a comment toward not being scientific about trials with the dozen or so profiles I created. Especially since I made all these modes when I first picked up the controller and this was a system with other issues (huge nitrate and phosphate issues due to back maintenance). I actually look at the corals a lot more now in the frag tank than I have in the past. Just because I am down there more. I believe I have read in places that some feel simulating "real" daylight cycles is good for coral growth, so if I can, why not? I really need to get a par meter and do the tests to set the right levels. The product web site claims 90-100mms through 19" of water, for a single bar, but I would need to measure before believing that.

[@gcorbitt]

I'm currently using the TC421 model and using LED Control V2.0 on Windows 10 to program it. Ever since I changed the usb device in settings, it constantly crashes not long after opening and can't select anything when it is open. I've tried having the TC421 connected to all other usb ports whilst opening LED Control V2.0 and it still does the same thing. I have uninstalled the LED Control V2.0 completely from the laptop and reinstalled it and it still crashes. Has anyone else had this problem and can help me resolve it?

[@michaelshattock5276]

Hi. Has anyone using this seen the following problem. I have it programmed to be on on selected channels over midnight (it comes at say 9pm and goes off at 9am). However, at midnight (00:00) these channels cut out and 'go low' until the next programmed time. I COULD partially solve this by simply programming in the 'next programmed time' to be 00:01 and have it come on again - this works. But, this gives me 1 minute of 'dark' from 00:00-00:01. For my application, this is unacceptable - I cannot have the lights off for even a minute. Anyone got any ideas how to solve this and stop the outputs resetting to zero output at midnight?

[@laminar_flow]

I can't say I have seen this, but if the issue is dropping to 0 intensity at midnight, maybe you can adjust the clock on the unit to be off by 12 hours and then it will drop to 0 at noon, when you are off anyway. It's a hack work around, but should work.

[@michaelshattock5276]

The problem is I need the other channels to be high at noon! So a 12 hours shift does not work. However, I may have found a workaround (that I don't understand). On the channels that should remain on at midnight, I have added an extra 'Step'. Step 1.00:01 'On'. That way I figured I would only have a minute of darkness! However, for some inexplicable reason, it stays on throughout midnight without the drop to zero. No idea why - I am doing some tests now to figure this out but it takes me 24 hours to test each idea!

[@michaelshattock5276]

Michael Shattock 1 second ago Hi. I have just bought this and it works beautifully ......apart from one glitch. I can create 'Packages' containing various 'Modes' and can save them as .pmf (or .tmf) files. I can download a newly created programme onto the timer and it works nicely. However, if I come back to it and try to open a previously saved .pmf file, I cannot open them. They will not open either from within the Pled programme or by double-clicking on the .pmf file. The Pled programme just sits there with empty 'fields' waiting for me to create a new programme. Has anyone seen this problem? Any idea why I cannot open previously save .pmf files?

[@laminar_flow]

I had the same issue with the programming software for the TC421, which I have been planning on posting a review. (Spoiler alert, I hate it because of the inability to program it) Perhaps this is a software issue in the "new code" and I still have the old code installed here. They don't have any version information available (figures), but mine say's copyright 2013, if that helps at all.

[@michaelshattock5276]

Thanks - at least someone else is suffering! Mine also says Copyright 2013 (bought 1 month ago Dec 2018) via Amazon so not sure if there is any software update. I have sent and e-mail to the 'Seller' via Amazon but don't hold out much hope for a useful reply. It is functional in that I can type in a new programme from an Excel spreadsheet every time I want an update but it is a pain not to be able to save it! @@laminar_flow

[@coreymaxars]

Tell me how many programs in memory you can save

[@laminar_flow]

I have at least 20 right now, havent hit a limit.

[@coreymaxars]

@@laminar_flow Thank you very much for this help. Sorry, you need exactly

[@ChandanDas-it4fp]

Please give me the specifications of input power adapter..

[@laminar_flow]

I run a 12v, 5A DC input, but the manual says you can go up to 24v, 20A DC.

[@ChandanDas-it4fp]

@@laminar_flow Is this product satisfactory??

[@laminar_flow]

@@ChandanDas-it4fpyes, i have gotten good use from it. I did buy the wifi version as well, but couldnt ever get it working

[@ChandanDas-it4fp]

@@laminar_flow why?? What is the problem

[@laminar_flow]

@@ChandanDas-it4fp programming on the wifi model, tc421, is totally different. Couldnt ever get it to connect to anything

[@fastfolky]

Thanks for the video! The TC421 isn't an replacement for the TC420 imho since you can only set things to happen on a 30m interval and not by 1m.

[@laminar_flow]

Interesting difference. I haven't looked close at the 421, but thought it would be nice to be able to use for the wifi connection, rather than having to unplug my controller and physically move it to my PC. Thanks for the watch and comment!

[@CichlidVibes]

@@laminar_flow get a laptop :-)

[@unclefreshreef4318]

Nice review. I drank the reefkeeper koolaid though. The NET module will be the death of me.

[@laminar_flow]

This is certainly not for everyone, but i have found it to work well for a "cheap solution" to LED controls. The cheap black boxes have dimmer knobs, which I wouldn't want (or use) which is pretty much a deal breaker for any purchase there. Once you get into a unit with built in dimming controls the price point is up pretty close to the high end products (again a non-starter for me right now). Thanks for a quick view and comment!

[@marcopilati7464]

here we learn NOTHING!