Light timer help

[Aspencer]

Hey all, I must really be simple minded. I have bought two timers, one cheap from a hardware store and then a better one online from a fish store. They both program the same way, I cannot get either to work.

I set the time of day

I program lights to come on at 6 am every day, not just a single day setting, all days at once.

I program lights to go off at 4 pm every day like above.

I plug in light.

Lights go on when I click mode to on, go off when I click mode to off, I leave it on Auto.

I plug in FL fixture and make sure it is on and wait for the morning, never goes on.

What am I missing? I do this with both timers!

sigh

 

[andresdeo]

Do you program it before connecting the light? Some timers reset when you conect and disconect the light. Try setting it with the whole system setup like it shoukd stay. Power shortages during the night brief as they maybe may have the same reseting effect. Post the specifications of both timers and light. Hope this helps.

 

[Aspencer]

I set up the timer, plug it in after the end time, plug in light with switch on, check using the program button to make sure it is programed and it is, come back at 6 am and the light is not on. I must be missing a simple step.

 

[BigJim]

Is this a digital or a mechanical timer?

 

[Aspencer]

both are digital. I called customer service and they told me that the timer has to cycle for 24 hrs before it knows when to turn on or off the lights. I just turned off the lights and hope tomorrow morning, the lights go on.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Here's a mechanical timer, that's easy to set and you can have it turn on/off multiple times a day if you want. Best 10 bucks I've spent lately and the digital one I have is out in the garage somewhere because it always messes up and if you lose power you have to reprogram when the backup battery dies in no time.

http://www.petco.com/product/111981/Zoo-Med-AquaSun-Aquarium-Timer.aspx

 

[mfdrookie516]

I prefer mechanical timers as well. I have one digital timer for my autodosers because I need a timer that does 1 minute increments... otherwise, all mechanical.