Invisible Sun Smart controller Review

[camkush]

I LOVE this write up. I haven't even heard IS had one of these.. I appreciate the honest review and i need to look into buying me one. Please keep it updated if any opinions change my friend.

[Vador]

I LOVE this write up. I haven't even heard IS had one of these.. I appreciate the honest review and i need to look into buying me one. Please keep it updated if any opinions change my friend.

Glad you found it helpful, Shes still going on strong but yeah if anything changes i will update here.
I noticed the price is cheaper now on the IS website as well, pretty much straight after i ordered mine in fact lol

[Vador]

Update:
Its been almost a year since i got this and its been running every day and is great for giving me control over the dimming of my lights.
Unfortunately though it doesnt switch the lights off completely, i notice a very slight glow from some of the leds, this happens on both the xbars and the vbars, this is unacceptable in flower so i have resorted to running segment timers to switch the lights on and off. As mentioned in the first post even when the smart controller is in lights out the ballast still draws current from the wall so the lights are using power even when switched off, using the segment timers cuts all power to the ballasts so should be saving more money now anyway.

Also worth mentioning is that the smart controller has needed a reboot twice in the last year, it developed a glitch and wasn’t operating correctly until it had a power cycle then it goes back to normal.

That being said im still happy with it and it makes adjusting the lights a bit easier and more accurate.
Would i buy another one? Probably not if im honest but while it still operational ill use it at least once a week to make changes to the lights.
It can switch relays also but ive still never looked into getting that working.

Thats about all, just thiught id update with my findings

[Nom]

Update:

Unfortunately though it doesnt switch the lights off completely, i notice a very slight glow from some of the leds, this happens on both the xbars and the vbars, this is unacceptable in flower

I've spotted this issue before with some segmental timers, any ideas what causes it? Obviously it's letting some charge through when off but why? Is it fixable and has it always done that for you or has the issue arisen over time?

[Vador]

Update:

Unfortunately though it doesnt switch the lights off completely, i notice a very slight glow from some of the leds, this happens on both the xbars and the vbars, this is unacceptable in flower

I've spotted this issue before with some segmental timers, any ideas what causes it? Obviously it's letting some charge through when off but why? Is it fixable and has it always done that for you or has the issue arisen over time?

Tbh im not sure if its done it from the start or if it’s something that has developed.
My guess is it’s something to do with the pwm signal it uses to control the brightness, there must be a slight current leak or maybe some electrical interference im not sure.
Might get my oscilloscope out and have a play, i guess the pwm signal doesn’t quite reach 0v.
It uses a low voltage for the signal, 5v i think off the top of my head.

[Marcus]

My LED ISH4r still glows for a bit when I unplug it.

[Vador]

My LED ISH4r still glows for a bit when I unplug it.

I think thats quite normal with led lights its called luminescence, might be worth checking your connections though and make sure youve got a good ground and all the connections are still done up tight

https://lightadviser.com/led-lights-glo ... tched-off/

[2-Scoops]

Its been almost a year since i got this and its been running every day and is great for giving me control over the dimming of my lights.
Unfortunately though it doesnt switch the lights off completely, i notice a very slight glow from some of the leds

Thats no bloody good man, is it faulty . Maybe pop guy a pm and ask him to see if that's standard practice for the controllers, i cant see why it would be in all honesty cus it could fuck lot up couldn't it. Why would you sell owt that could do that, surly summink must be wrong with it Vador.

[Vador]

Its been almost a year since i got this and its been running every day and is great for giving me control over the dimming of my lights.
Unfortunately though it doesnt switch the lights off completely, i notice a very slight glow from some of the leds

Thats no bloody good man, is it faulty . Maybe pop guy a pm and ask him to see if that's standard practice for the controllers, i cant see why it would be in all honesty cus it could fuck lot up couldn't it. Why would you sell owt that could do that, surly summink must be wrong with it Vador.

Tbh i like using a segment timer anyway because it cuts power to the ballasts saving money and also increasing its lifespan i guess so im not that bothered about it.

You are right though it shouldn’t be like that, i need to have a play around and see whats going on really, as mentioned in the last post it could be the fact the pwm signal doesn’t reach 0v.
Also could be a fault with the dimmers on the lights themselves perhaps, the controller sends the pwm to the dimmer on the light which then decodes that into brightness, there is a possibility the dimmer on the light is faulty and not the smart controller. Need to get the oscilloscope out and take a look.
Maybe ill take the segment timer away when flowering is over and ill run some tests and document it a bit more, the leds only glow a slight bit and its probably not enough to cause problems but not worth the risk in my eyes so will wait till these plants have finished before i do that, i can’t remember if the v bars do it or if it was just the x bars. Ill find out