"SlimFlem" wrote in message
news:n_7R9.607536$NH2.41163@sccrnsc01...
Bruce Geist, I just saw your posting from back in April 2001 about this
system. Are you still using it and if so, how is it working out? Have
you
made any modifications to it, if so what? Did you end up buying a PH
controller? Did that help your PH swings? Also, how often do you have to
refill the bottle and what size tank is it running on?

Yes, I do have this system. At the time I bought it, the UltraLife system
came with everything-- filled CO2 bottle, diffuser, needle valve, solenoid,
silicone tubing, and regulator. That is why I paid the extra money for this
system. I had not had CO2 before, and was not sure what to get. After
realizing that I was going to have a difficult time leaving town
periodically if I did not have a CO2 controller, I decided to buy the
American Marine PinPoint controller as well. Here is an overview of how the
system I have works. (I provide this overview because I have had some
problems that I will describe once I give the background.)

The American Marine controller has a probe that is placed in the water. The
working end of the probe is a glass sphere that has an electrode suspended
in some fluid. The basic operating principal is that a tiny electric
current is induced in the electrode that is proportional to the PH of the
water. That is, the current varies linearly with PH. As the PH goes up and
down, the voltage goes up and down (or down and up.. not quite sure of
whether the line has a positive slope of not). You calibrate the controller
about once every three or four weeks. Calibration basically is designed to
determine two things: where does the line cross PH = 7.0 and what is the
slope of the line. These two numbers, the slope and intercept, define how
voltage produced within the PH probe varies with PH. As PH varies in the
water, and hence the voltage induced across the probe varies, the controller
will turn an electric outlet (that is built into the controller) on and off.
When the PH goes above a defined threshold, the outlet is energized. This
outlet powers a solenoid on the UltraLife regulator. When on, the CO2 is
flowing at a rate proscribed by the adjustment of the valves on the needle
valve and regulator. When the PH of the water sinks below the PH threshold
minus about .1, the outlet is de-energized, and the CO2 flow is stopped.
Basically, my PH is pretty much rock steady between 6.65 and 6.75, so long
as I maintain a good calibration. (You do need to calibrate no less than
about once a month..)

The one problem I have had with the UltraLife system is that the solenoid,
which is part of the UltraLife system, tends to buzz when the power is
turned on. It is strange: the buzzing will go on for a few days, and then,
for some reason, it quiets again. I cannot figure out why. I called
UltraLife, and I think they would have replaced my regulator had I pushed
the issue. Since the buzzing is sporadic, I have not yet taken the time to
replace it. Its been long enough now that I would probably have to pay for
a new regulator/solenoid. I may look into how I can replace the solenoid on
the regulator myself.

In summary, the UltraLife system is a decent system. When I bought it,
everything was done for you-- which was very nice. (After 9/11, I think
they stopped shipping filled CO2 bottles, and I bought mine before then.)
However, my shiny new aluminum CO2 tank wound up being exchanged for a
filled but ugly steel tank. So, I wish I had known NOT to buy a fancy, nice
looking tank. There is no point. You will probably have to exchange it for
a very used but filled steel tank when you run out of CO2. The welding
supply company that I get CO2 from sells tanks for about 50 bucks. I can't
remember exactly what I paid for the tank, but it was more than 50 bucks.

Secondly, there may be setups where the solenoid that turns CO2 ON and OFF
is separate from the regulator. If there are, this is better, because if
you have trouble like I continually have with buzzing, you can simply get a
new solenoid. Note that if you do not have a controller, then your
regulation of CO2 comes down to getting the right flow rate out of the
valves. If you are using the UltraLife, the unit would always be plugged
into an outlet (to keep the CO2 flowing), and the buzzing problem may be
worse than what I experience with the controller in the loop (which shuts
the CO2 on and off). Let me know what you find out! -Bruce Geist