# Way2top LED Dimmer Question



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Not a user though have used "like models" a bit.
quick review seems to show different types of instability are , if not common, enough to be noticed..

Since it's nothing but a MOSFET switch circuit run by 5V logic..it should quench to zero.. All mine did.
That said it doesn't really take much to light Led's, little bit of leakage voltage.

Sounds like a bad copy...OR you have night mode on yet not seeing a way to shut it off..


> For S2,the brightness change of sunrise and sunset varies Jumpingly; S2 PRO is gradual, smoother than S2.S2 PRO has night light mode.S2 PRO increases frequency and reduces noise.


Second problem is it looks like if you power off the unit it will resume where it left off not the "current time".


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## DaveKS (Apr 2, 2019)

I’ve got mingdak and Nicrew Pro dimmers which are basically same class as those, Nicrew looks just like it. And yes at lowest ends of ramps you’ll see them jumping until they reach about 20% intensity. But that’s what you get for $20 or less. I don’t worry about it. 

You could easily use one of these analog dimmers and a standard mains timer if it sets your OCD off to much. Even though their flawed I have no problem with their function to price ratio. 

https://www.amazon.com/NICREW-Aquar...3C42RSEGP8V&psc=1&refRID=181WRQCVV3C42RSEGP8V

The one problem that set me off was sometimes, completely at random, if I had 1st or last step set at 20% or less the light would go into strobing. No reason why, happened on completely random days it would do that I could find. Basically I set my 1st/last steps at 25% or higher and it’s completely went away. It couldn’t have been good for light and/or maybe even timer itself to start doing that. You could even hear pulse through light as a rapid high frequency whine. Maybe @jeffkrol has a explanation of why, sometimes, it would randomly start doing that.


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## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

jeffkrol said:


> Second problem is it looks like if you power off the unit it will resume where it left off not the "current time".


Rats. That would rule out using an Alexa powerplug...



DaveKS said:


> I’ve got mingdak and Nicrew Pro dimmers which are basically same class as those, Nicrew looks just like it. And yes at lowest ends of ramps you’ll see them jumping until they reach about 20% intensity. But that’s what you get for $20 or less. I don’t worry about it.
> 
> You could easily use one of these analog dimmers and a standard mains timer if it sets your OCD off to much. Even though their flawed I have no problem with their function to price ratio.
> 
> ...


I read through the long list of comments from Jurijs Jutjajevs's video and it turned out that he has modified his original schedule due to flickering at low brightness settings and the "moonlight" issue. 

Here is his recommendation. I am trying it today. The 0% setting gets rid of the moonlight and the fast switch up to 10% skips past the tendancy to flicker. I have not seen flickering but that may be dependent upon the light itself. Someone else suggested not using all of the 8 steps. 

If I can get it working for $20 I will be very happy, otherwise I will keep searching. It is a bit odd that TwinStar does not have dimming and programming built in considering the price...

Dimmer schedule:
1: 0%
One minute between
2: 10%
Ramp up over 30 mins
3: 100% 
Keep 7,5hours for the main day cycle 
4: 100%
Ramp down over 30 mins 
5: 10%
One minute between
6: 0%


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## DaveKS (Apr 2, 2019)

On the mingdak and Nicrew Pro the last event you set time for is OFF, there is no power/intensity setting. No problem with having it go completely off.

My steps are 25%-45%-65%-45%-25%-OFF

You can get around them having no battery backup for clock memory by putting a mains timer in front of its power supply then you just use it for timing the steps/ramps. Every time mains power is cut clock will reset to zero (midnight), when power comes back on it will start going through steps again. 

Example of settings you’ll put in....
00:[email protected]%
01:[email protected]%
04:[email protected]%
08:[email protected]%
11:[email protected]%
12:[email protected]

That’s a 12hr light cycle it just stepped through. Your mains timer, which has a battery back up, you set for 12hr+min. 

Why they couldn’t add a button cell battery for clock memory to these units i have no idea, it couldn’t raise the price more than say a couple dollars a unit at most. Again we get what we pay for.


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## mboley (Jan 26, 2018)

I just bought the same dimmer and a Twinstar 900s.

My original programming only used 7 of the 8 intervals with the last one programmed for zero power. It didn't work, the light never turned off.

I then programmed all 8 intervals with #s 1 and 8 programmed at zero, and set minimums at 15%.
This works. So far I'm very pleased with both the light and the timer.


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## Kandomere (Apr 16, 2020)

I purchased the Way2Top dimmer for the Twinstar 600SP after watching Jurijs video. 

I'm still tweaking the ramp time with my co2. I set #7 to 1% for ambient lighting then #8 to 0 and it shuts down. But soon after, my TP-link cuts power entirely. I start at 1% in the morning not zero. ...2 weeks and no issues.


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## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

Kandomere said:


> I purchased the Way2Top dimmer for the Twinstar 600SP after watching Jurijs video.
> 
> I'm still tweaking the ramp time with my co2. I set #7 to 1% for ambient lighting then #8 to 0 and it shuts down. But soon after, my TP-link cuts power entirely. I start at 1% in the morning not zero. ...2 weeks and no issues.


Mine is working well now also with the new schedule. Interesting that you are able to cut power and that it still works the next day when power resumes. I assume that this is because when you resume power it resumes at #1 again. I guess this also means that it does keep the actual time for a while after power is cut.


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## Kandomere (Apr 16, 2020)

mourip said:


> Mine is working well now also with the new schedule. Interesting that you are able to cut power and that it still works the next day when power resumes. I assume that this is because when you resume power it resumes at #1 again. I guess this also means that it does keep the actual time for a while after power is cut.


I just assume that, for this type of device nowadays, it will have a built-in battery for memory. and it won't matter what level I start with. if you recall on Jurijs' video, at 8m 50s, he said 'I used to have ten percent there before...' so it does have memory.


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## DaveKS (Apr 2, 2019)

Kandomere said:


> I just assume that, for this type of device nowadays, it will have a built-in battery for memory. and it won't matter what level I start with. if you recall on Jurijs' video, at 8m 50s, he said 'I used to have ten percent there before...' so it does have memory.


They have memory for all your steps/intensity (nonvolatile memory) but they have no battery backup for actual clock time. Power goes out it, resets to 00:00 (midnight). I keep hoping that some makers in this price/class would implement that feature but so far have been disappointed. Where I live have had a slew of quick brown/blackouts last two years, not a bunch of big storms, just quick flashes usually during day but enough to mess these timers clock up.

But I’ve got 2 of these on tubs downstairs connected to a reg dig timer that does have battery back up. When power outages happen and then comes back on they will be out of sync for rest of that day, but next days on/off power cycle happens and their both back in sync with mains timer. Since I started using them this way the fact they have no clock time backup is irrelevant, 1min after power comes back on they start running through cycle on all tanks. Next day with no power outage events their back up in perfect sync.

Let us know if yours behave differently (has a actual clock backup).


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## Kandomere (Apr 16, 2020)

DaveKS said:


> They have memory for all your steps/intensity (nonvolatile memory) but they have no battery backup for actual clock time. Power goes out it, resets to 00:00 (midnight). I keep hoping that some makers in this price/class would implement that feature but so far have been disappointed. Where I live have had a slew of quick brown/blackouts last two years, not a bunch of big storms, just quick flashes usually during day but enough to mess these timers clock up.
> 
> But I’ve got 2 of these on tubs downstairs connected to a reg dig timer that does have battery back up. When power outages happen and then comes back on they will be out of sync for rest of that day, but next days on/off power cycle happens and their both back in sync with mains timer. Since I started using them this way the fact they have no clock time backup is irrelevant, 1min after power comes back on they start running through cycle on all tanks. Next day with no power outage events their back up in perfect sync.
> 
> Let us know if yours behave differently (has a actual clock backup).


 I think mine behaves differently. Power is cut off for 7 hours. When it's back on, clock-time still matches my mobile phone.


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## ilike0ranges (Aug 11, 2020)

Bump:


mboley said:


> I just bought the same dimmer and a Twinstar 900s.
> 
> My original programming only used 7 of the 8 intervals with the last one programmed for zero power. It didn't work, the light never turned off.
> 
> ...


Hi there,

Did you need to get an adapter with your Twinstar 900s? I'm planning on getting one in the near future but I'm having a hard time choosing which one I need as far as a 5.5 x 2.5mm vs a 5.5 x 2.1mm..

Also any reason why you decided to get the 900s vs the 900e?


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## mourip (Mar 15, 2020)

ilike0ranges said:


> Bumpid you need to get an adapter with your Twinstar 900s? I'm planning on getting one in the near future but I'm having a hard time choosing which one I need as far as a 5.5 x 2.5mm vs a 5.5 x 2.1mm. Also any reason why you decided to get the 900s vs the 900e?


I wanted to get the 600e but they were not in stock at the time and I really wanted to get my tank going. So I then ordered a 600sc but it had a manufacturing problem. Aqua Forest replaced it with a 600sa. The 600 cost more but it has adjustment for height and the dimmer lets me use it for the low light plants that I have now.

I needed 2 adapters for my Way2top S2 Pro dimmer, one for the input and one for the output.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N812NKL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N1A4BGV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## mboley (Jan 26, 2018)

ilike0ranges said:


> Bump:
> 
> 
> mboley said:
> ...



Here is the description of the adapter I bought and it is the only one I needed:

Omnihil Adapter Plug Converter 5.5millimeters x 2.1millimeters Female Plug to 5.5millimeters x2.5millimeters Male Plug…


I bought the S because it is a more powerful light with more red Led's. Imo it is the way to go. You can always turn it down if it is too much light for your plants with the dimmer programming.


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