MaxMon's relay actuator enables you to switch battery-powered or low-voltage electrical devices on or off at your remote property (like lights, heaters, dehumidifiers or pumps) on a daily schedule, automatically in response to sensor alerts, or via our remote control web application. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting it working.
Pre-requisites
This page assumes you already have a Quatropus unit with external sensors connected to the Android phone and working with the MaxMon app. If not, please return to Getting started.
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You'll also need an Actuator-R2 module plugged into the Quatropus and wired in series with the circuit you wish to control. The Actuator-R2 includes screw terminal blocks but not wires. It can control two circuits: the first from the two left-hand terminals (facing into the green terminal block), the second from the right-hand terminals. |
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SAFETY NOTE: be careful connecting to external circuits. Short-circuiting batteries or connecting to high voltages (e.g. mains power) could destroy the MaxMon system or cause a fire. |
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Configuration
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Run the MaxMon app and go to "Settings> Actuators". |
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Press "Save". |
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Congratulations! You can now control low-voltage circuits from anywhere in the world (see MaxMon remote control), for example switching on a noisy food mixer to startle your dozing cat out of its torpor and back to guard duty. |
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So you can switch on a light, heater, bilge pump or dehumidifer in response to sensor alerts or scheduled tasks. You can even add actuator actions to sequences, for example switching on a light before taking a photo in response to a motion alert, then switching off the light a little later. You're no longer just monitoring ... you're taking control! |
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Ensure that:
Relay actuators are automatically discovered by MaxMon, so you should see the two relay actuator circuits on the "Settings> Actuators" screen.
Touch one of the relay actuators (not its ON|OFF toggle button) to access its settings. You can give an actuator a more meaningful label here, such as "Cabin lights" or "Bilge pump".
Touch an ON|OFF button to toggle its state to ON. You should hear an audible click as the relay opens or closes its circuit.
Furthermore, and this is where MaxMon enters a realm of capability all of its own, if you return to the "Settings> Actions" screen you will see that the newly added actuators now appear as ON|OFF actions.
For more information about actuators see 
