Autopilot PX1 Digital Lighting Controller from Hydrofarm – Controller and Ballast Set Up

Published on Sunday, 15 May 2016

The Autopilot PX1 Digital Lighting Controller from Hydrofarm provides centralized, dual-zone digital control of your DE lighting, allowing you to switch, dim and boost multiple USB-compatible Hydrofarm ballasts at once—up to 256 in each of two independent zones for a total capacity of 512 ballasts. The trunk-line cable connections ensure perfect communication between the controller and all ballasts in the chain.

The PX1 has two dedicated temperature sensors—one for each zone—that provide real-time data for automated temperature-based dimming, as well as a high temperature shutdown feature that protects your garden while you’re away. The PX1 replaces traditional analog lighting relays, and eliminates inrush current. Each of its dual zones provides precise and independent:

  • Photoperiod timing to control light and dark cycles
  • Wattage output control, which allows users to control the intensity of the light being emitted from fixtures
  • Auto-dimming when temperature exceeds set points
  • Emergency auto-shutdown of lights upon user-defined over temperature events
  • Configurable restrike delay times, which eliminates lamp-damaging hot starts
  • Sunrise/sunset simulation settings, which provide a gradual ramp-up and down at both ends of your photoperiod
  • Includes 2 - 20' temperature probes
  • includes 8' 100v-240v 50/60hz power adapter

The PX1 Digital Lighting Controller is easy to set up, and is compact and lightweight. It is a true digital ballast interface that makes multiple-ballast control easy and affordable to achieve. It is simply more powerful, more reliable, and more capable than competing controllers. The PX1 is designed to work with any Phantom or Hydrofarm ballasts with USB connectivity, and are ideally paired with PARsource DE reflectors and Agrosun DE HPS lamps.

(*RJ12 connection cables and splitter are included in the ballast box)