Garden Highpro TemPro+ digital timer

A digital plug-in timer you set to the minute, with eight programs and a backup battery that keeps the time through a power cut. Rated up to 16 amps and 3680 watts, for indoor use.

Built for short cycles

A mechanical timer works in segments of fifteen or thirty minutes. That is plenty for a light schedule. For a pump that needs to run for three minutes it is far too coarse: the shortest step you can set is already five times too long.

The TemPro+ sets to the exact minute. It has eight programs, each with its own on and off time, so you can for example:

• Run a drip system for a few minutes at a time, several times a day across the light period, instead of one large watering.
• Start a circulation or air pump at fixed times.
• Let an extraction fan run on for another fifteen minutes after the lights go off.

A program can run every day or only on the days you pick. One button also switches the timer to permanently on, permanently off, or back to the program (AUTO).

Power gone, time kept

A mechanical timer stops the moment the power drops and runs late from then on, until somebody notices. This one has a rechargeable 1.2 volt NiMH battery that, according to the label, lasts more than 100 hours. Your time and programs are kept, and once the power returns it switches at the right moment again. The socket itself is of course dead for as long as the outage lasts.

Garden Highpro states an accuracy of plus or minus one minute per month. Check the clock every few months and correct it if needed.

The one button to leave alone

The control panel has a RANDOM button. A random function exists to make an empty house look lived in: the timer shifts its switching times by a small random amount each time. For a lamp in the living room that is clever. In a grow room you want the opposite, with lights and waterings arriving at exactly the same time every day. If your timer switches at unexpected moments, check first that this function has not been turned on by accident.

Pumps yes, lamps preferably not directly

The 3680 watts on the label is measured with a load that draws current evenly, such as a heat mat or a heater. An LED driver or ballast draws a short, high surge the instant it switches on, and Garden Highpro publishes no figure for that. Pumps, fans and heat mats are fine on this timer. For your grow light we recommend the LUMii Heavy Duty Timer, or a relay box such as the Cli-mate Mini-controller with this timer driving it.

Technical Specifications:

• Type: digital plug-in timer with socket
• Model number: GH-A-256-EU
• Smallest step: 1 minute
• Programs: 8 on and off times
• Day selection: every day or chosen days of the week
• Modes: permanently on, program (AUTO) and permanently off
• Accuracy: plus or minus 1 minute per month
• Backup battery: NiMH 1.2 V, more than 100 hours
• Display: backlit
• Mains voltage: 210 to 230 V, 50/60 Hz
• Maximum load: 16 A, 3680 W with an even load
• Plug: Schuko (type F), for the Netherlands and Germany
• Operating temperature: -10 to +40 °C
• Use: indoors, dry

Frequently asked questions

Can I run a pump for less than a minute?
No, one minute is the smallest step. For cycles of a few seconds you need a dedicated cycle timer.

Are my settings kept if I unplug the timer?
Yes. The built-in battery holds the time and programs for more than 100 hours, according to the label.

Can I plug my grow light straight into it?
We do not recommend it, because the manufacturer gives no figure for a lamp's switch-on surge. Use the LUMii Heavy Duty Timer for a single lamp, and put a relay box in between for several lamps, with this timer driving it.

How does it differ from the Garden Highpro TemPro+ analogue timer?
The analogue TemPro+ uses pins in thirty-minute steps and runs late after a power cut, though it does have a slide switch to hold it on for a while. This digital TemPro+ sets to the minute, has eight programs and keeps its time on a battery. Both will handle a light schedule; only this one handles short watering cycles. The same goes for the Fertraso timer, which is analogue too.