iSpindel Digital Hydrometer
- Thread starter Mattrox
- Start date
Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:
haven't tested that, but you should be able to check by placing horizontal and vertical before and after hitting reset 4 times. Have you done step 1 first to check if you even needed to do offset calibration.
Truman42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31/7/11
- Messages
- 3,973
- Reaction score
- 608
No not yet, Im still at work. Will check it when I get home and procede as per your steps. I hope it is out or Im back to square one. Thanks again for the help.
Truman42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31/7/11
- Messages
- 3,973
- Reaction score
- 608
Well it was out a little bit around 84 degrees from memory. So I re calibrated it lying at 90 degrees and it read around 89.8 degrees. I re did the sg calibration and then it started dropping wifi so I think the battery might have gone a bit too flat. Was reading 3.7V and its a 3.7V battery.
So Im charging it now and hopefully that wont reset the offset calibration again.
So Im charging it now and hopefully that wont reset the offset calibration again.
Did you check vertical that is the one that shows a larger error as per the GitHub description.
Truman42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31/7/11
- Messages
- 3,973
- Reaction score
- 608
The vertical angle after I re did the offset calibration was around .85 to 1.2 degrees I couldn't get it to 0.
Speedracer
New Member
@bee2gee Im interested in building one of the Cherry Phillips iSpindel can you provide me a parts list to build it? I have downloaded the pdf on this page but it is more of loose instructions than parts list https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/New_iSpindel_PCB_2_1__new_TP4056_module_.html. Also if you have any information on the Cherry Phillips design that would be great. After stumbling upon this thread it looks like one of the better ones but you are one of the only people i can find posting information about it.
Thanks
Thanks
bee2gee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 6/7/17
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 26
@Speedracer sure thing, happy to provide a kit. You won't be able to use a forum message but there's an email address you can use on my profile page comments.
I personally like the Cherry Philip design. I used a few of his first PCB which required the batteries to be soldered to pins and the use of ballast. I worked with him to develop the ones you see now with the battery clip because I really didn't like scratching up and soldering expensive batteries down. I saw a lot of people posting parts lists from various sellers etc and figured I may as well help people get access to them. The price I provide them for is +-/ a few dollars compared to if you sourced parts yourself, it's definitely a love thing. They're awesome little units, way more functionality compared to the Tilt (minus bluetooth) and they're less than 1/3 the price.
I personally like the Cherry Philip design. I used a few of his first PCB which required the batteries to be soldered to pins and the use of ballast. I worked with him to develop the ones you see now with the battery clip because I really didn't like scratching up and soldering expensive batteries down. I saw a lot of people posting parts lists from various sellers etc and figured I may as well help people get access to them. The price I provide them for is +-/ a few dollars compared to if you sourced parts yourself, it's definitely a love thing. They're awesome little units, way more functionality compared to the Tilt (minus bluetooth) and they're less than 1/3 the price.
angus_grant
Custom Title Now Available
They both have pluses and minuses. Cost of iSpindel being a major plus for us home-brewers.
One big plus Tilt has over iSpindel is in-fermentor connection verification. The Tilt app you can see straight away that a connection is made to your blue Tilt, and you can manually test data being sent through to API target. The iSpindel is a complete mystery as to what it is doing once you've placed it in the fermentor. Is it connected to the WiFi, is it sending readings, etc??
And once you've sealed the iSpindel and placed it in fermentor, you can't create calibration points. So a feature I am going to build into my Brewers Chronicle website is the ability to set a calibration figure on your registered iSpindel devices. This would then adjust received readings from the iSpindel (and also a manual bulk correction process for already received readings). More than once I've hurriedly replaced the battery and thrown the iSpindel into the fermentor. And then started receiving whacky readings because I didn't calibrate it again.
What functionality is different between the Tilt and iSpindel? I thought they did the same thing: temp and gravity readings. What am I missing out on?? :-D
One big plus Tilt has over iSpindel is in-fermentor connection verification. The Tilt app you can see straight away that a connection is made to your blue Tilt, and you can manually test data being sent through to API target. The iSpindel is a complete mystery as to what it is doing once you've placed it in the fermentor. Is it connected to the WiFi, is it sending readings, etc??
And once you've sealed the iSpindel and placed it in fermentor, you can't create calibration points. So a feature I am going to build into my Brewers Chronicle website is the ability to set a calibration figure on your registered iSpindel devices. This would then adjust received readings from the iSpindel (and also a manual bulk correction process for already received readings). More than once I've hurriedly replaced the battery and thrown the iSpindel into the fermentor. And then started receiving whacky readings because I didn't calibrate it again.
What functionality is different between the Tilt and iSpindel? I thought they did the same thing: temp and gravity readings. What am I missing out on?? :-D
Nullnvoid
Well-Known Member
That is my biggest issue with the iSpindel, you chuck it in the fermenter and just hope it keeps giving out the readings. I find that if the wifi goes down it just stops giving readings, sometimes it may come back, but most of the time it doesn't or does a few days later...maybe, you just don't know.
The ability to be able to correct the readings would be good. I know mine is 2 points off. Not game to try and shove it further down as thats how I broke my first before I got to use it so now I just put two points on all my gravity readings.
But still, it is a great piece of kit when it works!
bee2gee
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 6/7/17
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 26
I did a fair it of testing to make sure I got good reception with the unit in my fermenters. I ended up with a pretty powerful router on top and in the middle of my two main fermentation fridges/chambers. There are a few projects out there to use a RasPi as a wifi repeater and I've noticed the Tilt also has a repeater unit available now.
As far as adjusting points on the fly, that's the main reason I moved to using Fermentrack. If you're not happy with the calibration or it moves, you can always re-calibrate at the current state without having to reset the whole unit.
Same, I find myself adding a reading to the calibration points every now in order to get my readings nice and accurate
Moad
Well-Known Member
Openwrt is a good wifi repeater for the pi. I’m using it as a bridge but you can also setup repeaters
Mikeyr
" wait.. I had something for this.."
I want to concur on Truman's comment on Bee2Gee, great communication, great service all around decent bloke!
Mine has worked from day one and for those that have a Grainfather, you can add the iSpindel as equipment and track on their website. I didn't think of "Education" subs on Ubidots and $50/m is a bit steep! Found the GF one by accident.
Mine has worked from day one and for those that have a Grainfather, you can add the iSpindel as equipment and track on their website. I didn't think of "Education" subs on Ubidots and $50/m is a bit steep! Found the GF one by accident.
I decided to opt for Ubidots as you can add a custom Graph with a range of outputs and you also get to see the Voltage, WiFi strength, tilt angle and Plato along with the Temperature and Gravity (after inputting a formula) in your group of variables whereas the GF site only provides the Gravity and Temperature variables...
Brewfather, has option to have the ispindel report to their site, so you can track the progress (including, voltage, RSSI, angle). I have a premium account, so not sure if it's on the free version also.
I personally highly rate this integration
I personally highly rate this integration
GrumpyPaul
Well-Known Member
Have just set up my ispindel and have it in its first ferment.
I set it to read at 15 minute intervals.
I'm getting temp readings every 15 minutes but gravity is only reading intermittently.
Any thoughts or ideas on why I'm not getting gravity every time it reads?
I set it to read at 15 minute intervals.
I'm getting temp readings every 15 minutes but gravity is only reading intermittently.
Any thoughts or ideas on why I'm not getting gravity every time it reads?
