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entaro
KeymasterI’ve seen it in the logs and wanted to contact you.
Apparently you’ve forced the ID 51000070 with the code on github. 51000070 is a stock firmware ID, you can’t use it this way.
Instead the code on Github will allocate a dynamic ID .
KeymasterHello @post9 , that is an excellent suggestion, I’ll make sure to have it added to the Examples section on the dashboard, thanks.
KeymasterHi @Moran that’s great. Don’t forget to post a few pictures, and if you have a few tips on how to get it going, it might help others.
KeymasterA new firmware version has been released on Github: https://github.com/radhoo/uradmonitor_kit1 , closing some of the open issues.
KeymasterThese are both excellent ideas! As I stated earlier, we will need some improvements to the sync mechanism, and these ideas could be useful there.
Regarding the CSV files, currently there is no automated way for uploading them, but I could offer a section on the dashboard, where model D users could manually drop their CSV files (perhaps in a zip file, all together) and the server would identify the missing data and add it to the DB. Is this something any of you would like to use? (That is until the automated SYNC is improved?)
KeymasterThat is regretful, any chance for a second experiment with more persistent observations?
KeymasterSome pics with this or more documentation on your experiment would be very helpful.
KeymasterIn your case it is excellent that the mic is outside, but we’ll need a general solution which is not easy. Any ideas?
Please see the diagram attached to make it easier to identify the resistor.
I am sending you the firmware by email.
KeymasterHi, I was curious if you had the chance to do the test and if you have any results.
KeymasterAbsolutely, a modular design could be very useful here, exactly as per your remarks. The issue is that initially the first product, the model A, was rainproof, and there any modularity would overcomplicate the design.
Now that so many hardware variants became available, it makes sense to reconsider modularity.
KeymasterHi @ddabrowa,
I get issues with WiFi too.
Even if the device is turned on since days (its hanging on a charger) and the settings menu shows that it is sending packages, the website uradmonitor.com shows that my Model D is offline. I have to reconnect to WiFi through the debug menu.
Unfortunately, the measured data is lost?The data is permanently stored in the CSV files. As discussed with Scott, I’ll look into this, but it is a complex code, so I will need to get a time frame for it. Hopefully soon.
please keep the reports coming. It’s the only way to improve what we have so far.
KeymasterThe other day I took the top cover off of my D and put some tape on the inside of it and that’s definitely done the trick. I used 3m VHB tape, because that’s what I had, but any foam-core double-sided tape should do the trick; I didn’t remove the backing from the side that’s in contact with the PCB. The VHB tape that I have is about 1mm thick, and reinstalling the top cover was a firm fit, so it doesn’t need to be anywhere near as thick as what Radu attached as an example. The PCB is 100% stable now, I don’t have any issues with the USB port anymore, and the power-on button only protrudes slightly.
Please post some pics, this is of major interest.
I can’t be 100% sure, because I don’t have any photos, but I think the top plate might have been installed back to front on mine – i.e. with the holes for the Geiger tube (and GPS LED) on the wrong side. It’s probably worth everyone checking to make sure that the holes for the Geiger tube are on the left, when the display is facing you.
Yes, the circular holes must be in front of the Geiger tube. Please correct this if wrong.
I had an issue just now where I arrived home and the D connected to the wireless, after which I started a sync of the offline data from the drive home. The samples uploaded at a rate of about 2 samples per second, at which point I initially thought that the API must have had a dramatic performance improvement, however I discovered that none of the data uploaded and the dashboard was still reporting that the last data upload was as I left work. I disabled the wireless and re-enabled it and it connected this time but, of course, the offline data from the drive home is gone. Nothing of note happened, and I didn’t go out of my way to record any specific data, so I’m not too worried but there was obviously an issue with the wireless.
There is a hard-copy of the data, in the CSV files, this never gets deleted. I’m saying it just in case, but it’s becoming obvious to me that the sync feature must be improved.
I’ll reply to the other messages here:Like Kurt, I’m finding the GPS to be unpredictable. I’m unable to predict when it might work or figure out how to orient it for greatest reliability; it’s basically fluke if I can position it so that it can achieve a lock.
Sitting in a cup holder that’s mounted quite high on the dash of my car, next to the centre vents, I can have 12 satellites on an overcast day and no signal on a completely clear day. Sometimes, when walking around the house, I’ll take it out of my jacket pocket to find that it has a lock with anywhere up to about five satellites but sitting on a counter in the kitchen, with the front facing outside, it has no lock – although standing on the kitchen table, a few metres from the counter and facing into the house, it will often lock on to 3-4 satellites.
A similar situation occurred just now when I was doing the grocery shopping. A few minutes after entering the store I took it out of my jacket pocket and saw that it had four of five satellites; I sat it in the bottom of the trolley (metal tubes with wire baskets in Australia) sitting on its back and it lost sync. It’s highly unlikely that that the trolley was behaving as a Faraday cage, since the wire spacing is quite large – about half the width of the D (when standing) and about the same depth.We might try something here. Get one of these antennas:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/6-20-6-6x20x6mm-thin-small-active-GPS-antenna-VSWR-Active-antenna-high-signal-top-performance/32686638729.html
And replace the current ceramic antenna, under the plastic cover. It uses an IPEX connector, so it will snap in place. You might get better signal, and this would solve the problem.I hope something can be done about the offline sync performance. On each of the last two work days I haven’t been able to upload live, which means that I’ve had 2840 and 3092 samples to upload by the time I arrived home; the 2840 samples took 5 hours and 20 minutes to upload last night, so I’m guessing that it’s going to take nearly 5 hours and 45 minutes tonight with a corresponding gap in samples. It actually started phantom-uploading yesterday (uploading quickly but not actually uploading at all), however poking the reset button and trying again after powering back up saw things happen correctly; fortunately, in this case, interrupting the upload caused it to start again and not lose any samples.
I will investigate it further, but it will take some time. We will need a new firmware to improve sync, hopefully the speed too.
Keymasterhi @Koplin, please see my added replies to Scott, https://www.uradmonitor.com/topic/model-d-feedback/#post-4651 .
I have noticed that the delay in input is annoying and so far I don’t know the pattern however I did notice if I turn off wifi, gps and activate mute, that the input lag reduces a bit. I do have issue with my USB port cables don’t firmly seat due to the PCB sliding in the case. Likewise for the power button is a tad deep but I actually like this because it prevent accidental activation. Finally the SD card is actually unreachable without tools. I just noticed Radu’s tips on adding something to keep the PCB from floating in the case and will give that a go, might fix the USB cable issue as well.
Stopping some of the modules might help as this frees some of the CPU and there is more time to react to taps. I detailed this in my reply to Scott, but one thing I need to highlight again is that you should be careful with the LCD, not to stress it. The LCD itself is sensitive and touches are recorded, but the CPU can’t process them in real time. So best thing to do when operating the model D, at least in the current firmware, is to click and hold until the action gets registered.
A newer firmware might implement a more clever mechanism to get along this limitation.Critically my last 3 trips have not shown up online. and I made sure to sync my data and it says “deleting file” etc… so not sure where the data is but I took a trip around my town, cruise ships running their equipment (PM 2.5 samples) around my hospital (Radiation etc) then I took it to my office and hit it with the X-Ray head. I love that the alarm was immediate, activating before the x-ray system finished its cycle (sub 1 second). Regardless of display the device alerted to the high dose (tested several times). These trips/data do not appear online for some reason. Had GPS on and locked until I went inside and my phone tethered the entire time with typical cell tower handoff and such so I am sure there was coverage dropouts at time.
All data is logged in the CSV files, separately, but it’s strange that the sync failed. Please try this repeatedly and let me know if you can see a pattern. Would love to see your x-ray tests myself! Send me the CSVs if you like.
While driving around occasionally behind a bus or big truck I would get what I suspect is an air quality alert (likely PM 2.5) however I couldn’t tell and I was hoping to see the samples online but again some data didn’t appear to make it to the site for some reason. Having a way to “tag” or mark an interesting moment would be neat.
Excellent suggestion! This is a great idea, we will have it for sure.
Overall I like the device and hope that with this sort of feedback that should there be a Rev 2 or firmware changes in the future that we can fix some of these issues. Sounds like firmware will improve as time goes on. I would really like the option of keeping my screen on. I used my portable battery to power the thing and would love to use it with the screen on more. Maybe have the geiger click a separate item you can mute or make louder etc. Our beaches got a lot of debris from the tsunami that caused Fukushima so having a portable device is really nice, not sure what I might find. The Model D didn’t like my BBQ when I lit it 🙂 gave me a nice warning from several feet away. One more addition would be localization options, timezone, MPH vs KPH, pressure, temp C vs F etc. Being in the states I am used to my backward ways.
This kind of feedback is what brought us here, initially the model A got some attention and the community slowly pushed things to more complicated features. So this is gold for me, thank you for taking so much of your time to enter this input.
Thanks for these additional suggestions, they are on the list for the future firmware changes.Overall I love the device and its rough edges. I am very grateful you kept working at it rather than rushing something out. Even the way it is now I don’t see it as nonfunctional in any way just sub optimal in a few areas and personally I am willing to accept this especially after reading about the challenges you had to overcome to bring this to market and the great feedback/support you provide such as the tape/toothpicks.
Thank you, having your support and encouragements like this certainly made things better.
Keep up the great work
KeymasterIf the sound level of interest is above 45dBA, then all is good, here is an example with a grass cutter machine operating a few meters away from 3 test detectors.
Attachments:
KeymasterThe noise sensor feature is currently experimental and got a bit too much exposure, also thanks to the forum community here (https://www.uradmonitor.com/topic/voice-sensor/). We got to roll it out a bit too soon, and there are major two issues:
1.Apparently, the issue is with the builtin fan, that creates too much noise in the same enclosure with the noise sensor. What happens is sounds below 45dBA cannot be detected.
2.Then the first boards was using an amplifier gain configuration of 100, a bit too much. This created some saturation, that we can see on the data from the various units.The fix for 2 involves only changing a resistor on the PCB (R28 from 100K to 39K) and updating the firmware. The fix for 1 doesn’t have a solution with the current design.
Attached please see noise-1.jpg illustrating the first issue. 82000071 and 82000088 are assembled and PCB is in the enclosure, while the 82000089 PCB is at first left unassembled.
Probably the best solution is to do the fix with the resistor+firmware, and install the microphone via a longer cable, away from the FAN.Attachments:
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