Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
I got my first Tilt hydrometer (black) on Monday that then went right into a batch. Initially it was picked up no issue with my phone to check things. I didn't realize that it has NO internal logging function and you HAVE to keep the software running in the forefront in order for it to do so (LAME!!!). Anyway, move forward to today and I cannot get it to connect to my phone even when placing it right at the fermenter. Earlier I could get the older software to connect, but not the 'Tilt 2' release. Now neither do. I also got the range extender so that I don't have to camp out right at the damned thing. I have a cheap tablet arriving tomorrow that ALL it will do is connect to this.
Question is, how many find they have to replace the battery the thing ships with before even using it once? It appears that this is the issue since it did work at the start, as well as from time to time yesterday, but now is a festival of FAIL. I do have some of the batteries is uses on hand, so that's a decent thing at least. But if the things are running from the factory, they need to stop that crap. Either have the battery outside of the unit, or place a strip that you pull in order to complete the circuit before first use. Since I have it in my conical fermenter, there's zero way for me to remove it to replace the battery.
At ~$135 a pop, the things SHOULD come with a battery life of at least a handful of batches. Actually at $200 a pop if you add the signal repeater if you're fermenting in stainless steel. Don't get me started on getting that thing setup to connect to the correct color. Talk about a crappy instructions as well as way to figure out IF you have it at the correct color. Would it have killed them to simply illuminate the dot on the side with the color of the unit you want to connect to?? Seriously, it MIGHT cost another buck to get that added once designed up (you know these cost less than $10 total to produce, then sell for $65 a pop).
My only hope is that once I have the new tablet setup with the software, tied to a power block 24x7 because it can't go to sleep, close the display, or anything crazy like that it will actually be connected for readings. I'm considering getting a second one (with repeater) so that I can at least use one in each fermenter. Mostly due to the next brew day is slated for between the 16th and 18th of this month, and the batch in process now won't be to keg and can until around the 23rd to 25th.
BTW, the main thing I wanted this for beer temperature readings and maybe the FG. I wanted to confirm that the temperature deeper in the conical matches what the glycol chiller sensor is also showing. I've already confirmed that the OG it showed was .003 lower than actual (used my digital refractometer to get the OG). Which is outside of their stated accuracy. That's less of an issue to me, since I plan to keep using the digital refractometer for the OG. I do plan to confirm the FG it shows with the refractometer as well, before I start the carbonation process. I hope that the FG number is either close enough, or the same between the tilt and refractometer (after running the refractometer number through software). I'll probably always do a confirmation check, but it would be nice to not HAVE to do that to be sure of the numbers.
Question is, how many find they have to replace the battery the thing ships with before even using it once? It appears that this is the issue since it did work at the start, as well as from time to time yesterday, but now is a festival of FAIL. I do have some of the batteries is uses on hand, so that's a decent thing at least. But if the things are running from the factory, they need to stop that crap. Either have the battery outside of the unit, or place a strip that you pull in order to complete the circuit before first use. Since I have it in my conical fermenter, there's zero way for me to remove it to replace the battery.
At ~$135 a pop, the things SHOULD come with a battery life of at least a handful of batches. Actually at $200 a pop if you add the signal repeater if you're fermenting in stainless steel. Don't get me started on getting that thing setup to connect to the correct color. Talk about a crappy instructions as well as way to figure out IF you have it at the correct color. Would it have killed them to simply illuminate the dot on the side with the color of the unit you want to connect to?? Seriously, it MIGHT cost another buck to get that added once designed up (you know these cost less than $10 total to produce, then sell for $65 a pop).
My only hope is that once I have the new tablet setup with the software, tied to a power block 24x7 because it can't go to sleep, close the display, or anything crazy like that it will actually be connected for readings. I'm considering getting a second one (with repeater) so that I can at least use one in each fermenter. Mostly due to the next brew day is slated for between the 16th and 18th of this month, and the batch in process now won't be to keg and can until around the 23rd to 25th.
BTW, the main thing I wanted this for beer temperature readings and maybe the FG. I wanted to confirm that the temperature deeper in the conical matches what the glycol chiller sensor is also showing. I've already confirmed that the OG it showed was .003 lower than actual (used my digital refractometer to get the OG). Which is outside of their stated accuracy. That's less of an issue to me, since I plan to keep using the digital refractometer for the OG. I do plan to confirm the FG it shows with the refractometer as well, before I start the carbonation process. I hope that the FG number is either close enough, or the same between the tilt and refractometer (after running the refractometer number through software). I'll probably always do a confirmation check, but it would be nice to not HAVE to do that to be sure of the numbers.