StokerLog Version 4.0 Preview


 
I have no way of testing it on Win2K. But I know at least one other member uses Win2K and it works there. At least earlier versions did.
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I have computers with almost all OS installed (inc. Debian Linux). I installed and ran StokerLog v4.0(RC) on a W2K OS computer, no problem. Might be .net 2.0 or patches.

Here is the updated version 4.0.

Ken, I put in the fix so that it remembers the changed log file without doing anything else. Let me know if it doesn't work for you.

There are also a few other bug fixes. For example, the alarm used to go on/off if the temp oscillated above and below the target. Now the alarm goes on and stays on.
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FYI only
I have the new 4.0 RC installed on 3 computer , 2 xp-pro and a w2k. I still cannot change the log file, and I have tried at every stage of operation; first step after opening, before and after F5, before start logging after stop logging, immediate save after change. Note: I will allow me to change the name, but, after I do, I hit the tab to make sure it got it, then press done. If I got back, it has changed it back to StokerLog.txt. I thought maybe there a default value for the file name field and that by going back in, I was changing it, But that is not the case. If I press start logging after changing the name, it still starts logging to StokerLog.txt.

What we should do probably is start gathering the collective wisdom on what recipe would work for each cook. I would then be able to put pre-sets in there for each one.
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I agree, what can I do to help? We probably need only a few fields. MeatCut, MeatWeight, CookerTemp, TargetTemp, ShelfTemp, ShelfDuration. (Shelf being the word I use to describe the point at which temps fails to increase at a normal rate)

Thanks again for all your selfless time and devotion to this. This tech support is a nightmare. I know, been there, done that, still doing it. I sometimes feel that every computer in the world has a mind of it's own. Some call it AI, I call AS.
 
That's strange Ken. I just tried it and it works for me.

Please try this simple proceedure.

Start the program. Then go to Settings->Advanced and change the file name to "foo.txt."

Quit the program.

Start it again and go to Settings->Advanced and tell me what file name you see there.

Also, type Run->regedt32. And hit control-F to search for "Stokerlog" and let me know what you see in Logfile on the right hand side.
 
Ah, hang in there Ken. I see an issue there let me see if I can find the cause...

But do try the experiment I mentioned above.
 
you are right, it worked like that. It seems to change it when I go there twice. If I exit the program after I change it, then go back in, it keeps it. Once I restart the app, it will even log to the correct file. If I happen to go into advanced again, it will show the correct file, but if I enter that forbidden region again, it will start logging to StokerLog.txt again.

BTW: if I save the configuration or read it, it will re-start the log in the configuration directory.
 
So here is the fixed version. I also added a button so that you can easily browse to the directory for where the log file should go. And I appended the path to file name if it does not exist so that you know where to find it.

Please let me know if you find any issues with it: http://la.gg/upl/StokerLog_4RC2.msi
 
Originally posted by Amir:
So here is the fixed version. I also added a button so that you can easily browse to the directory for where the log file should go. And I appended the path to file name if it does not exist so that you know where to find it.

Please let me know if you find any issues with it: http://la.gg/upl/StokerLog_4RC2.msi
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Amir,

It's perfect. I'll let you know how my cook goes tomorrow. Have a great weekend.
 
a few things that happened to me today,...it maybe a new user error since this was my first cook with a stoker,.. but will pass it on anyways

at 59 minutes exactly into the cook it just disconnected.

I dont think it ever stayed connected for more than two hours, with out having to restart.

tried to set the timer times and it crashed and shut down.

at the end of the cook it would not find the pit temp sensor,even thought I could still see it with a web browser and the stoker unit, at the box it was fine and the fan was working fine also,.... I tried closing the Stokerlog and restarting, nothing,... I shut down the stoker box and restarted twice...nothing

oher than that it was fun....
the bad thing is the stoker actually makes you more busy...atleast for now its still new, always checking and messing with it every 2 or 3 minutes.
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Mike, I am sorry it did not work for you. I supsect there is some networking problem at play which would cause the network drop and data corruption.

The Web interface runs infrequently and reconnects every time so it is able to recover better. You may want to install and use the older versions of the program if you can't solve the networking issues.

Are you using a wireless connection btw to connect to the stoker?
 
Yes I was using a patch cable ran to the garage and the wireless router in the garage, and the laptop on the bar in the kitchen 10 feet away connecting wireless.

Thanks
 
So to rule out wireless being the problem, can you try using an Ethernet cable for your laptop? You can run it against the stoker without cooking anything. just connect to it and let it run for 10-15 hours and see if it stays up. If it does, then you know it is some kind of interference on your wireless net.
 
Amir,

I did a couple of cooks last weekend and have some results and comment for you. I'd rather send them by e-mail since I hate to junk up the postings here. I saw your e-mail address on the other forum, can I send it there?

Ken

BTW you can reach my via my g-mail account krown.kpb
 
krown.kpb
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Thanks Ken. Just sent you email.

FYI, looks like I broke the log time feature in this latest review where it shows the elapsed time since midnight, rather that the start of the cook. It was a darn typing mistake.

I am cooking a chicken and when done, I will post the updated version.
 
Originally posted by Kerner:
... email alerts would be a great feature. The best part for me would be setting it up to email me notifications on my cell phone.
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I've extended Amir's "Web Alarm" feature to provide email and SMS messages (cell phone text messages). I've tested it for a few cooks and it's now ready for public consumption.

As long as my hosting service doesn't start charging me I'll let the Stoker community use the service for free.

To get an email message when an alarm occurs just enter the following in the Web Alarm field under Alarm Settings: http://PennLights.com/StokerLog/AlarmEmail.asp?Email=MyEmail@MyDomain.com

For details on configuring it for cell phone messages as well as other info goto http://PennLights.com/StokerLog
 
I've tried this with verizon and had a problem. It did not through using the format you suggested. I tried to set it up to go directly to vtext.com. I did get one message on my cell that indicated that it didn't work. That puzzeled me. So I went to my web host manager and set up a forwarding email address, cel8888@myweb.com and had it auto forward to my 8887778888@vtext.com. I then changed my StokerLog to use that email, and that worked like a charm. Thanks for your work. could you send that asp file to me so I can try it on my webserver? gmail account krown.kpb - thanks

Ken (not a real number up there)
 
Hi Amir

A followup on the registry bug I reported earlier, plus a couple more minor issues:
(And for the record, I'm a .NET software engineer... ;-)

* I noticed that when I show the permissions for HKCU/Software/AmirM Software/StokerLog, my login isn't shown - only "Administrators" and "SYSTEM". Now to make things more interesting, I installed on my work laptop (XP pro) and the registry entries showed my login in the permissions, and all permissions were set properly.

My home machine runs XP Pro, but I have Visual Studio 2003 installed with the .NET 1.1 framework. The .NET 2.0 framework is installed as well but I wouldn't bet it's up to date or properly installed. So maybe that's where the issue is coming from. When the installer creates the registry section, is it explicitly setting the permissions for the current login and/or Administrators group, or is the permission setting defaulting somehow? Seems setting it explicitly might fix the problem, though I agree that you shouldn't have to.

Minor issues:

* The green band on the graph disappeared during my first run and didn't come back until I changed the target temperature and clicked "update Stoker". Then it disappeared again sometime later when I dragged and zoomed the graph.

* If you add a note manually (or an automatic note like "Lid Opened") and the "Show Notes" checkbox is cleared, the note still appears. Toggle the "show notes" box on and off and the notes are hidden as expected.

* Not sure this is a bug, but... I had my pit temperature alarm set at 200 degrees, the target at 225 and opened the lid to baste my pork butts. The "auto lid" detection seemed to work and reset the alarm temp to 32, but the Stoker alarm still sounded and when I came back inside, the fire alarm was blaring on the PC.
I'm not sure when it came on, but I wonder if it was triggered after I put the lid back on and StokerLog detected the lid closure, reset the target temp and found that the pit temp was way below the low alarm?

Maybe the logic for lid closure should "ramp up" the alarm temp, keeping it below the current pit temp until we get back to the target temperature?

(I got lucky, as the laptop was next to my bed all night and I had just moved it to the living room - if it had gone off while my wife was still sleeping, I wouldn't be here writing this...)

Overall, I'm way more than just "impressed" by StokerLog - for a geek like me, the ability to combine technology with old-fashioned cooking is just way too cool. Thanks for all your hard work!
 
D. Penn, this is VERY cool. I just tried it out and it works great. I would also be interested in receiving the ASP file if you are sharing... elav "at" sbcglobal.net Great work!
 
Thanks for the detailed report Marty. I am in our car waiting to on the ferry to our vacation home. Once there, I will take a look to see if I can find the bugs you pointed out. Should be easy to fix them though.
 
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