StokerLog Version 4.0 Preview
- Thread starter Amir
- Start date
Amir,
I've taken the programming plunge we talked about, just started learning C# and asp.net with MS Visual Studio. So far, so good, looks like I got about a hundred years to catch up on.
In the meantime, I am finding your software very useful and even exciting. I seem to live in a lightening belt so power fluctuations are frequent. That might explain my occasional lost connection problem. I was cooking 3-1-1 ribs today when about 50 minutes into it, I lost connection. When I finally re-started everything, I had to look at my .txt file to see when I started so I could re-adjust my timers. Other than that, everything went great and the ribs were fantastic.
Thanks again,
I've taken the programming plunge we talked about, just started learning C# and asp.net with MS Visual Studio. So far, so good, looks like I got about a hundred years to catch up on.
In the meantime, I am finding your software very useful and even exciting. I seem to live in a lightening belt so power fluctuations are frequent. That might explain my occasional lost connection problem. I was cooking 3-1-1 ribs today when about 50 minutes into it, I lost connection. When I finally re-started everything, I had to look at my .txt file to see when I started so I could re-adjust my timers. Other than that, everything went great and the ribs were fantastic.
Thanks again,
If you are using a wireless connection to your stoker there are often connection problems that can be cause by RFI (Radio Frequency Interference.) These can be caused by cordless phones, Microwave ovens, neighbors wireless networks, etc.
These brief interuptions on a wireless network might not be normally noticed when doing things like web surfing or checking email on a laptop, but are very noticable on the stoker logging application which utilizes the connection frequently (every couple seconds) over an extended period of time.
This has become more noticable as Amir has updated his program to have a more "real-time" interface to the controller.
To get around this, you can bring the stoker controller inside where it can be connected directly to the network via cat-5 cabling and run a long stereo headphone extension cord from the controller out to the Smoker for the probes and fan.
This has the added benefit of being able to hear the Stoker alarms in the house and not bothering the neighbors if the alarms go off in the middle of the night.
Or you can run a Cat-5 cable outside near the smoker.
These brief interuptions on a wireless network might not be normally noticed when doing things like web surfing or checking email on a laptop, but are very noticable on the stoker logging application which utilizes the connection frequently (every couple seconds) over an extended period of time.
This has become more noticable as Amir has updated his program to have a more "real-time" interface to the controller.
To get around this, you can bring the stoker controller inside where it can be connected directly to the network via cat-5 cabling and run a long stereo headphone extension cord from the controller out to the Smoker for the probes and fan.
This has the added benefit of being able to hear the Stoker alarms in the house and not bothering the neighbors if the alarms go off in the middle of the night.
Or you can run a Cat-5 cable outside near the smoker.
I have my wireless problem straightened out. I did a little tweaking and was able to stay completly connected for 16 hours straight. I'm calling that fixed. Time for a brisket.
Hey Amir, haven't seen a post from you in a while. How you doing? Are you still tweaking your app?
Hey Amir, haven't seen a post from you in a while. How you doing? Are you still tweaking your app?
I am around
I have fixed a couple of bugs and have a couple of others to clean. I might post that later.
Hi Amir,
Glad you are getting to spend some quality time with the family.
Here is a really good recipe/technique for doing a turkey that will turn out perfect.
Notice the "Two Important Steps" if nothing else.
His method of icing down the breast before the cook allows the brown meat to be done without overcooking the white meat.
It is also important to pull the turkey before you hit the desired internal temps because the bird will continue to cook from the internal heat as it sits on the counter and will come up another 5 to 10 degrees.
Glad you are getting to spend some quality time with the family.
Here is a really good recipe/technique for doing a turkey that will turn out perfect.
Notice the "Two Important Steps" if nothing else.
His method of icing down the breast before the cook allows the brown meat to be done without overcooking the white meat.
It is also important to pull the turkey before you hit the desired internal temps because the bird will continue to cook from the internal heat as it sits on the counter and will come up another 5 to 10 degrees.
Hi Barry. I did not see the link to the recipe. Do you mind posting it?
Oh, that's pretty clever!
That was my problem more or less but can't figure out why. The week before, I had done chickens at the same temp, 235, and it came out incredibly good and juicy. It took about 4 hours if my memory is right. So I cooked the turkey at the same temp. But to my surprise, it claimed to have reached 170 in about 2.5 hours! Some of the probes showed lower temp so I thought maybe I had them positioned wrong so I continued to cook to 5 hours. And as I reported, it was too dry by then.
Can't figure out why the turkey which weighed twice as much, would cook faster than the chicken. Both were marinated overnight in the fridge.
Sorry, I forgot the link:
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/madmaxturkey.htm
Sometimes the temp probes give a false reading when they are too close to a bone. It helps to use more than one and move them to a different position if a reading looks not quite right.
It is also handy to have super fast reading thermometer to spot check temps when you are not sure about a probes positioning or accuracy.
I really like to use a Thermapen:
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/index.html
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/madmaxturkey.htm
Sometimes the temp probes give a false reading when they are too close to a bone. It helps to use more than one and move them to a different position if a reading looks not quite right.
It is also handy to have super fast reading thermometer to spot check temps when you are not sure about a probes positioning or accuracy.
I really like to use a Thermapen:
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/index.html
Amir,
The Stoker log is still serving me well. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the time and effort you have spent on this project. For this reason I feel especially bad about suggesting another enhancement. But I will anyway, here is what I had in mind. Today I am doing a picnic ham, first time so I don't know what to expect in the way of temp shelves, cooking times and temps and other how to's. But I had to do something after I stated the cook that I do very seldom and do with a great deal of trepidation. I had to go the Wal-Mart. It's over now and I'm all right for now, but I may have nightmares later. Anyway, I was thinking as I stood in Wal-Mart, that I sure wish I knew how my stuff was doing. I had the alarms set, but you know what they say about inquiring minds. SO I thought it would be a good idea, for the stoker log to send me a text message every (x) minutes with a report on (currentControlTemp/setControlTemp,currectProbe1Temp/setProb1Temp, etc, etc, stability/avg) usual stuff that you look at when you view the app. You could let the user choose notification interval, (15,30,60,90 minutes) use the same URL as the other alarms, but no on computer alarm, just the email alert. You would need to send more data. I have the asp script and have modified slightly from what I received before, and would be happy to modify it further and share the URL with others.
The Stoker log is still serving me well. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the time and effort you have spent on this project. For this reason I feel especially bad about suggesting another enhancement. But I will anyway, here is what I had in mind. Today I am doing a picnic ham, first time so I don't know what to expect in the way of temp shelves, cooking times and temps and other how to's. But I had to do something after I stated the cook that I do very seldom and do with a great deal of trepidation. I had to go the Wal-Mart. It's over now and I'm all right for now, but I may have nightmares later. Anyway, I was thinking as I stood in Wal-Mart, that I sure wish I knew how my stuff was doing. I had the alarms set, but you know what they say about inquiring minds. SO I thought it would be a good idea, for the stoker log to send me a text message every (x) minutes with a report on (currentControlTemp/setControlTemp,currectProbe1Temp/setProb1Temp, etc, etc, stability/avg) usual stuff that you look at when you view the app. You could let the user choose notification interval, (15,30,60,90 minutes) use the same URL as the other alarms, but no on computer alarm, just the email alert. You would need to send more data. I have the asp script and have modified slightly from what I received before, and would be happy to modify it further and share the URL with others.
That's on my TODO list Ken. It is not a lot of work but I just haven't been able to spend time on the project. Maybe I put this in before getting into next version.
I am at our vacation home so won't have a chance to do this until I get back home mid-next week.
And yes, I would need a new syntax to describe all the parameters. I will cook up something (pun intended
) and post it here so that you/Dan can implement it.
I am at our vacation home so won't have a chance to do this until I get back home mid-next week.
And yes, I would need a new syntax to describe all the parameters. I will cook up something (pun intended
Amir,
I took your advice and am trying to learn Visual Studio. While you and your family were having fun in the sun and having a big-ole time, I was trying to adapt my linear thinking to OOP and the MS C# asp.net VS2005 enviornment
. I have been working on the timer programs and now I have something worked out that you might want to look at. It's a form with 3 regular timers that when given a duration, sets an array of time objects and turns on a timer. That timer checks to see if one of the events are ready and if so turns on an alarm. If all 3 timers have expired, it turns itself off. The form also has another interval timer that will activate every (x) interval, until that value set is changed to 0. If you edxit the app for any reason, and re-start it, it will look to see if any timers should still be active and if so, resumes them at once. I'd like to send it to you to see if you can use any of it. It's primitive, but it's my first real attenmt of doing anything better than "Hello World." Just let me know where to send it if you would like to review it.
Right now, I've got to get a steak on the GD.
Ken
I took your advice and am trying to learn Visual Studio. While you and your family were having fun in the sun and having a big-ole time, I was trying to adapt my linear thinking to OOP and the MS C# asp.net VS2005 enviornment
Right now, I've got to get a steak on the GD.
Ken
G
Guest
Guest
O.K. I knew this was for programmers and not for folks like me. I have read this entire thread at least 3 times and was alway afraid to try to use this Stoker Log till today that is and I downloaded it. Now the Stoker Log cannot connect to the stoker even though they both have the same IP. What's worst is that since dowloading it I can't log into the old Stoker Status page I had saved in my favorites. Just wondering if someone is out there that could throw a hint or two my way.
Well it sounds like you may have a couple of issues. #1 being that your network has lost contact with the stoker. Hopefully you set a static IP for the stoker so it doesn't change on you. Are you connecting through a wireless network? If so, these can be semi-madening at times. The best thing to do is start from scratch. Turn off the stoker, then turn it back on. Go therough the menu options on the stoker and make sure you have the correct IP address. Then open your browser and try to connect there. If you can do that, you should be able to connect through the stoker log. Once you plug in the correct IP in the stoker log, hit the tab key to leave that field and press F5. that will refresh the information you see from the Stoker.
If any of these steps are unclear or they don't work, let me know, we'll try something else.
G
Guest
Guest
Thanks Ken, I'll try that asap in the am and let you know.
Sounds like the IP address in your stoker might have changed. Lets make sure you can get into the web interface first.
On the Stoker front panel, press the Down Arrow button until you see the 'Main System Info' Screen.
Press the 'Sel' button, then the Down Arrow again and and is should say 'System Info IP Addr'
Press 'Sel' again and it should display the current IP address. Something like 192.168.1.3 depending on your home network.
Write this number down and go to your computer.
Pull up your web browser and type the number (current IP address) in the Address line and the Stoker Status screen should come up.
If that works then start bring up the StokerLog program and enter the same number in the "IP Addr" field and click on the "Start Loggin" button.
Let us know it that works or not.
On the Stoker front panel, press the Down Arrow button until you see the 'Main System Info' Screen.
Press the 'Sel' button, then the Down Arrow again and and is should say 'System Info IP Addr'
Press 'Sel' again and it should display the current IP address. Something like 192.168.1.3 depending on your home network.
Write this number down and go to your computer.
Pull up your web browser and type the number (current IP address) in the Address line and the Stoker Status screen should come up.
If that works then start bring up the StokerLog program and enter the same number in the "IP Addr" field and click on the "Start Loggin" button.
Let us know it that works or not.
G
Guest
Guest
Thanks for the help guys. All is working, not sure what I did wrong unless it was clicking on the Stoker Status link that I saved in my favs instead of typing the ip address in.
I assume it only has a capacity for 3 meat probes and I always like to use 4 at contest. I am easily confused with graphs but I'm guessing that it wouldn't be a problem to switch back an forth to the stoker status screen if I feel lost?
I love that alarm, LOL. and besides I couldn't hear a peep from the one on the stoker status (have hearing loss and the hearing aids or my hearing one just don't pick up that sound at all)...the wife goes on contest with me and the first time we used it she got so tired of telling me the alarm was on she just tried to sleep with it on the rest of the night. I could tell something was wrong when she got up - not a happy face at all.
I assume it only has a capacity for 3 meat probes and I always like to use 4 at contest. I am easily confused with graphs but I'm guessing that it wouldn't be a problem to switch back an forth to the stoker status screen if I feel lost?
I love that alarm, LOL. and besides I couldn't hear a peep from the one on the stoker status (have hearing loss and the hearing aids or my hearing one just don't pick up that sound at all)...the wife goes on contest with me and the first time we used it she got so tired of telling me the alarm was on she just tried to sleep with it on the rest of the night. I could tell something was wrong when she got up - not a happy face at all.
Chet,
The Stoker does not really have a limit on the number of probes and fans you can use, or at least not a limit that would bother most people. Do to the number of ports on the device, you can plug in only 5, however, stoker sells an add one to increase the capacity, and I read on another site, that you can use a 1/4" stereo headphone adapter to increase the number of inputs. http://www.cablesnmor.com/stereo-adapter-y.html This a 2-way. The Stoker site has their model listed. I don't know if there is a limit on Amir's program, I have only 2 food probes and one fan.
The Stoker does not really have a limit on the number of probes and fans you can use, or at least not a limit that would bother most people. Do to the number of ports on the device, you can plug in only 5, however, stoker sells an add one to increase the capacity, and I read on another site, that you can use a 1/4" stereo headphone adapter to increase the number of inputs. http://www.cablesnmor.com/stereo-adapter-y.html This a 2-way. The Stoker site has their model listed. I don't know if there is a limit on Amir's program, I have only 2 food probes and one fan.
Chet,
Here's the Rocks bbq stuff. http://www.rocksbarbque.com/Accessories.html
BTW, as good as the alarms are, yo ucan also use the Stoker to send your cell phone a text message and set your sell phone to vibrate when a text comes in. I just love technology.
Here's the Rocks bbq stuff. http://www.rocksbarbque.com/Accessories.html
BTW, as good as the alarms are, yo ucan also use the Stoker to send your cell phone a text message and set your sell phone to vibrate when a text comes in. I just love technology.