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RalphTrimble said:
In the code you shared above, you have the background image loading from a web URL, how would I get the background image to load from the SD card? I tried:

#backimage { background: #000 url('<%=resource%>/fire.jpg'); }

and

#backimage { background: #000 url('/www/luci-static/resources/fire.jpg'); }

but neither seemed to work to load the local file I had been using previously.
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That's a good question, because I'm not sure the first would work but the second definitely should. I'll look into it.
 
Yah, an easy way to share user-submitted themes would be awesome IMHO.

I've never really cared for the overlay on the home page, I prefer a more vivid looking page, so that was my main reason for customizing it. Now I've kinda gotten used to my customized fire image and kinda prefer to see that, the rest of the changes that happened when I used your code was good enough for me, except I made the probelist black too...

As for the verbage on "blower speed", I've used "Air Volume" since I started using the servo, 'cause I don't have the blower on most of the time it seemed more appropriate... but maybe "Air Flow" instead?

Still haven't figured out how to make my fire.jpg image load from the SD card though???
 
I definitely prefer it with the overlay and non-photorealistic background because it isn't as visually distracting. That's why we've got user css now, everyone can make their own (version of the same layout).

The url you need is:
#backimage { background: #000 url('/luci-static/resources/fire.jpg'); }

And the <%=resources%> definitely does not work because the user css isn't a template. So just use the /luci-static/resources/ and you're good.
 
OK, that worked to load the background image from the SD Card.... The probe and blower indicator areas are showing solid colors now, so I just need to figure out how to make them transparent and then I am back to where I was as far as graphics go... I'll poke around at that this afternoon. Thanks for the help...
 
>> Would it be possible to add a new page in the Heatermeter web GUI to display a graph of a properly formatted CSV file showing time and several temperature readings ?

For example.... Click a button to "Load external data" then pick an csv file by name.
Could the graph page read the csv file header and know how to set up the legend for as many traces that are represented ? (like up to 8 temp traces)
 
New feature request: A clock shown in the HM LCD "rotation" of probe temps. Clock time could be set via NTP server so that it's always correct.

I started keeping better track of my cooks by way of a "cooking log" which I keep on a table next to my grill. Having the time rotating on the display would be nice for writing down log entries. Sure, I could get a little digital timer/clock or reach into my pocket and turn on my phone, but it's just one more thing to lug around.
 
Brent, I suggested the HM have a clock shown on the LCD a long while ago, the idea was met with a cold reception. I often find myself checking the LCD for temps and then having to remember to check the clock when I walk inside but sometimes I forget to check the clock... Most of the time I can tell from the HM graph on the computer when the lid was opened or food put on etc, but sometimes not, so I was hoping to get a clock on the HM so I can walk away from the grill with all the info in one stop. The other view was your phone has a clock, the web page has a clock, here a clock, there a clock, everywhere a clock clock! LOL I would STILL like to see a clock on the HM LCD display though.....
 
John Bostwick said:
Yep same here, would actually love a timer or clock, as I too have a hard time remembering the time I put in the food.
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Yah, a timer that could trigger an alarm would be really sweet! In the alarm section there could be one extra config for the timer alarm and when the timer went off it could trigger that alarm and email or text you or adjust the pit temp or whatever. That would be a nice feature for cooks that are based more on time than temperature.
 
Actually, that would be awesome to have a timer you could set and have it activate an alarm. It doesn't even need a display for too, if that would cause problems
 
How about the ability to calculate the BTU/Hr to estimate fuel consumption ? I use a thermocouple right near the fire and have hit the 932F limit so that would have to be tweaked in the HM code to get a complete dataset to calculate the burn rate. I have not done all the diligence with the math, but a pound of wood is about 8,500 BTUs, and I can burn more than a pound an hour of lump charcoal in my cabinet. We would probably need to have a variable to adjust the calculations for efficiency due to thermal loss from ambient temp and where the pit or fire temp is being measured so it would work on different smoker designs.

The reason I ask is simple. Many of you on the forum have done work to extend the burn of a pound and increase the efficiency. A 12 pound cold mass is introduced into the chamber and it will rise to temperature at some rate of change, and over time it will absorb the BTUs needed to cook the meat to the desired temp.

I cook many pieces of meat at once in my insulated cabinet, I am looking for a better way to improve the efficiency and to optimize the recovery times when I go open door.

Knowing the lbs/hr or btu/hr would be awesome for anyone interested in efficiency.

Edit: added link to an example of how to profile but/hr from this forum.

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?2143-Charcoal-s-BTUs-per-pound
 
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I think there are waaaaaaaay too many variables to know how many BTUs/hr you're consuming. Weight and density of food inside, as well as its surface moisture which absorbs BTUs to convert to steam. Thermal loss to environment which varies with ambient temperature and wind and relative humidity. Opening the door releases a completely immeasurable quantity of heat from radiation and everything going everywhere (both in and out). You'd never be able to calculate that repeatably. Even just calculating degree * seconds is useless because the temperature is affected by load and moisture.
 
Yah, you're right about variables allright! I'm thinking something like average mpg for a tank of gas. Lots of ways to burn up the tank of gas as you drive, and everyone's mileage will vary but a convenient way to track your progress could help you be a more efficient driver or to know how you did each trip. I was thinking about the example of raising water to temp over time and doing that directly over the fire would give you a higher BTU than doing the same burn with the container of water in an offset smoker. So it takes x lbs of fuel to boil water one way and 3x-5x (just a swag) the other way.

What about the absorption of BTU for a piece of meat ?... The slope of the meat probe line will flatten out when stalling. Seems like RRD could detect that pretty easy.
 
The analogy doesn't fit because really all you know is the speed of the car when it is on the highway. What about all those side trips? What about when you were towing a boat? What about when you drained a bunch of gas out of the car to put it into the boat? Even if you enter the amount of gas (wood) you used, you can't account for all the other variables so the number you arrive at will vary wildly.

LinkMeter already does stall calculation (degrees per hour, DPH, on a 30 minute correlation) but there's no way you can tell just by temperature how much heat it absorbing. You'd also need to know how much weight it is losing to evaporation I would think. Integrating the difference between pit temperature and ambient curves is one thing, but the whole thing goes out the window the second you release heat or phase change water and evaporate it.

EDIT: Don't get me wrong, it would be great if it could do this, but there's not any conceivable way to quantify all this without a lot more equipment.
 
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The closest, easy way to get something analogous would be to get the integral of the fan speed and/or the servo position. That would at least be, to an extremely rough approximation, the sum of the available Oxygen. Oxygen consumed should be roughly similar to Oxygen available.

An integral should be fairly easy to code in - not that I'm offering. :-)
 
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