Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tuicemen]

cantbreak80
And any one else that has the occasional signal lost!
I found what was causing it (on my end at least)!
Dave_x10_L had reported to me that his bluetooth was causing his camera reception to take a hit. I thought it was because he had added the dongle to a USB extention as cantbreak80 did.
Well it seems to work both ways. My Bluetooth takes a hit when my cams switch.
I had never had issues with Bluetooth and my wireless cameras before but over the holidays I move my PC 4 feet (4 feet closer to my wireless camera receiver).
Looks like I need to move my receiver or run some wire!
I hope this info helps.
 

[dbemowsk]

This looks similar to the BlueBoss software shown on Coding4Fun (http://blogs.msdn.com/coding4fun/archive/2008/06/26/8658548.aspx.  There was a post at the end of the article:

John said on February 12, 2009 8:40 AM:

    The device discovery of C4F devkit bluetooth  has a virtual memory (VM) leak. Just watch what happens to the VM each time you search for devices.

Does BlueWatch use the C4F devkit?  If so, is it affected by this VM leak?

This does look like a useful ADD-ON.  I have been looking for a way to identify when mine or my wife's cars are home or not also.  I had looked at a serial connected RFID device on Ebay, but in some other searches, I was seeing bluetooth RFID stuff also.  Can anyone point me to some good bluetooth RFID equipment that would work for this purpose?  Could the bluetooth RFID equipment work with BlueWatch?

Dan

[Tuicemen]

dbemowsk
yes! BlueWatch uses the C4F devkit.
It is also built with the C# 2010 express edition.
I believe  BlueBoss2 was built with 2008, the VM issue was posted about almost a year ago.
There have been patches to the C4F dlls since. If they addressed that issue I don't know but I don't see a VM loss here on my end.
 

[dbemowsk]

Good to know.  What is the donation cost of BlueWatch?

Dan B.

[aussie mate]

Tuicemen,

I like the idea of the WiFI being detected. this would work for not just the iphone but many other types ie Blackberry, HTC, even nokia, etc.

As noted - I am one of the iphone users who is experiencing non discoverable handset.

[Tuicemen]

There is a known issue with iphones and the CF4 dlls that BlueWatch uses. I believe CF4 is looking into it now!
I've downloaded the Win7 SDK which has better handling of WiFi. Not that I'll figure it out any time soon, I need to get a WiFi Dongle first!
There are a few WiFi detectors out there right now, how well they work, or if they work with iphones I don't know!
 

[Tuicemen]

"New BlueWatch Version Now on server: 0.0.47"I finally got  some Options coded!
Testing them I guess was the big thing.

Also should have a trial version out soon
New features:
Added Setting screen for program options
Added user specified log size option
Message box pops up once you have reached that amount, default is 10 lines.
Added option to minimize BlueWatch on start up
Added option for keeping program on top of others or not
Added option to save scan time interval
Added option to not report a device was lost until second attempted scan
when used with the interval timer it should cure issues with devices that sent an intermittent discovery signal
Devices that only send the discovery signal when first started  will still trigger a lost  detection once their discovery signal stops.
Added options to Icon in system tray a Right click now brings up About, Status Screen,Program Settings, Restart Program,and Maximize in addition to the already Exit option

I tested my Blackberry out with its auto shutdown and restart timers, worked every time!
  Hey, I found a new x10 timer!
 

[dbemowsk]

How can I get a copy?  I would love to try this out.

Dan B.

[Tuicemen]

I should have a trial version ready before the end of the week! Or you can donate with PayPal @ BlueWatch
 

[cantbreak80]

T...
Another update..using v0.0.4.2
I made a 30' Cat5 cable for my USB extension and dropped the dongle into the garage.  The GPS power pack and BW have been playing nice
ever since.  12 hours without a signal loss!  Maybe my first CAT5 cable was the problem???  Wouldn't be the first time I did a poor CAT5 assembly.
 

Now, if I could just figure out how to keep my HA computer from suffering from virtual memory overload...

[HA Dave]

I made a 30' Cat5 cable for my USB extension and dropped the dongle into the garage. 

Hey... is that a 30 foot DIY CAT5 USB extension? Please share with us what/how you did that.

..........I purchased a USB extension via CAT5 cable device which allows for 165' of extension.  I tested it with a short
CAT5 that I'd made and just laid the dongle on the computer room floor. 

OK... I read on and saw you used some sort of "USB extension via CAT5 cable device". Got a link?

[cantbreak80]

Dave...
The CAT5 USB Extender can be used to extend the distance between a USB device and a host computer by up to 50m.
It consists of a local unit, which connects to the computer, and a remote unit which connects to the device. Standard, CAT5/5e/6 cable
is used to connect the two units together.

I purchased mine from my local MicroCenter for about $50.  I'm sure they're available at any good store...Office Depot, Best Buy.
I have a several hundred feet of CAT5, a box-full of RJ-45 connectors and 3 or 4 crimping tools (that I can never seem to find when I neeed one)
all left over from my previous life.

I quickly assembled my "test" cable to try the USB Extender...and may have cracked the White-Orange...or shorted the Blue and White-Green
when I stripped the cover with a dull toe nail clipper.?  In fact, I had to redo one connector because, in my haste, I crossed the Blue and
Orange...I naturally thought I'd purchased a dud extender.  (Something else I seem to have lost; my CAT5 cable tester.)  Anyway...

Today, I decided to fish the extension down to the garage so I carefully made the 30 footer...with the correct tools and attention to detail.
Ah...perfection is good.  The Dongle is now in close proximity to the car and I've since experienced no dropped signal to BW.

Oh, BTW, when I plugged the extenders into my HA PC, it popped up with a WARNING:  Unexpected power surge on USB Port...blah, blah, blah.
I clicked on the warning ballon and reset the USB port and everything started working.  Whew!  I was expecting smoke! (and I can't find my smoke reinstaller, either)

[HA Dave]

The CAT5 USB Extender can be used to extend the distance between a USB device and a host computer by up to 50m.
It consists of a local unit, which connects to the computer, and a remote unit which connects to the device. Standard, CAT5/5e/6 cable
is used to connect the two units together.

Thanks. I've been considering doing something like that to get my CM15A closer to my breaker box.. yet remaining connected to my HA PC in my office.

..... may have cracked the White-Orange...or shorted the Blue and White-Green when I stripped the cover with a dull toe nail clipper.? 

Today, I decided to fish the extension down to the garage so I carefully made the 30 footer...with the correct tools and attention to detail.

You mean you've found a tool BETTER than dull toe nail clippers? I am an old wire-twister myself and can run the CAT5... and I also keep wire (and tools) on hand.

[cantbreak80]

Tuicemen,

Lost signal at 02:35:08
Found signal at 02:35:28
Lost signal at 02:42:25
Found signal at 02:42:48

It’s about 20 seconds each time…no biggie.

But, striving for perfection, I downloaded v.0.0.4.7, and applied Dual Loss with a 20 second scan interval (good idea BTW).

What I’m hoping is for no lost signals so I don’t have to rewrite some Macros…
Triggering my AWAY macro causes my house to experience 20 second virtual power failures.
No problem in the middle of the night but bothersome when it occurs several times with dinner/cocktail party guests.

Humm…maybe I should write a “Party Macro”   …OK…never mind!

[cantbreak80]

Tuicemens...
Perfection accomplished!  TYVM for the update!

Dave_x10_L...
I've posted my OS ideas on User-Designed Working Macros