I believe any of the ESP32 or ESP32S boards will work
TiltBridge - Tilt-to-WiFi Device for Tilt Hydrometer
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We've got a number of resident... radio-heads? who can answer more definitively than I could, but my understanding is that the short answer is that no -- both Bluetooth and WiFI use the 2.4 GHz range, so all else held equal they should have equal range.
That said, all else isn't equal. For WiFi, you typically have a centrally-placed router for your entire home/brewery, whereas you may be able to place a receiving bluetooth device closer to the transmitter (like on the side of your fridge) that then has a clearer path to your WiFi router. Additionally, the protocol that the Tilt uses is unidirectional, so where small amounts of WiFi packet loss can dramatically reduce the amount of data you can successfully transmit/receive, with iBeacon a weaker signal can (sometimes!) still be interpreted.
Nope. Rapt and Tilt are different products and are not compatible. There may be (and likely is!) overlap between the two, but it almost certainly won't work out of the box.
At some point I may make a "raptbridge" (I went ahead and purchased raptbridge.com!) but absent having any hardware on hand to test/develop with, it's not something I've been actively working on. (That said, @KegLand , if you'd be interested let me know
!)I think you'll need an ESP32, as the S2 doesn't have a bluetooth radio, and the S3 isn't really supported by much at the moment. I have a few S3s on order to play with, but for now they're relatively rare.
One nice thing though, is that the same hardware works for both TiltBridge (absent the screen potentially) and the Tilt Bluetooth repeater so if one build doesn't work, you can always try the other!
Kegland "supposedly" has an optional upgradable external antenna, but I can not find it for sale on their site, or AliExpress, etc....(That said, @KegLand , if you'd be interested let me know
Upon further research, Kegland says - " So until we find better external antennas we have ceased the sale of these inferior antennas. If however you would like to experiment with external antenna, the boards are fitted with a socket for this. If you find a particularly good antenna, please let us know."
I think they need you @Thorrak , help to get a working unit to market! Here that @KegLand ?
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Pretty sure they have a closed product right now. Since this is in conflict with the Tilt patent, I am pretty sure they cannot directly do business in the US with these.
I had to order mine from China.... They are really well-thought-out units, but I can not find anything that can penetrate my Ss Brewtech Unitanks, including the Tilts that I also have..... UGG!!
Thanks Thorrak, I wasn't thinking about some of the newer variants. I believe the ones I am using are just ESP-32. The ESP-32S, I think, were just an upgraded ESP-32 and should work, maybe someone can verify that. Not sure about compatablity with any other versions.
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Just got this working! Working, as in, my tilts all show up with the correct gravity on tiltbridge.local
I've hit a snag trying to upload data to Google Sheets. I've followed the instructions to make a copy of the sheet, after which I'm supposed to select "Tools" and "Script Editor" ... but there is no "Script Editor" under tools.
What should I do to get this working with Google Sheets? Or, alternately, is my time and effort better spend getting it working with one of the other online services, and if so, what do folks recommend? Happy to pay a (small) monthly fee.
I've hit a snag trying to upload data to Google Sheets. I've followed the instructions to make a copy of the sheet, after which I'm supposed to select "Tools" and "Script Editor" ... but there is no "Script Editor" under tools.
What should I do to get this working with Google Sheets? Or, alternately, is my time and effort better spend getting it working with one of the other online services, and if so, what do folks recommend? Happy to pay a (small) monthly fee.
I’m working on it (minus the fee
) but that’s a ways out. I’ll try to remember to take a look at it this weekend. Unfortunately, the way we are using Google Sheets is a bit of a hack, and as such Google doesn’t guarantee any stability in the interface. Still — it’s a popular way to use TiltBridge, so maintaining support is preferable!
UncleD
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Hello Tiltbridge family! I'm getting brewing again after a year hiatus with a move and family, etc... I fired my tiltbridge up and realized I never finished the mobile app dev for a native tiltbrigde cloud solution. I whipped up tiltbridge.web.app. Here you can create an account, add your tiltbridges, and view your tilt data from any web enabled device from anywhere. There's also trending and alarm notification (leveraging your twilio account if you want to get SMS notifications). If you already downloaded the android app, the same user credentials you created before will work. Sorry, there wont be an iOS app (if anyone wants to take this on, i've already built 99% of the iOS app, I'm happy to send it to you). My mac is too old and Apple is making it harder and harder to support native apps for small projects like this, which is why I have moved the support to a web app. You can still bookmark this app on your home screen or desktop and it will behave much like a native app for iOS, Android, or Windows.
I hope you guys like it! As always thanks again to @Thorrak for this great contribution to the homebrew community!
I'm sure there's a **** ton of bugs, I whipped it up pretty quickly for this current batch I'm brewing. Feel free to let me know what doesn't work
I hope you guys like it! As always thanks again to @Thorrak for this great contribution to the homebrew community!
I'm sure there's a **** ton of bugs, I whipped it up pretty quickly for this current batch I'm brewing. Feel free to let me know what doesn't work
I'm running a veeeeery old version of the TiltBridge firmware ... v1.0.1. I'm guessing I'll have to flash in a current version to be able to use tiltbridge.web.app as I don't see any GUID for my TiltBridge. Any gotchas I should be aware of? Don't want to kill a working solution just to be able to see the TiltBridge from the local bar..err.. cough.. library.Hello Tiltbridge family! I'm getting brewing again after a year hiatus with a move and family, etc... I fired my tiltbridge up and realized I never finished the mobile app dev for a native tiltbrigde cloud solution. I whipped up tiltbridge.web.app. Here you can create an account, add your tiltbridges, and view your tilt data from any web enabled device from anywhere. There's also trending and alarm notification (leveraging your twilio account if you want to get SMS notifications). If you already downloaded the android app, the same user credentials you created before will work. Sorry, there wont be an iOS app (if anyone wants to take this on, i've already built 99% of the iOS app, I'm happy to send it to you). My mac is too old and Apple is making it harder and harder to support native apps for small projects like this, which is why I have moved the support to a web app. You can still bookmark this app on your home screen or desktop and it will behave much like a native app for iOS, Android, or Windows.
I hope you guys like it! As always thanks again to @Thorrak for this great contribution to the homebrew community!
I'm sure there's a **** ton of bugs, I whipped it up pretty quickly for this current batch I'm brewing. Feel free to let me know what doesn't work
As an aside, the Android app isn't available for download in Canada. Any reason for that?
Cheers!
Chris
UncleD
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Yeah you'll probably need to update firmware, then the device will automatically register with the cloud.
Regarding app availability, the politics and complexity around publishing an app to google play or apple app store is crazy. I swear I understand my taxes more....
Generic “OLED” Enclosure by Thorrak
@Thorrak , do you sell these enclosures? I am just now putting the material list together, and take a stab at this Tilt-Bridge. Not sure if it will work with the "Pill", but anything is worth a try, instead of using my 2 Pills and 2 Tilts, as bookends, like they are now.....
@Thorrak , do you sell these enclosures? I am just now putting the material list together, and take a stab at this Tilt-Bridge. Not sure if it will work with the "Pill", but anything is worth a try, instead of using my 2 Pills and 2 Tilts, as bookends, like they are now.....
I can! Most things I sell are on Tindie, and those that aren’t I can probably print/provide if you shoot me a DM.
Side note - if by “pill” you mean “rapt pill” then although I haven’t tested it I would put a fairly large sum on it not working. If it did work, that would be extremely concerning due to the way TiltBridge works.
Should work fine with the Tilts, though!
Should work fine with the Tilts, though!
I honestly do not care if the Pills ever work with your Bridge, as long as I get what I want - See my SG live. I will wake up the old Tilts, get new batteries, and go at it, to see if they can penetrate my Ss Unitanks thick skin.
Thanks for your work, on all this!
Brew ON!
@Thorrak ! What do you think about this "idea". I know there has to be a way, to let WiFi and/or Bluetooth signals, to get through a "soft" plastic like structure, or "antenna". This could be a great solution to this -
MY 2 Pills and 2 Tilts, are useless in my Ss Unitanks. I was thinking that there has to be a way, to attach a waterproof and <30psi proof, "antenna" to a Tri-Clamp. Then I could Triclamp it on, just like a thermowell, or heat-rod (etc...). This could let the wifi and Bluetooth signal escape through this non-steel wall, without the half-baked solutions, I have seen here so far.
I was actually thinking... of drilling out a heatrod, fill it with some sort of material that signals could escape through easy, (silicone, epoxy???), and attach this to the near top of my Unitanks (or any Conicals).
Am I smoking something? Your thoughts (or anyone) ???
MY 2 Pills and 2 Tilts, are useless in my Ss Unitanks. I was thinking that there has to be a way, to attach a waterproof and <30psi proof, "antenna" to a Tri-Clamp. Then I could Triclamp it on, just like a thermowell, or heat-rod (etc...). This could let the wifi and Bluetooth signal escape through this non-steel wall, without the half-baked solutions, I have seen here so far.
I was actually thinking... of drilling out a heatrod, fill it with some sort of material that signals could escape through easy, (silicone, epoxy???), and attach this to the near top of my Unitanks (or any Conicals).
Am I smoking something? Your thoughts (or anyone) ???
What you are looking for is a passive solution. The answer is: No. Your best bet is to orient your ESP where you will be able to receive the weak signal. This is a good discussion.
Now sir - I would not call TiltBridge half-baked!
...but seriously - the whole point of TiltBridge is that it rebroadcasts your Tilt's data while outside your fermenter. Ideally, the TiltBridge would be within range of both your WiFi network and your Tilt -- but if it isn't, you can use a TiltBridge in conjunction with a Tilt Repeater located outside your fermenter as well.
I am waiting on the ESP 32, TFT 2.4 touch screen, and cable to arrive. I just figured if the signal is very week, then the ESP setup can not work unless it can pick it up? I have not read any posts here that say their Tilts or iSpindle's now work, with this gear, through their st. steel fermentors (as apposed to not working before). I will see in the next few weeks.....I only really need to put a close watch on the gravity, when I do a big gravity beer, or start with a new yeast culture. I thought the signal would pass through a non-metal substance, and I would put the ESP on top of it, outside the tanks.....
I knew my sentence would be misinterpreted! I did not mean the the Tiltbridge is "half-baked". I was saying that all the "work-arounds" seem to be excessive, when the actual "problem" could be fixed with a much better transmitter built into the floating hydrometers.
I never put the Tiltbridge in action yet, so I should have made my self clear... Sorry MAN!
My local cable company is installing a MESH WiFi network tomorrow and I plan on putting one unit in the brewery. Not sure if this will help, but at least my RPi's will be happier. Its a big house with cement and tile floors (all radiant floor heat), so it is terrible getting good communication with the existing router's location. If I have a very poor transmission from the hydrometers, then no magic will help, but this Tiltbridge should.
(sound of one hand raising)
I ferment inside a chest freezer. Before building a TiltBridge, I could barely get a reading from my tilt standing fairly close to the freezer. If I was fermenting in a keg, it was impossible.
Since building the TiltBridge, I have no issues getting constant readings from my Tilt. I don't use a Tilt Repeater. I use 3M Command Strips with Velcro to mount my TiltBridge to the wall just behind my freezer. Setting TiltBridge to push data to Google Sheets and/or BrewFather allows me to see Tilt data from wherever I want.
Cheers!
Chris
You are correct. And actually, the touchscreen may make things worse. Once you get it configured, remove the screen and see if it helps. When I was last in that code there was a dB rating on the main screen. It will show a negative number like -60dB. You want to orient things so that the number is lower (numerically higher value.) -50dB is better than -60dB and so on.
OH CRAP!.... I was looking forward to another Toy to play with.. So, just run this setup without the screen after setup? I don't want to be a Pain in the Azz, posting my problems here, when I finally take a stab at it, and it does not work....
There definitely are people who have found this to be the case -- the idea being that you can place what is receiving the Bluetooth signal much closer to the thing that is generating it. Regardless -- better WiFi will help with the TiltBridge-to-internet piece, whereas the placement of the TiltBridge will help solve the Tilt-to-TiltBridge connection!
Try it first. My TiltBridges work great - with a screen, through a kegerator, and through a stainless fermenter.
Wait ... you have not had a Tiltbridge all this time?
They probably will. My point, and the point of the StackExchange discussion I listed, is that almost everything attenuates signals. If the signal is faint or sporadic, moving or removing blockers may help.
NO! All my crying about this, is the hydrometers in my Unitanks, without the Tiltbridge... I was just hoping Kegland would come up with a solution quicker then me building the Tiltbridge. Sorry about the whining on my end.....
Bruh. Want a video of me building a tiltbridge?
I'm in a meeting right now, but give me a sec.
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