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Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:38 am
by Gumb
When I had the non wifi GMG here on loan, Hark sent me the new wifi controller to fit and It worked fine. But when the upgrade was available I could never get it to update the firmware with my iPhone no matter how many times I tried. I had the same fail message each time.

Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 10:50 am
by urbangriller
It seems that Apple upgrade the firmware on the iPhone, but leave the old WiFi protocols behind. I'm told removing the operating system and clean installing the latest operating system brings the WiFi protocols u[p to the latest version. I don't have an iAnything so I can't tell you how to do that.

It's working in Point to Point mode which means you can send a profile to the GMG and it will run the program as it stores the profile in it's on-board memory. I do this with mine, set it up in the morning, send it the profile then go to BBQ School, my phone loses WiFi connection with the GMG as I drive out, but the BBQ remembers what it is supposed to do. When I get back in range I can reconnect to the phone.

Hark will look at the issue on Monday, in the meantime it will work fine Point to Point.

Cheers
Chris

GMG Alternative

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 6:57 pm
by Nath
damianpyro wrote:
wedwards wrote:Far out, the controller from my local supplier has the exact same issue as the original one that came in my grill - v4.3 firmware, try to update and it says its updating them sits stuck at 0 for a bit and then says fail. Id.
That was my problem, Took the grill back to Chris and he used android instead of iPhone, and it works perfect now.
Same here happened to me. Once upgraded it was fine. Seems there was an issue with trying to upgrade the firmware from iPhone


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GMG Alternative

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 6:59 pm
by Nath
So I'd say it's your device. If you know someone with android borrow it to upgrade the firmware then you won't have any issue


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Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 7:30 pm
by chrisg
:)

I do not, yet, own one of these but the Android/iPhone incompatibility is pretty real, not just with GMG.

I'd make a reasonable bet that Nath is right on the money - have to love software - not :)

Cheers

Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:05 pm
by wedwards
Ill get an Android phone tomorrow and see whether results are any different - got 3 controllers to try with! Im VERY skeptical of this, because the second controller worked fine with my apple device (however the controller itself has a fault with controlling the fans). The controller that did work with my device, goes through its firmware verification successfully - surely it wouldn't do that if the firmware could not be verified as installed correctly.

The big problem I have is that if the requirements were to only allow upgrade by Android, then say that in advertising material and I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. If the ability to control this thing is dependent on a freshly installed version of the apple operating system, then say so (and its not that anyway, Ive already tried that on the 2 controllers that can't have their firmware upgraded). So I have to go and source an Android phone every time I want to update the firmware? Thats ridiculous - I fricken hate Android with a passion as its the most insecure piece of rubbish operating system in the history of crap operating systems, amongst other things.

There is also a big issue if the grill can't connect to my home network, because unless it can do that I need to be standing right next to it to get signal. It takes 4 airports just to provide basic coverage to my house. Thats not GMG's problem, but knowing how much interference I get at my home, I purposely got something that would join my network, rather than create another network. I literally walk 5 steps inside my house from the grill and shut the sliding glass door, and can't connect to the grill - which defeats the purpose of remote monitoring / control. Had the same issue with wifi thermometers as well, and eventually a tappecue solved that issue because it could connect to my home network. Again, this is not specifically a GMG issue, but if the product worked as advertised I wouldn't have this connectivity problem.

There are other issues that make me mental - like the fact that the GMG app is buggy as all hell; direct entry of temperatures are consistently flaky, but using the slider works every time, its just inaccurate to set specific temps. This is across the board in both just setting the current temp for the grill, as well as when creating profiles. I have 6 iOS devices in my house and installed the app on all of them - they all do the same thing (different iOS versions though). This is just really poor application design and development if you ask me.

The whole thing just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and Ive wasted so much time in the last week trying to make it work. Will see what the Hark guys say tomorrow, but Im pretty much set on either sending it back or creating an epic video of demonstrating on video all the issues, then destroying the thing in a fireball and putting it up on youtube as a warning to others. Hope it doesn't come to that, but might produce the most fun Ive had with it since purchase.

I just like stuff to work, and my experience so far has been anything but that. I do understand that many others have had completely different experiences than mine, but Im just documenting as Im sure Im not the other person out there who will have Apple devices and want it to work as advertised with those devices.

Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:55 pm
by beachbums
Hiya, Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time trying to get the GMG going.
I. T. and electronics frustrate the crap out of me so I'm feeling the pain you're going through. So many times I'd like to have done your "Fireball" option!

For what it's worth ( probably not much) I've downloaded the GMG app to my HTC ( android ) and have succesfully hooked into two different GMG's, a Davey Crockett and a Daniel Boone. Both connected straight away with no problems at all. I've only run half a dozen cooks but so far without any hiccups at all. The only thing I can think of to help is maybe grab an old android and just use it as a remote control. Not the ideal or most elegant solution but might be worth a try? I'm not sure but the android may not need to be on a contract etc if you're just using it as the remote?

Cheers, Wayne

Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:23 am
by Bentley
I think it is unfair to imply that all devices are bad. I have one and have never had an issue...You have one and you cant make it work right...who is right?

Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:37 am
by wedwards
Bentley wrote:I think it is unfair to imply that all devices are bad. I have one and have never had an issue...You have one and you cant make it work right...who is right?
Im not implying all the devices are bad. Im stating categorically that the 3 controllers Ive had so far in the course of the past week have all failed, and each for different reasons. This is on a grill that was purchased brand new. Thats 100% fail so far in my experience. I just want something that works and does as advertised, and doesn't need to be operated using a specific device on a specific network when the moon is full on a cloudy sky and unicorns are prancing under rainbows. It shouldn't be that hard.

Initially my post was just to find out what alternatives there might be, put up with this for a while, then sell it and get something else, but Im now determined to not put up with it any longer than I have to.

Please understand, I am not saying that all of these are rubbish - Ive obviously got a lemon and had a bad experience, but there are lots of people out there that seem to love them (those reviews were enough to convince me to buy one in the first place). If I had no requirement for wifi, then I would be perfectly happy with it.

Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:54 am
by Bentley
So it would work fine with an Android device?

GMG Alternative

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 8:26 am
by wedwards
Bentley wrote:So it would work fine with an Android device?
Don't know, but that's what Chris and others are saying. I'm going to see if someone at work has an old Android device I can borrow and test with.


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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:35 am
by yakabot
Are you in Melbourne wedwards? Got an android you could borrow to test with.

Re: GMG Alternative

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:07 am
by urbangriller
I don’t think any of the controllers are faulty, I don’t think you have been able to get a complete uncorrupted install of the firmware, and I think the issue is the interference you describe.
If I had such bad interference that I needed 4 routers (or Airports in your case) to connect devices within my house, then I’d be making a lot of noise to the federal authorities to get the source of the interference eliminated.
That aside, obviously you need your airports close to the devices you are using, and my bet is they are all running outdated WiFi protocols. But I think the core of the problem is the Electro Magnetic Interference you live with, I think it’s Morwell? That area is renowned for its EMI. I’d be inclined to take the GMG to somewhere without the interference problems you have at home rather than expecting any network to work in such massive interference.
With the interference you describe, I’m not surprised that you lose point to point communication with the GMG and that the controls seem flakey, I’ll bet a lot of your devices have their moments, it would drive me mad! But even though your iPhone loses its connection to the GMG, the GMG still operates of the profile, it stores that on-board and doesn’t need continual communication with the phone to do its job.
I think upgrading the controller Firmware in a clean interference free environment is the first thing to do. Then it’s only the communication/interference issues that need to be addressed.


Cheers
Chris

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 8:57 pm
by chriso
Wedwards if you want to offload your faulty grill at a bargain price let me know. I'll pick it up and everything.

GMG Alternative

Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:33 pm
by wedwards
What do you call a bargain?


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