My Honest Opinion About The Alkatronic
- Thread starter mitch91175
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I read about a lot of people using a digital scale and flask/beaker etc. The water was weighed first, it lines up with 400ml both on the scale and the meniscus on the beaker. I then added 100 ml of reagent, again 500 ml on the digital scale and the meniscus on the beaker. I'm not sure how else you would do it?
When you say weigh it out in grams, how do you do that? With a digital scale, right?
When you say weigh it out in grams, how do you do that? With a digital scale, right?
SVP
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Hello how can I get a hold of either Jonas or a person at alkatronic? I'm having a few issues that are probably most my fault. I don't want to continue on without speaking with someone
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mitch91175
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mitch91175
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mitch91175
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What issue are you having?
SVP
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Ok at first my wife who was helping me downloaded the beta tester app instead of the lite for androids.
My unit will freeze up and nothi g happens until I unplug it and plug it back in
I can usually see the raspberrypi in my or I router and it is sending 2.4 & 5
I was at first confused thinking the app was the cloud like fusion nope its Bluetooth. Next to my login serial it says cloud always should it ever say BT?
I spent 2 days running g all the tubes buttoning it up making it nice looking calibration went well except for the ph probe. I had to unplug the unit because it would not respond to the app(close down after using read the manual) or the cloud.
It tested every hour for 8 hours but the cloud only has one black dot. I can go on l
LOL there is more.
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Oh and mitch I tested alk by my redsea kit every day for the past week and 3 times on the day I started to calibrate and test (yesterday)the alkatronic was off by 1 dkh higher than red sea consistently. I know that's probably a calibration thing and am going to do all pumps again. Tyvm sir
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mitch91175
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The app itself will say cloud once your unit is connected to the cloud and not BT. I have an iOS device so cannot really comment much on the Android Lite app. I would definitely suggest getting with support and they will get you situated. There are others with the Android app that would be able to assist. If you have any iOS device, it is much more stable than Android and maybe see about using it.
SVP
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Tyvm mutch! At this point any and all tips can be helpful. I have the unit testing and tonight the app had a pop up that said the alkatronic is now connected to the internet (last night I created a guest user network in my orbi router) so there is forward movement. I am calibrating the tubes again to make sure that is not the reason for the alkatronic to get different readings from my brand new red sea alkalinity pro test kit. Plus the company gave me some tips on messenger, pretty much reiterated what the 5.5 user manual says which I have read quite a few times to make sure that I didn't miss any steps. Plus videos have helped but this thread by far gave me the confidence that I was not going to break or ruin the machine. That manual can be very emphatic about certain things like tube length. Thanks!!
Makers Marc
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Tons of issues with the android app and lite version. I spent 72 hrs of back and forth with Jonas and team before going crazy.
Step one is use wifi for 100% of the setup.
Lastly, remember to be thorough and meticulous. And have lots of energy
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mitch91175
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Haha. Or if you have an iPad or any other Apple device in your household, just use that.
I used a Hanna alk tester at 1st the the Hanna was always reading 1dhk lower then the unit, I switched to a salifert test kit and it was right on the money. Even if they’re no exact it’s not a problem as long as your alk stays consistent
I struggled and struggled for hours and hours with android, saw the wife's iPad sitting on the table and, literally, in 3 minutes was up and running. I do all calibrations, changes, etc with iPad and only use the Android app on my Android phone to see readings through the day. Unfortunately, the Android stuff just doesn't work so well. It's unfortunate because I have a dedicated Android tablet for my tank to run my Apex and was hopeful I could run the Alkatronic from it as well. It's no huge thing, just a bit of an inconvenience. If we didn't have the iPad that would have sucked!!!
My Alkatronic tests within .2 or better of my Hannah meter most every time I do a comparison test, which isn't very often. So, I'm pretty happy with the results.
My Alkatronic tests within .2 or better of my Hannah meter most every time I do a comparison test, which isn't very often. So, I'm pretty happy with the results.
SVP
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Wow, I am still struggling with it to keep it connected to my router, via app or cloud. I think today I am going to get rid of the guest network. I have a net gear orbi mesh router(rbr50) and it's easily configured. I could find the alkatronic easily at first but now it's hit or miss when I check the router to see what is connected. One great thing is Eric has messaged me repeatedly and they are trying from their end as well so kudos to the customer service team at focustronic! Although I don't know where or what time zone they are in so it isn't a fluid conversation right now but that will change. Even told the wife(I have an older Mac book pro idk if that would help) I might just order a used small iPad just for this. What a headache this weekend has been. I'm not a tech guru nor am I tech illiterate. But this has been the hardest piece (of reef keeping equipment) to date to get set up and configured because of the Android phone. I'm not sure why(kessil did the same thing with my AP700 At first) these big companies write for macs and not Android when it is a 50/50 split on the market? I know it's off topic just was sitting in my living room last night frustrated for umpteenth time that it stopped calibrating after the pH probe 7 and would not accept the the save. Nor let me do the 4. I have now used I believe 10 single use 5 each of probe calibration fluid. I'm going to order the salifert alk test kit today for Wednesday arrival. I know the alkatronic will be worth it in the end. To you who have helped or given me tips thank you so much! I will prevail and hopefully my train wreck will help someone else not go down my path.
Makers Marc
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I went down that path, so I sympathize with you. Spent many days going back and forth and have pages of FB messenger to prove it.
Eric was very helpful, but all they kept doing was making me try 100 different diagnostic things that never worked.
I sent my unit back to them and they supposedly "fixed" a messed up SD card. Sent it back, but then I started having the same issues you are.
Half the tests didnt get logged on the chart. Network connections came and went.
And Jonas ticked me off eventually (b/c he never can admit that maybe this product isnt perfect or has any flaws SMH), that I just returned it before I had to threaten to defective purchase to my credit card company.
For $1000, they should be upfront and tell users only buy it if you have a MAC.
SVP
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I'm probably not the best person (I haven't ran mine working properly for more than 6 hours) but I went back and forth with this issue. It is another one that is stressed on and for good reason. I have an oxo scale that wighs to 5 lbs. And can weigh in grams as well. I bought the 1 gallon jug of concentrate when I bought the unit. But the unit comes with 1 250 ml bottle if concentrate reagent. I did not have a jug that would hold 1250ml of liquid. So I used 800 ml of my RODI water to 200 ml of the reagent to make an even 1000ml. I had read on this thread a while ago about a guy not paying attention to it and did not add water to it. I found the reagent to weigh 98 grams for 100ml of reagent. Please DO NOT use my numbers. Just a friendly heads up to the route I went and why. So I multiplied accordingly to each and it was pretty easy after that, just had to weigh each out and even if my number was off it was equally off for the other. It is the ratio that's important! IMHO.
SVP
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Ty for that. I guess I will dust off the Ole mac book pro and see what she'll do. Lol. I know after the many hours of going back and forth and configuring this and that I really don't have much else to lose. I'm shocked that this is not a one off. TBH I just thought I was brain fartin on something small. I have read the manual, watched vids, read about every comment on every thread available before I started. I bought this in December and was switching to a bigger tank so I felt I should just wait rather than set it up to take it down and repeat. So I have had plenty of time to research and read about what it takes to setup. While I have seen some people struggling they always seem to get it right and working. You are the first I have heard that returned it. At some point enough is enough. Not there yet. Thanks.
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