Setec BM Pro install & Issue

Based on the recommendation of Condor I ordered a BM Pro Battery Monitor device. Had some issues with sourcing one, but eventually I ordered directly via the Setec web site and it arrived this morning.

Physical installation went fine and the BM Pro started its slow green LED pulse to show that it was up and running. That's where things started to become a bit flaky. Finding the correct Android app was the first hassle as I kept being shown other battery related apps and not the correct one for the BM Pro. I eventually found it after a couple of different searches and installed ok, but following the installation instructions, the app couldn't find the BM Pro via bluetooth. So I did a basic search and pair with the BM Pro via the android bluetooth setup and it found it ok and asked for the pin code, which I provided so I thought, great, this will get me going. But no, App still doesn't talk to the BM Pro.

I re-installed the App (same hassles finding it) but it still doesn't want to "talk" to the BM Pro.

I have sent a query to Setec, but so far no response.

So I am looking for some advice that will hopefully get me working so that all is fine for an Easter detector outing.

Thanks,

Rob.

A link to the app is on the Setec website
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.setec.batterycheck

Give then a call mate.

BM PRO Headquarters:

SETEC Pty Ltd
19 Henderson Road
Knoxfield Victoria, 3180 Australia

Tel: +61 3 9763 0962

Thanks Redfin, I been to their site many times unfortunately, and am currently awaiting a response to an Email query, as that is what they advise you to do for technical queries.

If that doesn't work, I will give them a call and follow that up with a visit to there place if needed, as I was there last week trying to find our where & how to buy one. Nice ladies to deal with but they didn't help me on that occasion, so I am trying the Email route.

It is a weird one, almost like the app doesn't want to communicate with the phone Bluetooth application and no real help function within the app itself.

I will post any progress on here as it happens.

Rob.

Seems that the support from the SETEC sales team is either a bit slow or they are up to their ears in alligators. No response to Email sent and phone gets you to a voicemail message box saying leave a message.

I guess that this is one of the problems of ordering online, can't just march in and say it doesn't work.

Rob.

Mate the reason I went and had a sqizz is to see if they had a list of phones that were compatible.

Have you tested your bluetooth connection on something else?

I have an old phone, a Samsung galaxy 2, If I leave bluetooth enabled the phone battery on mine doesn't last
very long at all.

Thanks Redfin, I have not tested access to the BM Pro using another phone, as another one is not available, but I access several other bluetooth devices from the phone.

Setec finally got back to me and they say that the next thing to do (after one other test that I did for him) is to replace the unit, so I am heading over there now.

Rob.

Good luck

Sorry to hear about this Pablo,

I had a Samsung Galaxy S3 and had no issue communicating with the first BM PRO I bought.
I then upgraded my mobile to the S4 and reinstalled the App, again no problem.
I bought a second BM PRO and added it to my battery list and again no problem.

The App is easy to find, if you go to the BM PRO Website there is a link to the Google App Store https://teambmpro.com/au/battery-check.html

Then scroll down to the link and it takes you here https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.setec.batterycheck

Once downloaded to your computer, copy it via USB to your phone and install it. Or, if you are happy to navigate around on the mobile, download direct.

With the phone, you still haven't said which phone you have..... but based on my install.....

I leave Blue Tooth on all of the time as I use in dash hands free in the car (I save battery by leaving the screen brightness on auto, WiFi - OFF, Data - OFF. I only turn on when needed. I set blue tooth to be only visible to paired devices.

Checking a single battery - Be as close as you can, I recommend 2-3 M, open the App, it takes about half a minute to communicate. If you have done the initial setup, you should get the battery block diagram, which will turn green and give you state of charge. On initial install this will show 50%, which in my install was wrong as I know it was fully charged. Make sure the battery is on charge and once the charger goes into float mode the state of charge will eventually reset to 100% (I think this has something to do with minimum data collection being sufficient to analyse the battery response)

If you disconnect the positive fly lead or the negative end of the PRO from the battery, it will reset to 50% until it re-learns.

Hope you get it sorted, I don't want to feel like I've led you astray.

Well it is good news and bad news.

Good news -
Setec did get back to me and once the link was established have been very supportive in trying to get the device working.

Bad news -
Nothing that they could suggest via Email or phone made any difference and the device indications were not correct as although the bluetooth connection could be made via the phone settings, the indicator LED on the device did not indicate that the Bluetooth was working.

Good news -
They said that they will replace the device, so I said I will drive over and make the swap. When he handed over the new unit, I said to the sales/service guy that I was concerned that it was a bluetooth to App interface issue rather than the device, but he said he was sure that replacing the device would fix the issue. So I said I plan to fit it while at Setec to make sure. He came down in a while to see what was happening and.....

Bad news -
The replacement showed the same signs as the first one.

Good news -
"I will get one of the techo nerds to come and have a look" he says. So down he came with his "nerd" and tested the setup on my phone, but to no avail. He then used his phone and it worked fine. So Redfin, you and I both appear to have had the right idea.
So they have taken the technical details of the phone, make, model, Android Version, etc to do their own investigation regarding what is required to fix it.

Good news -
They left the device in the van as a "test bed" and may refund my $$$. They will advise.

Bad news -
No battery monitor for this Easter Trip.

Good news -
I am off Thursday for 4-5 days to check out a couple of old mining areas, no phone, no computer access and I won't need the BM Pro for this outing, I hope.

Rob.

PS: I will inform you of any further developments.

Bugger..... 8.(

According to the "nerd" it seems that they do the coding themselves at that Setec HO, but it could take days to months to try and resolve and I am not changing my phone to make it work.

Rob.

My phone is a Motorola Razr XT925. There is a system software update available, but I won't try playing with that until I have WIFI and the phone on charge, as it can take time and $$.

Condor, no worries at all regarding your information causing me hassles, and I am not narky with SETEC either as it is an enormous job to try and keep compatibility issues at bay. I am a big boy and know a thing or two in this area as well, as you may have picked up from the earlier post regarding the Ctek.

Time will tell and I will advise regarding any updates from SETEC, so others may benefit.

Rob.

Well, big day for you mate, a big learning curve and excellent info for all on the net doing some research.
Bluetooth, as I said above, concerns me, to leave on all day, which you have to do as the app
"learns" your battery ups and downs, and charge rates.
Now go and get some color and have a beer.

Thanks Redfin and Condor for your support and interest. I have no idea regarding the impact on phone battery use via the Bluetooth, but I am unlikely to leave BT activated all the time, as of no use when not near the BM Pro.

Weather doesn't look too good for swinging over the Easter break, but at least I will be out in the bush for a few days and covering some "new" ground.

Rob.

before I make the investment I'd want to know the answer to that.
The way I read the manual the app needs to be on all the time and within bluetooth range [5 metres]
to read and monitor correctly, to build up the 'memory'
But
maybe I read it wrong.

Perhaps Condor can give more info on this as he is using several of them, but my understanding was the the Battery Check device does the monitoring of in and out and the App is mainly a display and configuration interface.

Considering that the amount of time that the device is required to monitor the in and out is all the time, I believe that it is unlikely that they will be relying on a Bluetooth based App to do all that collection and analysis. It is possible the the app does some analysis based on the data collected, but it is unlikely to be required to collect the basic data.

Rob.

The actual calculations and monitoring in and out occurs in the device attached to the battery.

The phone app appears to me to be the display interface. You are correct that Bluetooth only needs to be activated if you want to use it for whatever connections you make. As I said, I use it for hands free and turning it on and off every time I get in and out of the car is a pain.

The learning of the device is in the battery device not the App. Basically if you leave it on the battery overnight after initial install it has learned. Charging speeds up the process.

The only time you need to repeat the learning is if you disconnect the device. The App is independent of this.

I use an App on my Samsung called Juice Defender (Google App Store), which is configured to save mobile battery power.

Hope this helps.

Pablo, try updating your android, see if that works????

That is good to hear Condor

The BM PRO APP Requires Android 2.3.3 and up