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-   -   FADU F-stop Enlarger Timer App for Android (http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=12132)

redtreephoto 31st October 2018 10:20 AM

A sugestion
 
Hello - I know nothing of electronics - so shared your post for advice in The Darkroom FB group - I hope you don't mind. The response I received was: "A relay with a WEMOS type board (or nodeMCU) can work as a server so you connect directly to the board via wifi using your phone. Its a much better solution than having a smart plug that works over the home wifi network. The delay should be less. If you have a system that keeps the connection always active without energy saving, you can have even less delay" and " tell him to look for WEMOS D1 for example, they are quite stable little wifi boards."
I hope this helps regarding the question of an alternative to the plug. My timer just died on me and this type of device would be really useful if it did not need any electronics know-how. Thank you for developing it.
Kind regarsd

Bob 23rd December 2018 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redtreephoto (Post 121898)
Hello - I know nothing of electronics - so shared your post for advice in The Darkroom FB group - I hope you don't mind. The response I received was: "A relay with a WEMOS type board (or nodeMCU) can work as a server so you connect directly to the board via wifi using your phone. Its a much better solution than having a smart plug that works over the home wifi network. The delay should be less. If you have a system that keeps the connection always active without energy saving, you can have even less delay" and " tell him to look for WEMOS D1 for example, they are quite stable little wifi boards."
I hope this helps regarding the question of an alternative to the plug. My timer just died on me and this type of device would be really useful if it did not need any electronics know-how. Thank you for developing it.
Kind regarsd

Hi, and thanks for the suggestion.

Sorry for the late reply, but your post got lost down a software rabbit-hole and only just appeared!

Yes, I am aware of these kinds of boards and did consider them but the problem is that it still needs electronics knowledge to connect the relays on the boards to the enlarger and to provide a power supply for the board. Even more worrying is that the user will be messing with mains voltages which are highly dangerous to the uninitiated. The advantage of the Sonoff Wifi sockets is that they are already fully assembled and the user does not go anywhere near the mains.

However, I am thinking of adapting a readily available board for use on the low-voltage side of colour enlarger transformers so it will be safe for the inexperienced to connect them to the enlarger. The item here (https://www.banggood.com/5V-ESP8266-...r_warehouse=CN) is what I have in mind but there are still issues to do with the amount of power they can handle (100 - 150 watts only).


Thanks for taking the time to ask around - much appreciated.

Cheers, Bob.

Bob 1st February 2019 08:17 PM

1 Attachment(s)
A new version (1.2.0) of the FADU Timer App has been uploaded to the google play store and the user manual here updated.

It has a few tweaks but most usefully can now drive an LC Technologies relay board without the need to program anything yourself!

On the minus side, this relay module should not be used with Mains voltages as I am unhappy about the separation between the relay terminals and the low-voltage circuitry on the board. It is best used on the low-voltage output from a colour enlarger's transformer/voltage stabiliser. Some DIY skills still required to give it a power supply (just buy a 5V "wall-wart" from ebay/amazon) and put it in a box. Details in the manual (I suggest downloading the PDF version as it's a LOT easier to read).

Oh, there have been the massive number of very-nearly-almost 200 copies of the app downloaded from the google play store and still not uninstalled ;)


Cheers, Bob.

Bob 23rd March 2019 06:28 PM

A new version (1.3.0) of the FADU F-stop Enlarger Timer App has been uploaded to the google play store.

This update includes a new test-strip screen with 3 modes for f-stop incremented strips - one of which is targetted specifically at people switching the enlarger lamp manually by providing audio beeps to tell them when to move the masking card to the next strip.

Cheers, Bob.

Bob 23rd March 2019 06:32 PM

A new version (1.3.0) of the FADU F-stop Enlarger Timer App has been uploaded to the google play store.

This update includes a new "Strips" screen with 3 modes for f-stop incremented test-strips - one of which is targetted specifically at people switching the enlarger lamp manually by providing audio prompts to tell them when to move the masking card to the next strip.

Note that I have moved the project files etc to a public repository on GitHub (https://github.com/filmanddarkroom/FADU_Timer) as it was getting too complex and time-consuming to maintain here. This article will remain as the landing spot for any questions and notifications etc.


Cheers, Bob

Bob 19th April 2019 10:42 PM

1 Attachment(s)
A new version (1.4.0) of the FADU F-stop Enlarger Timer App has been uploaded to the google play store.

This is probably the last update for a while as it now does pretty much all it needs to do.

I might be making reprogrammed Sonoff Basic devices available on Tindie for anyone that can't reprogram them themselves and want to have a play.

Cheers, Bob.

Bob 19th October 2019 08:43 PM

Just a quick note that Ruslan Isubilov has adapted the Timer app and converted it to drive his DIY LED enlarger head. He has a example of it in use on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4ez...71383535631377

Anon01 20th October 2019 09:24 AM

Does anyone have any images of this working somehow ???

Bob 20th October 2019 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cannik (Post 127419)
Does anyone have any images of this working somehow ???

Only in Ruslan's video as far as I am aware.

The snag with using the app comes when you want to connect it to an enlarger lamp. That requires an external hardware interface. Several options exist, all of which require some level of electronics project experience as there is nothing suitable off-the-shelf. The manual has the details.

LesMeehan 6th February 2020 10:04 AM

FADU timer won't connect to wifi relay
 
Hi Folks
Very frustrated that, having follwed the instructions in the FADU timer manual, I just can't get the android timer app to connect to the wifi relay switch I have wired to my enlarger.

I have a TalkTalk router for my internet and it shows the relay device is connected. The relay works with the eWeLink app no problem.

I have put the dedicated IP shown on TalkTalk for the relay into Settings in timer app and changed it to read LC Tech but no joy.

Any ideas on what might be wrong here?

Appreciate any help as I really love this timer app!

Regards
Les Meehan


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