Android App Support Thread

HeneryH · 03/30/2012, 12:22 PM

I have been really busy lately and have let some support PMs and emails build up. Sorry about that but I just can't get to them at this point. Here are some pointers on getting the app running...

If you can't access your controller from the browser on your phone, don't even bother trying the app. Consult the unofficial users guide for more advice on port forwarding an dynamic dns.
WAN URL is the URL you would acces your controller from while at school, work, on 3g/4g or elsewhere outside the home. It is NOT, NOT, NOT http://192.168.1.50 or htp://apex .
LAN URL is the URL you would use to access your controller when on your home network, such as http://apex or http://192.168.1.50 .
The SSID is the WiFi network name to connect to your home network. When you scan for WiFi hotspots, this is the name you see for your home network.
If you don't understand the first three points, please try to learn about them. They are critical to undertanding how to connectt.
Once you enter your credentials into the app preferences and return back to the dashboard, prior to going into the controller icon, hit the spinner once and make sure it spins for a second then stops. Try again to be sure.
Now enter into the controllers icon area. There is a current bug where the app will FC if you enter the controllers area without any data in the database. This trips up a lot of new installs.
Have fun.

These tips resolve about 90% of the support communications I get.

If you have further questions, post them here. I am too busy right now to get to PMs and emails. Plus, I end up retyping the above bullets most of the time. I will pop in here often to check up. Others may be able to help too.

I should be able to get back to the inhabitants database and getting more creative with the tablet formats after my work craziness slows down.

Sorry for ignoring recent requests. I just can't right now.

Thanks,
Joe

dad1st · 03/30/2012, 07:37 PM

I haven't had any problem with the program Joe but, I do want to show you my appreciation for creating this great App.
I thank you and all those who help build it,Keep up the good work.

necco · 04/03/2012, 12:55 AM

Not sure if this is valid, but it got me connected to my apex. Knowing the above statements, manually re-enter your apex password regardless if you kept it the default 1234. After deleting the default 4 digit password in the App and re-entering 1234 I was able to connect. Sounds like a no brainer, but I assumed that I didn't need to? Whether or not this was my problem, It's working now. I was getting a force close with my HTC Incredible. I didn't contact you HeneryH, but nice App BTW!

rogergolf66 · 04/03/2012, 05:22 PM

Tagging

blau · 04/03/2012, 08:47 PM

The old Android app quit working today after updating my evo. I downloaded the new app and cant get it to work with the aqua controller 3 pro. Does it not work at all anymore. I am getting really close to have a really expensive plastic box next to my fish tank if this is the case. my last hold out is the old apple app.

Any input would be appreciated
Thanks,
Brian

capindc · 04/04/2012, 06:10 AM

It crash when I am Impatient I want to scroll down and change a switch to manual off or something before it full loads. The screen will display all the outlet but I have to wait about 10 or sec before I can scroll down if I do not wait and start taping scrolling the screen it will crash.

BTW I have 26 Outlets this run 2 tanks

HeneryH · 04/04/2012, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blau

The old Android app quit working today after updating my evo. I downloaded the new app and cant get it to work with the aqua controller 3 pro. Does it not work at all anymore. I am getting really close to have a really expensive plastic box next to my fish tank if this is the case. my last hold out is the old apple app.

Any input would be appreciated
Thanks,
Brian

It should work fine with an ACiii but it has to have the newer firmware.

If you can go to http://[yourdomainaddress]/cgi-bin/status.xml and get back your status results then it would work.

Please check bullet #1 in the original post.

Dactylopterus · 04/05/2012, 11:30 AM

I installed the application yesterday, and I'm having the same problem. the widget doesn't work, and when I open the application starts the cirlce as it is retrieving data and then crashes.

I can acces the APEX via Dyndns Hostname/port from my phone.

Samsung Galaxy II android 2.3.3
Apex firmware version: 4.05_4B11

Since I installed the Apex I changed the port and fixed IP address so the router accept the APEX, could this be the problem?

Thanks,

dougc · 04/05/2012, 11:52 AM

An invalid URL will crash the app. Mine crashed when I left out the slash after the port number.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

HeneryH · 04/05/2012, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dactylopterus

I installed the application yesterday, and I'm having the same problem. the widget doesn't work, and when I open the application starts the cirlce as it is retrieving data and then crashes.

I can acces the APEX via Dyndns Hostname/port from my phone.

Samsung Galaxy II android 2.3.3
Apex firmware version: 4.05_4B11

Since I installed the Apex I changed the port and fixed IP address so the router accept the APEX, could this be the problem?

Thanks,

PM sent. 4.05 is the cutoff for FW version supported but I forget if that was on the good side of the bubble or on the bad side of the bubble. That fw release was when the Apex started returning a unique id for each outlet rather than relying on the name to be unique.

HeneryH · 04/05/2012, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dougc

An invalid URL will crash the app. Mine crashed when I left out the slash after the port number.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

I've heard this report for the LAN URL specifically. I know I put a test in for lack of leading "http://", lack of trailing "/" and misc special characters.

I wouldn't believe this to be true had I not heard other similar reports. Was your problem with the LAN rather than the WAN? That is what I've heard.

dougc · 04/05/2012, 12:57 PM

Just tested on WAN. Leaving off slash crashes app when I click on Controllers.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

HeneryH · 04/05/2012, 02:29 PM

***** Addition to Post #1 *****

FW 4.05 and older will not work and actually may corrupt the database. Poor error handling on my part. Next release will be more forgiving to this unsupported fw release.

bellis31 · 04/05/2012, 02:55 PM

This works on my Inspire to connect to my Apex Jr... Even the graph works!

blau · 04/05/2012, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeneryH

It should work fine with an ACiii but it has to have the newer firmware.

If you can go to http://[yourdomainaddress]/cgi-bin/status.xml and get back your status results then it would work.

Please check bullet #1 in the original post.

I have the newer firmware "3.40" and visiting cgi-bin/status.xml returns what it should. The app doesn't give any errors it just gives the spinning wheel and then stops.

Should the acIII also work on the ipad app?

HeneryH · 04/05/2012, 06:32 PM

Can you pm me the output from the status? Do you have any duplicate or blank outlet names?

Wall_Tank · 04/06/2012, 03:24 PM

Anyone having any luck with this under ICS?

Works fine on my
Galaxy SII Skyrocket: 2.3.6

Can't get to work on
Asus Transformer Prime: 4.0.3

Never gets a connection to the Apex, and Just Force Closes when I try to access the controller. (Yes, I made sure to refresh a couple times before trying to access)

jbaeza83 · 04/06/2012, 03:43 PM

Hi Henry, I started using the new version of the aquanotes a few days ago. Now my question is are you going to have a better display for the status of an outlet when using the vdm? With the old apex app, it would display the profile that was currently active, with this new one it only shows a blue box regardless of the profile. It was kinda nice to see the status of my AI lights

dougc · 04/06/2012, 04:17 PM

I'm running on a custom ICS ROM. App works.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

HeneryH · 04/27/2012, 11:13 AM

I pulled the app from the market because I really don't have any time to support it. I think one more PM may fill up my mailbox and they will start bouncing.

Just a little history...

The first version of the app was built in the early days of both the Apex and Android.

Since then the Apex has evolved to allow for more features in the XML control (profiles, using outlet_id rather than name thus allowing dup or blank names, etc etc)

Also the Android ecosystem evolved for tablets and newer phone versions such as ICS (multiple panels, swiping, tabs etc).

Due to these evolutions, I tried a major rewrite of the app. For the most part, the new version of the app works if everything is as expected but I never got a chance to polish off some of the rough edges.

The bugs talked about in the first post of this thread remain and continue to cause problems for new users who haven't yet read this thread.

It was a fun project while it lasted, but I just don't have enough time in the day to keep this going.

Sorry, you can always use the web control in a standard web browser.

Have a great Summer everyone! Enjoy your tanks

RussM · 04/27/2012, 12:02 PM

Thank you for all of your efforts, HeneryH! I'm sure this was a difficult decision for you to make.

Landsailor · 04/27/2012, 01:29 PM

Neptune Systems needs to step up and get something going or get an open source project going.

I happen to know that the folks at Southern Stars did an incredible job of porting their SkySafari from iOS to Android. They do contract work, too. (hint, hint)

DolphinLVR · 04/27/2012, 04:53 PM

HenryH, I want to thank you for all of your efforts!

I Cant even imagine the amount of time you have invested and I just wanted to applaud you for your efforts!

HeneryH · 04/28/2012, 12:16 PM

Curt has opened a dialog with me about getting a quality Android solution back into the market. All I can say for now is that Curt cares and I have offered the code base to him. Where this goes in the future is going to depend on many factors.

Unfortunately, as a business owner, he must juggle many priorities including making payroll and feeding his own family and I cannot promise anything specific.

For now, we'll just need to wait and see how it goes.

rogergolf66 · 04/28/2012, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeneryH

Curt has opened a dialog with me about getting a quality Android solution back into the market. All I can say for now is that Curt cares and I have offered the code base to him. Where this goes in the future is going to depend on many factors.

Unfortunately, as a business owner, he must juggle many priorities including making payroll and feeding his own family and I cannot promise anything specific.

For now, we'll just need to wait and see how it goes.

R u saying that if I have an android phone the app dosnt work well?

04/03/2012, 12:55 AM	#3
necco noob for life Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: MA Posts: 238	Not sure if this is valid, but it got me connected to my apex. Knowing the above statements, manually re-enter your apex password regardless if you kept it the default 1234. After deleting the default 4 digit password in the App and re-entering 1234 I was able to connect. Sounds like a no brainer, but I assumed that I didn't need to? Whether or not this was my problem, It's working now. I was getting a force close with my HTC Incredible. I didn't contact you HeneryH, but nice App BTW! __________________ Tim

04/03/2012, 05:22 PM	#4
rogergolf66 im an addict lol Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Land o lakes, FLorida Posts: 7,229	Tagging __________________ Don't keep track of how much money you spend on your system. You will enjoy it much more that way :-) Current Tank Info: 120ga BBl, DIY LED, apex, flow snapper return, mp10,mp40, lifereef skimmer,SPS dominated

04/05/2012, 11:30 AM	#8
Dactylopterus Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 149	I installed the application yesterday, and I'm having the same problem. the widget doesn't work, and when I open the application starts the cirlce as it is retrieving data and then crashes. I can acces the APEX via Dyndns Hostname/port from my phone. Samsung Galaxy II android 2.3.3 Apex firmware version: 4.05_4B11 Since I installed the Apex I changed the port and fixed IP address so the router accept the APEX, could this be the problem? Thanks, Last edited by Dactylopterus; 04/05/2012 at 11:41 AM.

04/05/2012, 11:52 AM	#9
dougc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Cherry HIll, NJ Posts: 743	An invalid URL will crash the app. Mine crashed when I left out the slash after the port number. Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk __________________ Those are my principles and if you don't like 'em I have others. Current Tank Info: 180g AGA RR, Ecosystem,AI SOL LEDs, Apex controller, MRC CR, Tunze 6100s, Osmolator

04/05/2012, 12:57 PM	#12
dougc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Cherry HIll, NJ Posts: 743	Just tested on WAN. Leaving off slash crashes app when I click on Controllers. Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk __________________ Those are my principles and if you don't like 'em I have others. Current Tank Info: 180g AGA RR, Ecosystem,AI SOL LEDs, Apex controller, MRC CR, Tunze 6100s, Osmolator

03/30/2012, 12:22 PM	#1
HeneryH Henery Hawk Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: PA Posts: 997	Android App Support Thread I have been really busy lately and have let some support PMs and emails build up. Sorry about that but I just can't get to them at this point. Here are some pointers on getting the app running... If you can't access your controller from the browser on your phone, don't even bother trying the app. Consult the unofficial users guide for more advice on port forwarding an dynamic dns. WAN URL is the URL you would acces your controller from while at school, work, on 3g/4g or elsewhere outside the home. It is NOT, NOT, NOT http://192.168.1.50 or htp://apex . LAN URL is the URL you would use to access your controller when on your home network, such as http://apex or http://192.168.1.50 . The SSID is the WiFi network name to connect to your home network. When you scan for WiFi hotspots, this is the name you see for your home network. If you don't understand the first three points, please try to learn about them. They are critical to undertanding how to connectt. Once you enter your credentials into the app preferences and return back to the dashboard, prior to going into the controller icon, hit the spinner once and make sure it spins for a second then stops. Try again to be sure. Now enter into the controllers icon area. There is a current bug where the app will FC if you enter the controllers area without any data in the database. This trips up a lot of new installs. Have fun. These tips resolve about 90% of the support communications I get. If you have further questions, post them here. I am too busy right now to get to PMs and emails. Plus, I end up retyping the above bullets most of the time. I will pop in here often to check up. Others may be able to help too. I should be able to get back to the inhabitants database and getting more creative with the tablet formats after my work craziness slows down. Sorry for ignoring recent requests. I just can't right now. Thanks, Joe

03/30/2012, 07:37 PM	#2
dad1st Tank Master Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: FW Indiana Posts: 555	I haven't had any problem with the program Joe but, I do want to show you my appreciation for creating this great App. I thank you and all those who help build it,Keep up the good work.

04/03/2012, 08:47 PM	#5
blau Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: St. Louis MO Posts: 36	The old Android app quit working today after updating my evo. I downloaded the new app and cant get it to work with the aqua controller 3 pro. Does it not work at all anymore. I am getting really close to have a really expensive plastic box next to my fish tank if this is the case. my last hold out is the old apple app. Any input would be appreciated Thanks, Brian

04/04/2012, 06:10 AM	#6
capindc Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 14	It crash when I am Impatient I want to scroll down and change a switch to manual off or something before it full loads. The screen will display all the outlet but I have to wait about 10 or sec before I can scroll down if I do not wait and start taping scrolling the screen it will crash. BTW I have 26 Outlets this run 2 tanks

04/05/2012, 02:29 PM	#13
HeneryH Henery Hawk Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: PA Posts: 997	*** Addition to Post #1 *** FW 4.05 and older will not work and actually may corrupt the database. Poor error handling on my part. Next release will be more forgiving to this unsupported fw release.

04/05/2012, 02:55 PM	#14
bellis31 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sacramento, Ca Posts: 748	This works on my Inspire to connect to my Apex Jr... Even the graph works! __________________ 40g Breeder + 29g Sump GH 700 Overflow and Return + SC-150 Skimmer Eheim 1260 Return Pump + 2 Vortech MP10es 36inch 6 Bulb TEK Elite T5 Lighting + Apex Jr Controller

04/05/2012, 06:32 PM	#16
HeneryH Henery Hawk Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: PA Posts: 997	Can you pm me the output from the status? Do you have any duplicate or blank outlet names?

04/06/2012, 03:24 PM	#17
Wall_Tank Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Dayton, Oh Posts: 105	Anyone having any luck with this under ICS? Works fine on my Galaxy SII Skyrocket: 2.3.6 Can't get to work on Asus Transformer Prime: 4.0.3 Never gets a connection to the Apex, and Just Force Closes when I try to access the controller. (Yes, I made sure to refresh a couple times before trying to access)

04/06/2012, 03:43 PM	#18
jbaeza83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Upland, CA Posts: 103	Hi Henry, I started using the new version of the aquanotes a few days ago. Now my question is are you going to have a better display for the status of an outlet when using the vdm? With the old apex app, it would display the profile that was currently active, with this new one it only shows a blue box regardless of the profile. It was kinda nice to see the status of my AI lights

04/06/2012, 04:17 PM	#19
dougc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Cherry HIll, NJ Posts: 743	I'm running on a custom ICS ROM. App works. Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk __________________ Those are my principles and if you don't like 'em I have others. Current Tank Info: 180g AGA RR, Ecosystem,AI SOL LEDs, Apex controller, MRC CR, Tunze 6100s, Osmolator

04/27/2012, 11:13 AM	#20
HeneryH Henery Hawk Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: PA Posts: 997	I pulled the app from the market because I really don't have any time to support it. I think one more PM may fill up my mailbox and they will start bouncing. Just a little history... The first version of the app was built in the early days of both the Apex and Android. Since then the Apex has evolved to allow for more features in the XML control (profiles, using outlet_id rather than name thus allowing dup or blank names, etc etc) Also the Android ecosystem evolved for tablets and newer phone versions such as ICS (multiple panels, swiping, tabs etc). Due to these evolutions, I tried a major rewrite of the app. For the most part, the new version of the app works if everything is as expected but I never got a chance to polish off some of the rough edges. The bugs talked about in the first post of this thread remain and continue to cause problems for new users who haven't yet read this thread. It was a fun project while it lasted, but I just don't have enough time in the day to keep this going. Sorry, you can always use the web control in a standard web browser. Have a great Summer everyone! Enjoy your tanks

04/27/2012, 12:02 PM	#21
RussM Recovering Reefaholic Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: El Cajon, CA Posts: 7,492	Thank you for all of your efforts, HeneryH! I'm sure this was a difficult decision for you to make.

04/27/2012, 01:29 PM	#22
Landsailor Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 433	Neptune Systems needs to step up and get something going or get an open source project going. I happen to know that the folks at Southern Stars did an incredible job of porting their SkySafari from iOS to Android. They do contract work, too. (hint, hint)

04/27/2012, 04:53 PM	#23
DolphinLVR Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: La Conner, WA. Posts: 214	HenryH, I want to thank you for all of your efforts! I Cant even imagine the amount of time you have invested and I just wanted to applaud you for your efforts!

04/28/2012, 12:16 PM	#24
HeneryH Henery Hawk Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: PA Posts: 997	Curt has opened a dialog with me about getting a quality Android solution back into the market. All I can say for now is that Curt cares and I have offered the code base to him. Where this goes in the future is going to depend on many factors. Unfortunately, as a business owner, he must juggle many priorities including making payroll and feeding his own family and I cannot promise anything specific. For now, we'll just need to wait and see how it goes.