Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Posted on
Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:55 pm
Dewster35 offline
Posts: 1030
Joined: Jul 06, 2010
Location: Petoskey, MI

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

b_weijenberg wrote:
Sorry, I don't have a Mac OS system so I can't help you.
I hope this site will give you all help information to get it operational.
http://www.mono-project.com/Mono:OSX
Or find a Windows system to flash the RFXrec433/RFXtrx433



Honestly, I've spent some time looking through that webpage and cannot make heads or tails of what I've got to do. Not real comfortable taking the chance and ruining a $100+ piece of hardware while guessing.

I have access to a PC, but it's running 64 bit xp. Is that more straightforward to use to update the firmware than Mono for a mac? Or is there someone on your team that does have experience with the Mac that could guide me in the right direction?

Posted on
Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:30 pm
johnpolasek offline
Posts: 911
Joined: Aug 05, 2011
Location: Aggieland, Texas

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

I updated mine on a 64 bit win 7 machine; except for the fact that it apparently had to be completely powered down for the flash to "take", it worked fine. The windows instructions on the RFX website are pretty self explainatory; basically just download the flash program, download the right flash file, run the program and point it to the file you've downloaded.

Posted on
Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:31 am
RJdeKok offline
Posts: 125
Joined: Mar 27, 2012

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Hello All,

Download WinOnX from the AppStore and install it.
Download RFXFlash and run it while WinOnX is running.
Yes, that will do something as WinOnX tries to handle the .exe file.
You will get an error the the runtime is not installed and WinOnX comes with a location from where you can download Mono, the replacement for the standard .Net runtime.
Download the WINDOWS version and run it while WinOnX is running.
after it installed the runtime restart WinOnX.
Now you can run RFXFlash from the WinOnX application.

Image

Posted on
Wed Jun 13, 2012 6:28 am
johnpolasek offline
Posts: 911
Joined: Aug 05, 2011
Location: Aggieland, Texas

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

The rain rate algorithm isn't bad, but it could use a bit of tweaking on the tail end of a rainstorm... we had a really spectacular one roll through yesterday, and while the RFX picked up the huge rain rates, once the line passed, it claimed it was still raining for a full hour after the sun came back out... and then kept behaving oddly when we got the hour or so of dribbly mist just before sunset. Here's a segment of the log:
    Time Rain RainRate
    6/12/2012 16:54 0 0
    6/12/2012 16:55 0.04 0
    6/12/2012 16:56 0.08 0
    6/12/2012 16:57 0.12 1.89
    6/12/2012 16:58 0.16 2.28
    6/12/2012 16:59 0.28 2.28
    6/12/2012 17:00 0.35 3.5
    6/12/2012 17:01 0.35 3.82
    6/12/2012 17:02 0.51 3.82
    6/12/2012 17:03 0.67 6.14
    6/12/2012 17:04 0.79 7.64
    6/12/2012 17:05 0.83 7.87
    6/12/2012 17:06 0.91 7.2
    6/12/2012 17:07 1.1 5.63
    6/12/2012 17:08 1.14 4.69
    6/12/2012 17:09 1.14 4.33
    6/12/2012 17:10 1.38 5.47
    6/12/2012 17:11 1.46 6.1
    6/12/2012 17:12 1.5 6.34
    6/12/2012 17:13 1.57 5.79
    6/12/2012 17:14 1.77 5.94
    6/12/2012 17:15 1.85 6.65
    6/12/2012 17:16 1.93 5.91
    6/12/2012 17:17 1.97 4.33
    6/12/2012 17:18 2.01 3.58
    6/12/2012 17:19 2.01 2.8
    6/12/2012 17:20 2.01 2.8
    6/12/2012 17:21 2.01 2.8
    6/12/2012 17:22 2.05 2.8
    6/12/2012 17:23 2.05 0.94
    6/12/2012 17:24 2.05 0.94
    6/12/2012 17:25 2.05 0.94
    Identical for 17:26-18:23
    6/12/2012 18:24 2.05 0.94
    6/12/2012 18:25 2.05 0.94
    6/12/2012 18:26 2.05 0.94
    6/12/2012 18:27 2.09 0.04
    6/12/2012 18:28 2.09 0.04
    6/12/2012 18:29 2.09 0.04
    6/12/2012 18:30 2.09 0.04
    identical for 18:31-19:03
    6/12/2012 19:04 2.09 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:05 2.09 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:06 2.09 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:07 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:08 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:09 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:10 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:11 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:12 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:13 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:14 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:15 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:16 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:17 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:18 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:19 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:20 2.13 0
    6/12/2012 19:21 2.17 0
    6/12/2012 19:22 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:23 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:24 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:25 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:26 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:27 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:28 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:29 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:30 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:31 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:32 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:33 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:34 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:35 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:36 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:37 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:38 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:39 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:40 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:41 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:42 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:43 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:44 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:45 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:46 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:47 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:48 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:49 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:50 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:51 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:52 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:53 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:54 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:55 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:56 2.17 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:57 2.2 0.04
    6/12/2012 19:58 2.2 0.08
    6/12/2012 19:59 2.2 0.08
    6/12/2012 20:00 2.2 0.08
    6/12/2012 20:01 2.2 0.08
    6/12/2012 20:02 2.2 0.08
    6/12/2012 20:03 2.2 0.08
    6/12/2012 20:04 2.2 0.08
    6/12/2012 20:05 2.24 0.08
    6/12/2012 20:06 2.24 0.08
    Identical 20:07-22:07
    6/12/2012 22:08 2.24 0.08
    6/12/2012 22:09 2.24 0.08
    6/12/2012 22:10 2.24 0

And BTW, the actual rain was probably pretty accurate; I have both the OSI and a Davis VantageVue, and the two tracked together to within 0.1 inch throughout the entire episode and finished only 0.03 inches apart at the end.

Posted on
Wed Jun 13, 2012 7:07 am
Otis offline
Posts: 210
Joined: Jan 24, 2006

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Make sure the drain hole in the collection bucket isn't partially clogged — that can cause the water to continue dribbling out long after the rain stops.

Posted on
Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:05 am
johnpolasek offline
Posts: 911
Joined: Aug 05, 2011
Location: Aggieland, Texas

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Otis wrote:
Make sure the drain hole in the collection bucket isn't partially clogged — that can cause the water to continue dribbling out long after the rain stops.


I am fully aware of that; someone in my neighborhood has a rain bucket also being picked up by the RFXrec that recorded only 1.3 inches of rain in the event and is STILL climbing slowly this morning. But if you look at the cumulative rain column, the first bucket tip of the day occured at 16:55 and the last bucket trip in the main storm occured at 17:22 (52 bucket tips in about half an hour, each representing 1 mm of rainfall, the resolution of the OSI sensor). The 53rd tip did not occur until an hour later at 18:26 during a light mist that started about 10 minutes earlier. But during the entire period from 17:23 to 18:25, the rain RATE was listed as almost an inch per hour, and as soon as the daily rain added the additional mm of rainfall to the cumulative total, the rain RATE dropped to 0.04 inch, and it remained at 0.04 until the 54th tip at 19:07 when it became 0 until the 55th bucket tip of the day when it went back to 0.04... it should have faded off to 0 witin 10 minutes of having no additional trips of the bucket.

Posted on
Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:19 am
Dewster35 offline
Posts: 1030
Joined: Jul 06, 2010
Location: Petoskey, MI

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Anyone have any experience with wind affecting the accuracy? Granted, it would take a lot, but I think it is feasible... especially if the gage is no level.

Posted on
Wed Jun 13, 2012 8:20 am
Dewster35 offline
Posts: 1030
Joined: Jul 06, 2010
Location: Petoskey, MI

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Robert,
I did the following below and it's coming up as no com port found. Any suggested remedies?


RJdeKok wrote:
Hello All,

Download WinOnX from the AppStore and install it.
Download RFXFlash and run it while WinOnX is running.
Yes, that will do something as WinOnX tries to handle the .exe file.
You will get an error the the runtime is not installed and WinOnX comes with a location from where you can download Mono, the replacement for the standard .Net runtime.
Download the WINDOWS version and run it while WinOnX is running.
after it installed the runtime restart WinOnX.
Now you can run RFXFlash from the WinOnX application.

Image

Posted on
Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:42 am
b_weijenberg offline
Posts: 172
Joined: Jun 14, 2006

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Did you disconnect the RFXtrx from Indigo?
Only one application can access a COM port.

Posted on
Wed Jun 13, 2012 10:26 am
Dewster35 offline
Posts: 1030
Joined: Jul 06, 2010
Location: Petoskey, MI

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

I disabled the RFXCOM plugin, quit indigo, force quit all indigo related process. Installed the USB drivers listed, launched WinOnX, Launched RFXFlash and it is still saying the same message that there is no COM port available. I've tried rebooting and following this same process a couple of times, tried unplugging and replugging the RFX into the USB port and there are no changes.

b_weijenberg wrote:
Did you disconnect the RFXtrx from Indigo?
Only one application can access a COM port.

Posted on
Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:33 pm
Dewster35 offline
Posts: 1030
Joined: Jul 06, 2010
Location: Petoskey, MI

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Any other corrective action I should try?

Posted on
Sat Jun 16, 2012 2:33 am
b_weijenberg offline
Posts: 172
Joined: Jun 14, 2006

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

We have to wait for an answer by Robert as I don't have a Mac and Robert has a test device available.
You only need to flash firmware if a new version updates a function you will use. Sorry, I have no other solution but if it is urgent try to find somebody with a Windows system.

Posted on
Sat Jun 16, 2012 3:40 am
RJdeKok offline
Posts: 125
Joined: Mar 27, 2012

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Still working on this, could take some more time.
For the time being you can make your Mac dual boot with bootcamp or use VMWare Fusion or Parallels to install a virtual Windows PC.

Posted on
Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:35 pm
Dewster35 offline
Posts: 1030
Joined: Jul 06, 2010
Location: Petoskey, MI

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Sorry if I sound a little frustrated, but you suggested I buy a 5 dollar piece of software to use for this application and it doesn't do what I need it to do.

Posted on
Mon Jun 25, 2012 2:45 pm
matt (support) offline
Site Admin
User avatar
Posts: 21411
Joined: Jan 27, 2003
Location: Texas

Re: Comments/Questions on RFXtrx

Instead of WinOnX try using Mono:

http://www.go-mono.com/mono-downloads/download.html

It is free, but the process is still buggy and more difficult than it should be. You have to use Terminal to have mono launch the RFXflash.exe and even then it took it a few times before it started working (and once it launched the UI has bad redraw problems because of Mono). All that said, I was able to re-flash my RFXCOM eventually. Your mileage may vary though...

I do wish that the plugin would allow re-flashing directly from Indigo. That would be the optimal solution, especially given how frequently the firmware updates have been released.

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