R E M O T E M O N I T O R I N G S Y S T E M S
This tech tip comes from a troubleshooting experience with one of our customers in the Northeast who I promised not to name.
After installing a WESROC Tank monitor at a customers home, this technician had to make 8 return trips. He was trying to determine why the Base Unit would only call in a tank reading to the host computer when either the tank was filled or when he performed a service call. The Base Unit made no scheduled reports to the host computer. New equipment was tried, the phone lines were diagnosed, and the problem still persisted. Until one day a light bulb came on.....or off in this case. The Base Unit was plugged into a switched outlet in the basement of the customers home. The system would work perfectly whenever the technician visited the home to fill the tank and troubleshoot the installation, but as soon as he walked up the stairs and turned off the light switch, power was cut off to the Base Unit, making it unable to receive levels from the tank transmitter or report the levels to the host computer. Moving the power cord of the Base Unit was all it took to fix this installation.
This incredibly frustrating situation was a strong reminder to both the technician and us here at the tech support department to always ask the simple questions - no matter how strange they may sound - and to keep an eye out for those pesky switched outlets!
After installing a WESROC Tank monitor at a customers home, this technician had to make 8 return trips. He was trying to determine why the Base Unit would only call in a tank reading to the host computer when either the tank was filled or when he performed a service call. The Base Unit made no scheduled reports to the host computer. New equipment was tried, the phone lines were diagnosed, and the problem still persisted. Until one day a light bulb came on.....or off in this case. The Base Unit was plugged into a switched outlet in the basement of the customers home. The system would work perfectly whenever the technician visited the home to fill the tank and troubleshoot the installation, but as soon as he walked up the stairs and turned off the light switch, power was cut off to the Base Unit, making it unable to receive levels from the tank transmitter or report the levels to the host computer. Moving the power cord of the Base Unit was all it took to fix this installation.
This incredibly frustrating situation was a strong reminder to both the technician and us here at the tech support department to always ask the simple questions - no matter how strange they may sound - and to keep an eye out for those pesky switched outlets!
This tip is related to a common problem we see here at the help desk when working with technicians installing WESROC Tank Monitors on commercial accounts.
The Technician performs the installation steps as normal, initializing the Transmitters to the Base Unit, attaches his phone and configures the Base unit by calling the host computer. The problem arises when trying to perform the Service Call or "Test Report" function on the Base unit. When activating the Base Unit to perform a Service call, it picks up the line and tries to dial the host computer to drop off its information. It is the same operation the Base Unit performs whenever it calls the host to report an alarm or for its normal scheduled reports.
Whenever you get a Configuration to Pass, but the Service Call step fails, it is related to the phone line in some way. Remember, during the configuration, you are doing the dialing for the Base Unit, but during the service call the Base unit dials the Host computer phone number it downloaded during the configuration step. The common problem in the commercial settings is that a "9" or some other digit must precede the Host computer phone number for the Base Unit to access an outside line. Check with your Host Computer administrator to see if the Base Unit information record in the computer has the correct setup listed in the software. If a "9" is needed, but not listed in the software, have the administrator add the correct dialing pattern, and then reconfigure the base unit to download the new Host Computer phone number into the Base Unit.
If you are in the field and need help, please give us a call at 866.493.7762 and we can trouble shoot the situation. A few minutes on the phone could save you a return trip
The Technician performs the installation steps as normal, initializing the Transmitters to the Base Unit, attaches his phone and configures the Base unit by calling the host computer. The problem arises when trying to perform the Service Call or "Test Report" function on the Base unit. When activating the Base Unit to perform a Service call, it picks up the line and tries to dial the host computer to drop off its information. It is the same operation the Base Unit performs whenever it calls the host to report an alarm or for its normal scheduled reports.
Whenever you get a Configuration to Pass, but the Service Call step fails, it is related to the phone line in some way. Remember, during the configuration, you are doing the dialing for the Base Unit, but during the service call the Base unit dials the Host computer phone number it downloaded during the configuration step. The common problem in the commercial settings is that a "9" or some other digit must precede the Host computer phone number for the Base Unit to access an outside line. Check with your Host Computer administrator to see if the Base Unit information record in the computer has the correct setup listed in the software. If a "9" is needed, but not listed in the software, have the administrator add the correct dialing pattern, and then reconfigure the base unit to download the new Host Computer phone number into the Base Unit.
If you are in the field and need help, please give us a call at 866.493.7762 and we can trouble shoot the situation. A few minutes on the phone could save you a return trip
Tip #9 - Frustratingly Simple
Tip #10 - Commercial Account Snafus