ReefKeeper SID V2 borrow Edmonton

[craigwmiller]

I'm looking to borrow someone's SID V2 for a ReefKeeper system. I'm working through troubleshooting a connectivity issue with MyReef and before I order a replacement SID I'd like to see if it truly is the SID.

If someone in Edmonton has one I could borrow (if even just in your doorway plugged into my laptop and a module or two of mine) I would be most appreciative!

Thanks!
Craig

[axe_man16]

I had trouble with mine as well, I played around with it. Had my head unit plugged into SID through the supplied jack then inserted the SID into comp. Did this many times until the comp recognized the head unit. Does your comp recognize the SID?

[scubadawg]

You can come over to my place and try it out, I'm on the north side in the hood couple of miles from red coral, pm for info

[craigwmiller]

Recognizes the SID, yep -- updated the SID okay, but won't see any module.

Here is the DA thread I started:
http://www.forum.digitalaquatics.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12575

(any help would be appreciated!)

[axe_man16]

When hooking up the head unit to the SID does it blink at all? Mine did but would not stay connected. Had to have the cord in just right to have it work

[scubadawg]

Craig was over and it's his cable, he's borrowing my cable for now to update and setup.

[craigwmiller]

Yep, bad cable.

Thanks again for the help Yung!

[craigwmiller]

Further to the problem 'bad cable', I went into a little further...

I removed the case from the SID USB cable, and found that one of the resistors was missing from the circuit board. One end of it had a cold solder joint when it was assembled, and had most likely fallen off when the board was originally manufactured - before the case was even put on and sealed, making it never able to communicate with any module. The resistor was not inside the waterproof-sealed case, so it has never been there. (The person I bought it from never connected it to their PC, so it just sat waiting to surprise me :D)


Well, a new resistor soldered in place, and boom -- success :D


I'm not suggesting this is a wide-spread problem, and probably my SID is likely the only one ever to suffer this specific missing resistor problem -- but it's something at least someone else might find while googling as a possibility for this similar symptom of having the USB device work, but zero communications with any modules.

Finally I would actually recommend not trying this fix -- first off, you could fry your computer or RK system quite easily if you do it wrong (you have been warned) -- and second it would be very easy to destroy your SID during the disassembly process. I have much experience with small electronics, components, and surface-mount soldering - and went into the project understanding full well that I was likely to end up with a useless USB device afterwards and was OK to just throw it out when done :D