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Yet another DigiQ vs Stoker question

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Carolina Q
Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Mom gave me some cash for Christmas and said, "Here, buy something you don't NEED, but would like to have." :) So, I'm thinking about getting a temp controller - which certainly fulfills the first of her stipulations! :laugh: I've read a lot about these, but have a couple of questions about the alarms.

If the cooker temp gets out of whack when using the Guru, the alarm that sounds will come from the device on my patio, right? There is no remote? So I have to be within earshot to know if I have a temp problem as opposed to a remote device on my nightstand? If that's the case, I don't see the point in having a Guru. If cooking during the day without a Guru, I can just go outside and look. If an all nighter with a Guru, I would have to go outside and LISTEN? Do I have it wrong?

With the Stoker, as I understand it, I can set it up so that my iPhone will alarm. Is that correct? Or do I have to manually check the iPhone? I am assuming the phone alarm is automatic. If so, the phone has various sounds I can select for non-Stoker alarms (Marimba, Alarm, Dog Barking, etc.). I assume any of these sounds can be selected for use with the Stoker, right?

I couldn't care less about graphs, charts or logs, or adjusting anything from somewhere else, though I can see the latter as possibly useful. I just want to set the device for a temp and be alerted in the middle of the night with an alarm loud enough to wake the dead (seriously) if something goes wrong.

If my assumptions are correct, sounds like the Stoker is my only choice. That, or just cook butts at 350° and start around noon. Any and all opinions are welcome! Thanks!!

I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Michael 
Central Connecticut 

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  • boston_stoker
    boston_stoker Posts: 794
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    There are BBQ guru options that allow remote watching. I suggest checking their website. Thebbqguru.com for more details. That being said I think their is a limit to their range. The stoker requires either a network cable or a wireless bridge to be able to connect over Internet. It sounds like Internet over power is also an option as well. Also, the stoker is not waterproof. Some gurus are to some extent.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Thanks. But once connected, the phone will alarm automatically? And with my choice of sounds?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Jumping Joe
    Jumping Joe Posts: 114
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    Using the stoker for the first time....started a cook last night and had my laptop on my nightstand so if the pit got out of range the alarm would sound......not sure on the iphone alarm. After this cook is done I will try and fingure that out.
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  • SmokinParrotHead
    SmokinParrotHead Posts: 532
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    You could just continue to use another probe temp sensor with wireless monitoring, I guess.
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  • SmokinParrotHead
    SmokinParrotHead Posts: 532
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    If either one of those devices works with an Iphone and not a Droid, then I'm getting an Iphone.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    You mean like an ET-73? HAHAHAHA! I can't here THAT alarm when I'm wide awake and the remote is in my shirt pocket!!! The Maverick is worthless to me unless I can see the display.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • SmokinParrotHead
    SmokinParrotHead Posts: 532
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    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    I have a Primo and have the same problem. It's useless in overnight cooks as far as an alarm goes, but at least I don't have to get up and walk outside to check on things.
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    I think the odds of the alarm going off when using a Guru or Stoker are pretty slim unless you didn't start with enough charcoal to begin with.
    The Naked Whiz
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  • ResQue
    ResQue Posts: 1,045
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    Stoker works with a Droid. I have the stoker and the Droid X.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    I've cooked a bunch of butts "manually" and have never had a vertical burn or come even close to running out of lump, so maybe I worry too much. Am I right though? You have to be nearby to hear the DigiQ 2 and the Stoker will alarm on your phone? Or at least on your Mac?

    Thanks.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    Like the Whiz said start your cook with a fullllllllllll load of lump you know fill it to the top of the fire ring lite it and stablize it the put your meat in and set the controler. GO TO SLEEP! THats why I paid $300 plus for the dern thing. ;)

    Get things going and watch it for an hour or so and get up in the middle of the night and water the lillies look at it and go back to bed...Ha ha

    I have a CyberQ II and it's alarm is on the outside so no it don't have an inside alarm but the Maverick does but the Maverick don't go through my house so tough titt..said the kitty. I think you may want the stoker but I don't owne one. Happy New Year to you and your family. :)
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    Well, you could go for a ProCom4 and have an alarm with you, but that is serious money. I love mine, though. But yeah, with the other BBQ Guru models, the alarm is sitting by the cooker.

    I don't know what's possible with a Stoker. I would guess it can send you an email.
    The Naked Whiz
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Thanks, Tim. Very much the same to you and yours!

    I ALWAYS load up for a long cook. Haven't run out yet. As for getting up in the middle of the night... you're kidding, right? :laugh: Not gonna happen. The only way I would ever wake up in the wee hours is if I never went to bed. My Mav works inside the house (as long as I can SEE it), but as I said, I can't hear that damned thing when I'm AWAKE! It sure ain't gonna wake me up!!

    All this is the reason I've never done an overnight cook. I always start my butt cooks at 6AM or so and eat late. Sometimes VERY late! Hahaha!!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    Thanks, but the ProCom is out. Mom said I should buy something I don't NEED - not that I should spend my inheritance!! :)

    I kinda like the relative simplicity of the Guru. As I said earlier, I have no interest in seeing charts and bar graphs of my cooks. A remote alarm would be nice though. If that works on the iPhone with the Stoker, I may get it just for that reason.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • srq2625
    srq2625 Posts: 262
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    Jagermeister wrote:
    Stoker works with a Droid. I have the stoker and the Droid X.
    Is this a case of your Droid X pinging the web interface of the stoker or is the stoker, some how, actually pushing data to the Droid.

    I was under the impression that the stoker has a web server to serve up pages, but only in response to an HTTP request.

    Or, am I all wet?
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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    Hey Michael, Yea I kinda found your post amusing. I guess I never thought you would want some of the geeky stuff. Anyway I think a Stoker may fix you up I was funning you. ;)
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  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,677
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    Maybe you should spend the money on a hearing aid? :whistle: :laugh: :laugh:
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    What? Can you speak up a bit? Seriously, that's gotten beyond funny. I'm not as bad as Mom, but she's 94!!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Cagey
    Cagey Posts: 86
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    Sounds like you could get the Guru, and an old baby monitor at a garage sale. Setup the baby monitor next to the egg, listen to the calming sounds of outdoors while you sleep. If the alarm should go off, you can now hear the alarm inside. A cheap $10-$15 fix. The baby monitor probably has more range than any of the thermometers. Plus most baby monitors tell you if you are getting out of range of the base station. It is a low tech solution.
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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    Cagey, I agree and I have been looking for a baby monitor at the yard sales but, haven't found one yet. We live in a thick rock house and the Maverick ET-73 won't go through it. Some day I may get the ET-732. Tim :)
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  • Cagey
    Cagey Posts: 86
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    Another low tech fix might be an inexpensive intercom system. I picked up one a few years ago at Lowes because I was tired of going up an down the stairs to get one my kids. I did not pay much more than $20 for the base station and 3 remotes. You can leave a remote in hot-mike position, and it continually broadcasts anything it hears to the base station.
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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    Hey I did get one of those from a yard sale and it's sitting in my garage collecting dust. I'll have to see if it works. ;)
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    I forgot I had the intercom!! Three of 'em from when the boys were young. Three channels with auto transmit. Plug 'em in anywhere (as long as the outlet is wired to the same breaker box). Just checked and they still work after all these years! It's good to be a pack rat! :laugh:

    Something like this...

    IM110.jpg

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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