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[agentj]

Hi,
Had some issues and GMG sent me a new board, installed it and checked firmware.
It has V 1.0
My old one came native with V6.7 but through some trouble shooting they had me update and it rolled back to V6.2 , then got instructions to pick "prototype" on app update and that was V7.0 weird. In any case stalled out start still existed so they opted to send new board.

When they respond to e-mail thread someone new picks up the thread and tells you stuff that is quite possibly / likely different than the person before said.   

So the last e-mail when they confirmed address for part they said update to prototype when I get it, at the time I did not know anything about V1.0.
So when I got board I see a lot of the board architecture is different, and the wi-fi kept dropping out in P to P . so looking at the wifi component, it had 3 less soldered connections than the other board (same pins, just not soldered to the via) so I started wondering about manufacture errors.

During the install I decided to do voltage test to igniter rod to confirm that my earlier issues had nothing to consider there. on "0" cycle there was no voltage. But at sequence "1" it had voltage.
I know previous board had voltage at "0" and reinstalled to confirm.
As well as book says igniter hot at "0" sequence step.

I Emailed questions, and they called, In that discussion she said to leave it as it arrived at V1.0 and that the extra connections on new board were upcoming features, and lack of solder on 3 pins compared to other was correct.
She also said that this board would not even allow firmware update to V 6.2 or 7.)
So maybe the one person that responded does not know about "new" boards?

Additionally she said start sequence does not heat rod until step "1"

I checked GMG web site and sure enough, the 2019 owners manual there shows different start sequence chart, that was as she said no heat on "0" step (duration times are a bit different, but so was original board)

Seems weird to not want the igniter rod going as soon as possible?

Anyone else crossed this bridge?

I'm tempted to just try and see if it will take the v 7.0 prototype and hope it would be like old board.

But trying to learn more in case I paint myself out of feature(s) that actually are for the better .

I borrowed a friends known good board with V6.2 and did comparison and it certainly does a cleaner and quicker start. (fully cooled down, chassis and all.) than the V1.0 with heat only starting at step "1". 

I did play with the cold temperature slider for another V 1.0 test and it made no difference to time on cycle, fan start time at temperate etc everything was the same.

I did vacuum pot, and put the exact same amount of pellets on rod for each test so that variable was controlled. 

Hopefully my long winded jumping around makes sense, I was not expecting the difference or the response she had.
I never had issues until the recent failure that led to new board, so I would be happy if new one simply did everything that one did the exact same way.

I did do some starts and with new board it would would run right past set temp of 225 and stop as high as 255, then drop to 210, then run back up to 250, then back down.
Also board showing 190, ran selected temp up to 300, as soon as it went back to temp  it had dropped display 30 degrees, it can not drop that fast.
Another time on initial climb to 150 I'm looking at it and it said 125, then I blinked and it said 150 and fan speed changed etc.
That is not something I have seen before either   

I never had those issues with old board.

Tempted to try firmware as stated above, or contact them and maybe it's a bad board right from the box?

Sorry that was way more long winded that planned.

[Canadian John]

  That's quite the write-up. Sorry I can't comment on your issue as I have limited experience with GMG . My only suggestion would be to keep working with them in hopes they somehow are able to keep your

 history together.  You could ask if the are able to develop a case file for you that would enable them to see  what's going on - stat to present. If that doesn't resolve the issue you might

 consider a different, non OEM controller or going to brand"X"..

 BTW: Welcome to Pellet Fan!

[agentj]

Thanks !!
I'll see what they say about temp swing, maybe the next person that gets assigned response will say, "yeah load firmware prototype V7.0 , no one likes this other one"  never can tell.
I still scratch my head how it can be considered beneficial to delay start of igniter rod until all initial pellets from auger cycle "0" are done? it takes half that cycle time or more just to get hot enough to do anything in the first place.   

I'll see what happens, it's been a reliable product for my needs. Small and easy to put inside after every cook.
If it ever gives up for good, there are many more tailgater options than when I first got this one.
One I never see mentioned impresses me, actually sent two to a couple coworkers as gifts but don't wanna name names and have an early forum party foul as unrelated topic.