Have a Balboa Wifi Module that's as good as a brick?

[Hydrotherapy Guru]

Hi Everyone

I've read alot of reports of people having issues with and/or giving up on making their Wifi Module work. As a result, I didn't order this option with my new BullFrog spa. Here's the thing, I *love* the idea of it, and I'm a geek, (my day job involves developing for the Internet of Things and mobile apps and stuff) so I really want to play with one. So here's my question for you, if you have one and you've given up on it, would you be willing to take it out of your spa and ship it to me? I'll happily pay for shipping and something for your time uninstalling and packing and shipping. I don't expect to have better results than the rest of folks here but I sure love to tinker with technology and am hopeful I can "hack" a better solution and post the results for the entire community to benefit from.

Cheers!

[Compatico]

Hi Everyone
I've read alot of reports of people having issues with and/or giving up on making their Wifi Module work. As a result, I didn't order this option with my new BullFrog spa. Here's the thing, I *love* the idea of it,

Same here...I like the idea of having the tub connected to my router for WiFi access, but after reading so many negative posts I won't bother with it either. I don't want the hassle if it's a problem and I want to relax in a tub, not fiddle with it. 

[Letran]

I paid $500 for my brick 

[d00nut]

In my experience, all wifi hot tub deals suck.  I've dealer friends that have Sundance/Jacuzzi, with nothing but problems.  I had one on a Maax Swim spa, and connectivity is unreliable.  Bullfrog uses the same app, and I have the same experience as Maax.

The best connectivity by far is the Hot Spring one (connextion) also on Caldera... however, again... this is my opinion.  It is way overpriced for what it does.

You'd think this day in age... someone could develop a reasonably priced system/app for hot tub wifi control...

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 Boom-box or outdoor speakers     I am thinking I have sold maybe 10 spa's with stereo's in 12 years.  Lost money on the sale, sure.  Being a service manager with not many un-happy customer calls because of a broken stereo?   Priceless      

[Compatico]

Boom-box or outdoor speakers     I am thinking I have sold maybe 10 spa's with stereo's in 12 years.  Lost money on the sale, sure.  Being a service manager with not many un-happy customer calls because of a broken stereo?   Priceless   

Yup...my wife insisted on a blutooth sound system in our next tub but after reading and some common sense, I convinced her that we can easily do outdoor speakers around the deck and network/blutooth receiver for a lot less than audio IN the tub, and likely better sound quality too. Plus I can fix/replace any of that myself and customize it how we want. It can be OUR sound system, not the manufacturers. 

[Jacuzzi Jim]

Boom-box or outdoor speakers     I am thinking I have sold maybe 10 spa's with stereo's in 12 years.  Lost money on the sale, sure.  Being a service manager with not many un-happy customer calls because of a broken stereo?   Priceless   

Yup...my wife insisted on a blutooth sound system in our next tub but after reading and some common sense, I convinced her that we can easily do outdoor speakers around the deck and network/blutooth receiver for a lot less than audio IN the tub, and likely better sound quality too. Plus I can fix/replace any of that myself and customize it how we want. It can be OUR sound system, not the manufacturers. 

  If "any" manufacturer would put a 5 year warranty on a stereo,  I would feel better about selling it.  But they won't.   it's about what people want I get it,  and many think it's worth the 1500+ dollars.  But for me as a sales guy it's also about honesty and I am always up front about what they are getting for yes 1500+ dollars.   After all that if they still want it, I will sell it to them. But I wouldn't expect them to come crying when it fails.     

[MrLobster]

I've made a DIY wifi sound system for our house, controlled from any phone or tablet and providing synchronised audio in three rooms plus outside at the tub.  It plays either ripped CDs, iTunes or internet radio stations.  Cost per location works out about £80 for the parts, probably cheaper in the US as UK prices are always higher.  If you already have spare speakers and amp, or can plug into an existing hifi, then closer to £30 per location.  The software is all free.

If anyone's interested I'll write up a proper guide with links to the parts and software and post it in the 'Somewhat Related' part of the forum.  No soldering needed, just plugging things together and setting up some software.

Next project will be getting the tub lights to match with the garden LED lighting.  Should be relatively simple, but the boxes I use to drive the lights want 12v DC while the tub outputs 12v AC and I'll need to make a cable that can plug into the existing SloanLED harness.

Last one, the complex one, will be working out how the Balboa control box and topside panel communicate, then building an interface that can listen to and talk to the control box.  I can't think of many uses for it but it could help cut down the running costs if I can get good data on power needed to maintain temperature versus letting it drop then re-heating.