Cool Cat thermostat for Family Pet?

atlasb

Has anyone yet found a thermostat for the cool cat that will alert you while away from your 400 if there is a cooling issue.  At times it is necessary to leave our pet unattended in the 400.  Do not want any cooling issues with him while we are away.  At one time I found a blue tooth enabled unit for the cool cat, but not sure how and if it works.  Does anyone have a solution yet?

Verna

It seems like @jkjenn has an electronic gadget that measures heat or cold within her T@B. Maybe she will chime in. 

jameskuzman

Just thinking out loud here... 

What I think you're really wanting is a device that will alert you - probably through your smart phone - when the temperature in the camper exceeds a set value. I don't think whatever that device is necessarily has to interface with the Cool Cat thermostat (since it doesn't need to take any action within the HVAC system). It does, however, have to be able to connect to a wireless access point that's connected to the internet in order to reach your smartphone to tell you what's up. 

That means you'll need a reliable Wi-Fi or LTE (cellular) connection in the trailer, and you'll need to be in a place where your phone has that too. 

Bluetooth has a limited range - at most a couple of hundred feet, and typically much less - so it's a viable way to get the information from a temperature sensor to a Bluetooth-enabled Wi-Fi or LTE device, but Bluetooth won't get the information to your phone directly once you're more than a site or two away from your camper. 

Following to see if @jkj@jkjenn has something up and working. 

Jim

atlasb

Thanks for your info,  Kinda what I thought about the Bluetooth.  this is several pay grades above me, and with all the new tech around,  maybe some day it will work easy.  Still looking so that our small family member will be safe when alone.  Not his preferred way to be though!

Tundra57

There is a company who sells a package with a cell phone enabled thermal measurement input. You can set it to call you above a certain temp. If you search pet temperature you should find it. I'm going to look at my posts, I had a similar one and someone came up with that idea.

Tundra57

I just checked it was temp stick. This is a wireless enabled device which will send alerts. But your phone has to have service or wifi to receive them. This would be no problem for me. If the trailer park wifi goes down you will get an alert. It's up to you if you then dash back to your pet. I would - no wi fi maybe no power.

I am seldom away longer than 3 hours. I try to chose pet friendly places.

Tundra57

Also this model won't work on a guest Network (where you have to enter a password) used at some RV parks. The only way to get around this I know is to setup a wireless hotspot using a cellular phone carrier like Verizon or AT&T. But this requires a monthly fee like an extra phone.

I have yet to find a hotspot which will connect to a guest Network where no cell service is needed.

jkjenn

Verna said:

It seems like @jkjenn has an electronic gadget that measures heat or cold within her T@B. Maybe she will chime in. 

I actually don't. Too much could go wrong.

Here is what I do:
1. I check back, frequently to make sure Rocky is  OK.

2. I try to do hiking in the AM and get back before 10:00 AM when it is going to be above 90.

3. I either rest or auto tour in the hottest part of the day so Rocky is with me.

4. I try to camp at higher elevations to get cooler temps whenever possible. For example, if you go to the Grand Canyon, consider the North Rim, which is several thousand feet higher than the south Rim, the NFS CG just outside of the park is higher than the one in the park. 

5. If possible, I use with does and a fan, instead of AC.I used to worry about using that in temps that got into the upper 80's and 90's hut then realized, if the temps are still safe for me, they are safe for Rocky. There is not chance of anything going wrong in thos scenario.

6. The thing people often forget about is the chance of wildfire. During wildfire season, I don't like to leave Rocky behind. Those can flare up at any time.

7. One of the reasons I love fall travel is because it is easier to travel with Rocky. Depending on the weather I can leave him in the car or be worry free in the T@b.

8. If in a more populated area, try leaving the dog with a dogsittwr for the day.

Verna

Thanks, @jkjenn. 

For Sunny Day and her newly adopted brother, Guido, I keep two O2 battery operated fans in the truck. I have an advantage in my F-150 in that the rear window is electric and I can keep it open without worrying about reaching it to close it, so I leave it open 3” to 4”.  I also leave the side windows open an inch or two. 

Checking back frequently is very important. Sunny Day always sleeps and is quiet while I’m gone. Guido, is a super inquisitive jumping around type of dog, so he will bring attention to himself. That can be a problem in busy parking lots as some people don’t realize I’m a good dog owner and I would never jeopardize their well-being....and in order to eat, I must shop occasionally. I have been known to grab half of my shopping list, take it to the truck, turn on the A/C, cool it down, and then go back into the store and finish buying the other items on my shopping list. You do what you gotta do👍

I do have the DogRover app on my phone that will give me info about dog sitters in the area. In order to be able to kennel your dogs, be sure their immunizations are up-to-date and that you have their certificates with you. Kennel cough immunizations are normally needed for kenneling.  

(I do not know the rules for other animal’s immunizations.)

Leaving Sunny Day in the 400 is easy as she knows it’s her home.  Shopping (or site seeing when towing is easier as she will sleep in the 400 until I come back, and the 400 generally stays cooler than the truck. 

rh5555

@Tundra57, our solution for using guest wifi network connections was to get a Microsoft Surface Go for our trailer.  It has 2 wifi interfaces:  You can log into the guest network on one interface, then set up the other interface as a hotspot.  Then, your less intelligent devices can use the hotspot with a simple password.  The Go can also translate from 5GHz to 2.4GHz which can be useful.  Other computers may also be able to do this...

atlasb

I did check the Temp stick, (Ideal Sciences Smart Sensor) and also found  a cheaper somewhat the same, Ubi Bot WS1 Temp/ humid/sensor.  The might show some promise.  They need a Wi Fi connection.  Not sure , might set up a Hot spot on the Cell phone but wonder about others using it in a congested area.  Still in the guessing mode! Still above My pay grade but others may have a handle on it.

Tundra57

Just went to Verizon to ask about a cellular hotspot. They told me $50 to buy it and $40 per month for 15G of data. Verizon has the best coverage but seems a bit expensive to be stuck with that payment when most of the time it would not be in use. So I'm still open to other options. I am looking into Surface Go right now.

Tundra57

Yep that's a no for me. Didn't realise it's a laptop. I already have one but it doesn't have that feature.

Tundra57

There are methods to get your windows 10 laptop to do this apparently. I will try these out and report back. Since I always have my laptop with me to use Facebook messenger to keep in touch with the family this solution would work for me in my T

Tundra57

If it works I can use my spare Blink camera and wireless interface. It has a temp sensor built in and I get to see my Lizzie. However I do not believe it can give temperature alarms I would just have to check regularly. Plus it's free for me as I have it already.

ezusmanis

I use a Govee WiFi thermometer that talks to an ATT hotspot. We have the hotspot for a couple of tablets, 2 PCs and Roku and it has a directional antenna that can find a signal where a phone can’t. As long as I have coverage at the hotspot and my phone, I can monitor the temp and get alerts if it gets too warm. Of course, we head back to the camper if I can’t connect to the thermometer. 

Tundra57

I was wrong you can set a high temp warning. Just tried it

Tundra57

Won't work on RV site wifi unless it is secured so I will have to purchase a cellular WiFi hotspot and see how good it is.

Amazonica

I just got a "Nimble" monitor for my T@B 400. It doesn't require Wireless Network, but DOES require LTE (cell service). It's $150 per year. It's it's own Temperature and humidity sensor and you can set different alerts to your cellphone. So far it has worked great, and I've noticed it's different temperature readings than my Alde and A/C. It seems more accurate. I placed it on the wall by her bed (back Stargazer window) where she spends her time. The advice here is good - don't leave them for long periods, etc. I try my best to never leave her but as I am a solo fulltimer, and she's not a Service Animal, there are times that I just have to. The Nimble makes me feel better about it, and it's super easy to setup (I'm no tech wiz), no maintenance either.
Oh, and I can move it into her crate in the car if I leave her there (gas station pit stops, etc).

Tundra57

@Amazonica what service provider is used for your nimble monitor?

Amazonica

@Tundra57 It is Verizon. Completely separate from my phone and phone service provider account. Excellent coverage so far.

Tundra57

Roger they are who I got a quote from. $50 for the access point and $40 a month for data 50Gig. I like you can use it for computer internet at a pinch.