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Skywalker, the ALM chinese one pound roaster
renatoa
Top  #301 Print Post
Posted on 11/30/2024 4:15 AM
RoR changes in V2
There is a new video on iTOP YT channel showing, finally, the evolution of RoR on the LCD panel of the new V2.
It looks improved, but it still has shortcomings.
The RoR is displayed as integer number... would be nice to have a decimal... and seems to be updating every 30 seconds now, or maybe it's just a coincidence that the value went from 5 to 6 at 5:00, and from 6 to 7 at 5:30.
You can see this at seconds 28-29 in the video.

There are some comments from iTOP that shows clearly they are not true coffee roasters, and unable to understand that ET is futile, and RoR is more important to graph than the ET...
 
slr001
Top  #302 Print Post
Posted on 01/21/2025 1:46 PM
I am confused. Hopefully this is the correct place to ask.

I am getting my Skywalker in a few days.
Have been roasting for prob 10y with a Gene Cafe

I am confused about 3 functions on the controller.
- Temp
- Heat
- Fan

Temp is set by the profile on Automatic yes/no?
Or by me if using manual mode.

Heat is a %. I would assume it controls the heat output of the heating element?

Fan is also a %. I would assume it controls how fast or slow the fan spins?

If I set the temp to 200C and the Heat to 50% and the Fan to 50%, what happens?
I assume the Temp is just monitoring the temp, and doesn't control anything. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't think the Temp setting can change the Heat or Fan %?

Is Temp just informational in Manual mode? And a trigger in Automatic mode?

And what about the Fan? Is it just to aid in exhaust? Or does it have some role in maintaining the temperature of the roast?

Any feedback on where I am right and where I am wrong would be great.

Thanks
 
renatoa
Top  #303 Print Post
Posted on 01/21/2025 3:14 PM
Which Skywalker version you get ?
Will sketch some guidelines about V1, things are a bit different for V2

Temp is similar to Gene meaning, but much more realistic and accurate.
During preheat it shows the air temperature instead drum, operating same way as Gene: you set a target (200C), heater is started, initially at full power 100%, and no airflow at all, until target is reached, then cycled on-off, to maintain.
During roast is different... it shows the beans temperature. and there is no target, you drive the machine as a car, using the power of the heater and airflow.
This can be done either by you, the driver, fully manual, either in a "cruise control" automatic mode, using one of the 9 roasting profiles.

Your assumptions about heat and air % are right.

Quote

If I set the temp to 200C and the Heat to 50% and the Fan to 50%, what happens?

You can do this in manual mode only, in automatic modes you can't set any of them.
Temperature is just monitoring, right... is the operator job to control power and airflow to keep the temperature on the right track, what we call roasting profile.
Temperature is also just informational during automatic roast too, it is a trigger in preheat only, and also for the end of the roast.

Unlike Gene airflow just an important role here, as for almost any coffee roasting machine.
There are very few machines as Gene, with fixed airflow, they are the exception, the norm is to play with airflow too during a roast.

A good start is the reading of manual, even if it is not the best English... as is mine too... then come back with punctual questions.
 
slr001
Top  #304 Print Post
Posted on 01/21/2025 4:18 PM
Sorry I am getting the V1

Thanks for the answers that is helpful. I assume the fan takes the temp down? So lower Heat and higher Fan = Temp drop? Or lower Heat and steady Fan = heat down but not as quick as adding more Fan?
Edited by slr001 on 01/21/2025 4:29 PM
 
renatoa
Top  #305 Print Post
Posted on 01/22/2025 1:57 AM
Yes, use fan up when you want faster but only temporary heat reduction, and heat down when you want slower but permanent reduction.
They are used together usually, first the fan, followed by the heat after 10-15 seconds.
 
slr001
Top  #306 Print Post
Posted on 01/22/2025 12:22 PM
Thanks for the info Renatoa.
 
slr001
Top  #307 Print Post
Posted on 01/24/2025 2:55 PM
Another question.

My Skywalker arrived today. Read the manual 2 times now.

Page 8 last 2 bullets.
Air flow setting, seems straight forward.

Filter settings. Long press +/- to enter the filter setting.
Does this mean there are 2 fans controlled by the same Fan control? When I long press i get a flashing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 but can seem to set them. It goes back to 0

Upon further examination. Looks like that is the case. I actually used the vent extensions and piped the smoke outside.
Edited by slr001 on 01/24/2025 3:52 PM
 
slr001
Top  #308 Print Post
Posted on 01/24/2025 4:29 PM
Time from roaster arriving on my porch to first roast 90Min.

I had some Burundi Kayanza Gakenke (Wet Process (Washed)) from Sweet Marias that was "old" (22 months) I know 15 months or less is recommended. But I figured it was worth experimenting on my first roast with it.

I used Auto mode, Profile 22, and let it run. It seems to have come out great. 350g green, 297g roasted for a 15.1% roasting loss. Looks like that translates to about a Full City + .

One thing I was hoping for was being able to hear first crack. I have pretty significant hearing loss and wear hearing aids. With the Gene Caffe I could never hear first crack. the drum noise and the thumping of the counter weights in the drum drowned out FC with my hearing loss.

With the Skywalker, I could hear it easily. And even better pulling out a few beans with the "sample spoon" made it eve n easier to hear. Coming from the spoon opening and from the beans in the spoon.

I have some Papua New Guinea coming from Theta Ridge this afternoon. will try that later today.

I need to find someone to take these roasted beans off my hands so I can roast more. smile
 
renatoa
Top  #309 Print Post
Posted on 01/25/2025 2:50 AM
The only advice that I feel mandatory to share with the first time roasters... don't use preheat of automatic mode ! Especially on 115V units !!!
With 100% power and no airflow at all, the lamp wears premature.

On V2 they finally reduced to 80% power, increasing air to 20%. Is better than before but personally I am dialing at least 40% air.
So, please start preheat in manual mode... lower power to 70-80%, raise air to 30-40%, wait for the desired temperature (will hear beep and lamp off), then shut down the roaster, turn it on again, and start with your automatic mode.

Roasting more ? Share small free samples, they will come again begging for more Grin
But remember that lamp life is limited to about 100 kgs... a wise man would buy a spare without waiting that milestone.
Search AER350 on ebay, for the heating element.
 
slr001
Top  #310 Print Post
Posted on 01/25/2025 12:23 PM
Thanks Renatoa.

The Pre Heat on my V1 for P22 was Heat=100%, Fan=20%

So maybe they changed it.

Do they ever issue firmware updates to the controller to add or modify profiles?
 
renatoa
Top  #311 Print Post
Posted on 01/26/2025 2:24 AM
Still... 80-40 would be even better. Grin

My guess too about different firmware, seems to be many news... wondered first time what are the newest models additions when I read what you wrote about Filter settings, that is also new to me.

I don't see any user friendly procedure to update firmware, even if they issue new binaries. Via the false USB plug is hard to believe that can be flashed something...
 
slr001
Top  #312 Print Post
Posted on 02/01/2025 6:45 PM
Question??

On the controller, there is a ROR/Profile indicator. Next to the Profile Button.

Once I start an automatic profile roast, this indicator toggles between the profile I have selected and the number "046"

Nothing in the manual seems to describe this. And nothing Google finds seems to describe this.

Can anyone tell me what "046" means and what other numbers might display here?
 
renatoa
Top  #313 Print Post
Posted on 02/02/2025 4:58 AM
Is this 046 unchanged during the whole roast ?
My guess is that you read it in the beginning, at minute 3 mark the most probably, then decreased.
That IS the RoR, the number that alternates with profile number, in auto modes... computed and refreshed every minute change, at xx:00
In manual mode there is no profile number, thus no alternate, you read RoR permanently.
046 value should be F degrees, it's too big value to be Celsius.
 
renatoa
Top  #314 Print Post
Posted on 02/02/2025 8:27 AM
Did a quick inspect of the manual, and you are right, nowhere is a word about RoR... very strange... once again demonstrate the lack of understanding of this machine creators about our real needs as roasters...
First proof of this lack of interest about RoR was the fact that it is computed once in a minute, instead real time... then, for V2, the lack of RoR graph.

If you read back in the thread, post #63, for me this alternating numbers feature was a matter of self discovering, during the initial exploration of the machine.
Then probably it flew and was shared from mouth to mouth.
 
renatoa
Top  #315 Print Post
Posted on 02/02/2025 8:48 AM
Fast forward, a year and a few months later... I received a new Skywalker V1 from a colleague, for inspection and heatsink fan mod.
Surprises, surprises... many things changed, some I knew about, others I hadn't heard about until today...

First the hardware... I'll take them one by one in the order I noticed them
- in front, at the loading chute, there is no longer the step plate... which was originally on mine, and removed it because it was inconvenient... for those who don't know what it's about. I'm referring to what our colleague did here: https://homeroast...post_78302
Removing that plate makes now possible to observe the lamp, which I will talk about later.

- then, at the back, the new V1 has a ventilation cutout from the factory right next to the radiator with the problem, check attached image.
But... without a fan attached !!!... wth were they sooo stingy...
For even greater disappointment they blocked the cutout from inside with adhesive cardboard, so the air is AGAIN not allowed to blow through there...

However incomplete it may be, this cutout is welcome, it makes it easier to mod with a fan.
To have a reference about cutout size, it is done for 40 mm fan mounting holes.

- another change... the airflow fan impeller seems more solid, a thicker sheet metal, and is attached with a screw now, not by pressing, as it arrived fallen to some of us, early adopters, detached from transport.

- and... I left the cherry on top at the end... apparently they changed the lamp, I can't see the carbon filament anymore, like on the first batch models!
I can't actually see anything like a filament when it's on, it's like mate/frosted glass.
At 100% it has a halogen light, like a normal bulb, bright... an IR measurement on the lamp shows 2000 degrees, like a halogen, not 1200 degrees like carbon.
Another proof that the lamp is much brighter, at 100%, during preheat, it lights through a lot of places where for my model is dark there: in the chaff tray, in the exhaust tube, can be seen from the bottom, through the exhaust grill...

Now the software changes...
- in the preheat in the auto modes they added a breeze... of 20% air, to protect the lamp a little probably... or maybe the new lamp heats up too much... but they left the power at 100%, unfortunately... confused

- because of the new lamp, I guess... they changed the preheat temperatures and power levels, in the auto modes... 190-200 degrees instead of 200-220, and the power levels are 65% for washes, and 60% for naturals.
Unfortunately, they make a stupid mistake on this programs change... they messed up the profiles, now the 2x profiles seem to be unusable, if we're to judge by the new preheat temperatures and powers in the auto modes.
032 , i.e. honey medium was also affected by same mistake.
Anyone who is a fan of auto modes, intending to changes the roaster with a new one, will have a hard time finding their old roast style, if based on 2x profiles.

How to identify what generation is the roaster you buy ?
There are now some stickers on the back, which seem to be a code for the manufacturing date, plus a serial number... the one in question has 202404527, I guess that would mean the 4527 copy manufactured in 2024.
Buy date was 23 January, the seller told me that the container EU import date was 5 January, from an order placed early December.
More exact manufacture date thus unknown, beyond the year.
Those of you who have similar stickers can post here what codes you have, and when you bought them.

I didn't have anything like a label on mine, from first batch in November 2023.
~~~
renatoa attached the following image:
image_2025-02-02_163623307.png
Edited by renatoa on 02/28/2025 11:38 AM
 
renatoa
Top  #316 Print Post
Posted on 03/10/2025 4:20 AM
In US the iTOP role, as major Skywalker seller, was been taken over by another chinese company, having a lot more experience in true coffee machines building, for over 10 years.

In the last months they posted a series of videos covering anything about Skywalker/Precision roaster maintenance:
https://www.youtu...ter/videos
 
billsey
Top  #317 Print Post
Posted on 03/10/2025 1:37 PM
Those certainly look like they could be helpful...
 
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