Vallon VMH3CS Mine Detector

[Altra]

KingJl pointed me to this post on page 37, last post.

http://www.geotech1.com/forums/showthread.php?23169-Vallon-VMH3CS-Mine-Detector/page37

Graylorie provided this link, that has some interesting files which should be downloaded while public

http://www.vallon.de/pdf/download/

[kingswood]

The one stumbling block here would be that the upgrade seems to be a download....someone would either have to "borrow" it.
I suspect that a download link is sent after someone pays for the cable and usb. I dont think Vallon would appreciate 50 people emailing them asking for the link

[Altair]

We could make a list of interested people, each one taking responsibility for keeping their word, thus divide the initial price for people number. One people buy the cable, use and then sell it to the next on the list. The new price could be the previous scaled of the calculated quote. Paypal could be used for transactions. At the end, If some other that is not subscribed into the original list would take the cable, He could buy it at half price sending a money rate to everyone in the list. Otherwise the cable could remain at disposal, free of charge, for the people on the list.
Any others proposal?

[6666]

For such an arrangement would require a certain amount of trust and co-operation, somebody would have to take ownership and be coordinator.
The receiver would have to pay the postage and some type of international money transfer would be handy.

[Mdtoday]

Interesting proposition!

Sounds like a plan, I'm interested.
Don't know how we would work it out but worth a shot.

One thing is for certain, it will be a well travelled cable

[KingJL]

We could think about a collective purchase of the expensive cable, if several geotechers are interested...

Interesting proposition!

[Altair]

We could think about a collective purchase of the expensive cable, if several geotechers are interested...

[Rocketdemon]

Vallon got back to me with prices........

If I get the detector to the Eningen factory in Germany upgrade costs 71.30 Euros

"Alternatively, we can provide a data cable and USB converter to enable you to do the update on your own.

Costs: (plus 19% VAT/TAX)

CONNECTION CABLE OUT-PC 6POLE, LENGTH: 3 m, Vallon ref. 2509990071 = EUR 224/-
USB TO SERIAL CONVERTER, Vallon ref. 5800001017E = EUR 41/-
Firmware: free download"

Well this may seem a bit crazy to some but.......I am a keen biker and every year I take a trip over to mainland Europe, usually do a lap around the Nürburgring.

I am always looking for somewhere of interest to go...Guess where I am going this year? Vallon said if I give them 3 days notice they upgrade over the counter while I wait.

I knew that Vallon back pack would come in useful for something one day!

[KingJL]

I also seem to remember someone, in this thread, trying the upgrade software and experiencing a "dongle not found" situation. I would imagine that the 224EUR cable is a specialized configuration that Vallon uses to identify a legitimate connection...

Mdtoday clarified that the dongle requirement was for the logging software, not the firmware upgrade!

[Mdtoday]

Just on the serial port, I started looking at the user interface connections about that same time with a view to replacing the display keypad combination and I think from memory, it had a serial type interface.
Cant remember if it was I2C, SPI or standard logic level serial.
As I only had the one unit, I didn't want to hack it so I put it back together.
If I could get another unit for parts at a reasonable price I would revisit it.

Cheers

Brian

[Mdtoday]

Nice work KingJL

Yes, I did some testing with the data port some time ago and came to the conclusion a dongle was required, probably in the form of a USB but could never get an answer from Vallon on the bootloader software required.
At that point I put it aside.

VALLON EVA2000 logging software that can be downloaded requires the USB dongle, so maybe what is being offered to Rocketdemon includes that dongle which is also the Serial to USB converter, makes sense.

Perhaps Rocketdemon could ask the question of Vallon.. what software is required to upgrade firmware.

I'm not into hacking but it would be interesting to have the option to upgrade firmware.

cheers

Brian

[kingswood]

Kingswood, you deserve an answer... No, the Vallon does not have a removable HDD to hold the software. The firmware is flashed into a non-volatile memory.

Thats a shame!...thought we could have found a way to hack it !!
Your new packaged unit looks awesome!!
Although I use a GPZ7000 now and am actually finding gold, the Vallon still intrigues me .....I still want to find at least one bit with it to prove it works on gold!!!!

[6666]

I have put the Vallon test environment in a proper case.

Nice

[KingJL]

Thats interesting!
Does the Vallon have a removal HDD that holds the software??...

Kingswood, you deserve an answer... No, the Vallon does not have a removable HDD to hold the software. The firmware is flashed into a non-volatile memory.

[KingJL]

New Home for Test Environment

I have put the Vallon test environment in a proper case.