General

We have developed different hardware types:  

FoxRadar

Radar measurement

  • Plastic & Fiberglass Tanks
  • Tanks with poor connectivity
  • Mobile tanks

FoxSonic

Ultrasonic measurement

  • Standard tanks
  • Tanks with a central opening

FoxPressure

Measurement with pressure

  • Special tanks such as underground tanks
  • Slanted openings
  • Obstacles in the tank

Talk to your FoxHardware consultant to find the best FoxHardware for your tank. 

  • Displaying the current fill level, consumption, and remaining capacity on the smartphone app
  • Automatic warning of critical tank level by email and push message
  • Comfortable reordering of heating oil with just one click via the app
  • Easy and quick mounting on all common tank shapes & sizes
  • Easy installation thanks to step-by-step configuration via the app
  • Usage in locations with poor network coverage due to various connection options (NB-IoT, CatM, 2G, WLAN)*
  • By using GPS, you can easily track the position of portable tanks*
  • Insight into the current heating oil prices and the historical price trends
  • Precise measurement of the tank level by ultrasound, radar, or pressure
  • Secure data measurement via password-protected and encrypted interfaces
  • The consumption data can be downloaded in CSV format

*hardware-dependent

Connectivity

Activate the FoxHardware with a manual measurement:

  • Press the button on the FoxHardware. The green LED now lights up.
  • Wait approx. 3 seconds
  • Press the button again
  • Now the green LED lights up permanently, and the orange LED flashes approx. 2 times

A) LED lights up green 

If the LED turns green at the end of the process and then turns off again, the device can connect to the server.

B) LED lights up orange 

If the LED turns orange, there is still a connection problem. Check your WIFI settings, or set up your device again with a different connectivity selection.

C) No LED lights up 

This usually indicates a low batterie level. If you still cannot connect, despite replacing the batteries, please contact your FoxHardware supplier.

Check that your router meets all the requirements for connecting to the FoxHardware:  

  • The WIFI network must be secured with a password (open WIFI connections without a password, as often offered in stores or pubs, are not possible).
  • The WIFI must be encrypted using WPA2.
    (WPA2 is an encryption standard for WLANs. With this type of encryption, the password must have at least eight characters)
  • The WIFI password must not contain a special character eg. “#”
  • Many WIFI devices only support WIFI connections in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. To ensure that the FoxHardware can connect to the router, activate the 2.4 GHz frequency band in the router.
  • The router may be blocking the connection to the FoxHardware due to its security settings. To test this, please access the following web page on your smartphone: http://util.oilfox.io:8883/

If none of these measures are successful, please get in touch with your FoxHardware supplier.

Note: The FoxHardware does not have to be mounted on a tank at this step, so you can ignore a corresponding prompt to install on the tank.

  • Log in to the app with the known access data
  • Go to “Add or update FoxHardware” in the menu
  • Follow the steps indicated in the app until the FoxHardware is connected to the system
  • The FoxHardware will now try to set itself up either via WLAN or cellular (NB-IoT). In this step, select “set up via Fox mobile radio (NB-IoT).”
  • The FoxHardware now sends data via mobile radio and no longer via WLAN
  • The installation is complete when the message “Your FoxHardware successfully set up” appears, and you have pressed “Complete setup.”
  1. Log in to the app with the known access data.
  2. Go to “Add or update FoxHardware” in the menu to reconnect the FoxHardware to the WLAN. Don’t worry; all settings will, of course, be retained. 

We have developed the FoxRadar especially for regions with poor network coverage. The device has been equipped with three different connection options:

CatM (also known as LTE-M)
CatM provides very high network coverage and enables a battery life of the FoxHardware of up to 12 years.

NB-IoT
NB-IoT comes with a better long distance coverage than the regular known mobile network and provides better performance when building density is a challenge. The battery life of the FoxHardware is then up to 10 years.

2G (GSM)
2G is the standard network used for today’s mobile network. 2G offers advantages in regions where CatM or NB-IoT are not yet fully developed and provides a battery life of the Fox hardware of up to 5 years*.

The connections via CatM, NB-IoT, and 2G are more reliable and sensitive than the cell phone’s cellular connection. These connection options allow FoxHardware to communicate reliably with our servers even over long distances.

Hardware/Mounting

Within the normal operation (one measurement every 24 hours), the batteries have approximately a service life of up to 12 years, depending on the radio standard used. 

You can exchange your FoxHardware batteries in 4 easy steps. Click here to see the guide.

Please get in touch with your FoxHardware supplier with the device ID and photos of the mounting position of the device. 

By experience, improper mounting is the usual reason for incorrect measurements. Here is a summary of the most common improper mountings:

FoxRadar

  • The distance to the outer wall of the tank of at least 20 cm is not observed.
  • Use on metal tanks – the FoxRadar is only suitable for use on plastic and fiberglass tanks.
  • The FoxRadar’s view of the liquid surface is blocked by struts or pipelines

FoxSonic 

  • The FoxRadar’s view of the liquid surface is blocked by struts or pipelines
  • If the OilFox is mounted on a pipe, this should not be longer than 12 cm. If this minimum distance is exceeded, no valid measurements can be recorded.
  • Obstacles in the tank block the FoxSonic’s view regarding the tank contents
  • The tank has just been overfilled. The overfilling has clogged the sensor and it no longers measures reliably
  • The tank has just been filled. Thus, the minimum distance to the liquid of at least 12 cm is not maintained anymore.

FoxPressure

  • The sonde must lie on the bottom of the tank.
  • Dirt deposits on the bottom of the tank are often the reason for falsified measurement results.

You can use the FoxHardware for connected tanks with no problem. During configuration, both the (total) volume and the dimension of the individual tanks are required.

App/Software

If you want to change your password, you can define a new password via the “Forgot password” link. To change your email address, please get in touch with your FoxHardware supplier directly.

Only one user at a time can connect to a device via the app. If the same login information is used, several users can also simultaneously access the measurement data on several cell phones.