SMART GAS READER
FOR MANY CARAVANNERS, BOTTLED GAS IS THEIR LIFELINE,
KEEPING THEIR FRIDGE COLD, THEIR WATER WARM AND THEIR
BARBECUES RUNNING. THIS NEW DEVICE MAKES SURE YOU’LL
NEVER RUN OUT UNEXPECTEDLY AGAIN.
Technology. Is there anything it can’t do?
Until recently, to determine the remaining
amount of gas in my van’s cylinders, I’d do
it the old-fashioned way: pour warm water
down the side and feel for a temperature
change on the cylinder.
Now, I’ve replaced this dark-ages approach
with the BMPRO SmartSense, a brand new
device that sends a signal to a free app on
your smartphone to tell you precisely how
much gas is left.
Sure, there are other products available that
can check a gas cylinder’s level, but none that
I’m aware of that can send a notification to
your pocket when the gas is running low.
I tried the SmartSense on three different gas
cylinders. One I knew to be empty, the other I
knew to be about a quarter full, and the other
that I knew to be about half full.
The SmartSense uses magnets to attach
the bottom of the gas cylinder – for the most
accurate reading, it’s important to attach
it as directly in the centre of the cylinder as
possible, as it sends a vertical signal up and
back down through the cylinder to the device.
When first attaching, it can take a few
minutes for the device to register the precise
reading as it waits for the gas inside the
cylinder to ‘settle’.
On each cylinder that I tested, the SmartSense
returned readings that I expected: empty; 22
per cent; and 41 per cent.
I had no issue ‘pairing’ the device with the
app on my phone. The app itself is intuitive
and well-designed – you can even set the
threshold for when you receive notifications as
to the gas level.
While it’s probably a good idea to remove
the SmartSense when towing your van, the
magnets appears to be quite strong and I see
no reason it would detach when underway
should you accidentally leave it in place – I
couldn’t shake it loose.
It runs off a CR2 battery. Replacing it is simply
a matter of prying the two halves of the
SmartSense apart.
At $89.95, it’s also well-priced. You can
buy el-cheapo gas level indicators as well
as $100-plus devices. None, however, will
send automatic notifications. If you take your
barbecues seriously, it’s one product that’s
well worth the money.
MORE INFO
BMPRO SMARTSENSE
Price: $89.95
teambmpro.com
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