RAPT Pill Hydrometer & Thermometer - Troubleshooting Guide
Cannot open Pill Captive Portal
Check that WiFi is active on your mobile device
Select RAPT Pill XXXX network
If updating the firmware persistently fails or throws an error, and all troubleshooting steps have failed, then try using your mobile phone as a Hotspot to resolve this.
Using the phone as a Hotspot will typically solve firmware update issues of this kind
1: It helps eliminate potential network or modem/router issues which can cause problems that can be hard to isolate and resolve
2: It can help eliminate signal strength or poor WiFi connection issues as the phone can be positioned right next to the RAPT device when in Hotspot mode.
To connect to the phone Hotspot and update the firmware there are a few steps to follow
On the phone, turn WiFi OFF. When troubleshooting firmware download or network issues, we do not want to use the same network thus the phone must be disconnected from the WiFi network in order to do this
Enable Personal Hotspot (sometimes just called Hotspot) on your phone. This is typically located under the WiFi or Network menu in the Settings menu of the phone. On IOS this is under Settings/Personal Hotspot. The menu names will vary on Android depending on device
Enable Maximise Compatibility (on IOS) or 2.4gHz Network Only
The RAPT Pill Hydrometer & Thermometer comes with a 12-month Warranty when sold in Australia.
Warranty does not cover product failure as a result of installation or operating procedure not in accordance with installation and operating guidelines as described in the instruction manual.
To lodge a warranty claim in Australia please forward as many visual pieces of supporting information and a detailed description of your issue to
If you purchased your unit from an international distributor, you will be required to go through their warranty claims process.
For a full terms and conditions, please visit our website:
Once Hotspot is enabled on the device, following the steps in Getting Started to connect to the phone Hotspot
Once connected, navigate to Settings/Check for OTA update on the RAPT Device
If the Pill disconnects despite the Diagnostics or Calibration screen being open, please check the charge level of the battery – it may be insufficient to power the Pill. The battery may be faulty, or not making good connection to the terminals. A fully charged battery has around 4.2V – this can be tested with a multimeter
If the battery has a good charge level but is not powering the Pill it may be necessary to gently bend the terminals out in order to ensure there is good contact with the battery
Battery level reads 0% or not displaying in the RAPT Portal
This indicates that the Pill has not detected a fully charged battery. Note that the battery must be charged in the Pill for this to be detected the first time
Ensure the RAPT Pill is successfully registered to your RAPT login (the calibration figure will not work unless the pill is linked with your RAPT account)
Discharge the battery by using the RAPT Pill for at least 1-2 weeks or by removing the battery and discharging in a device that uses power faster, then plug the pill into the USB Type C charging cable for 24 hours. This will allow the Pill to register a fully charged battery which enables accurate battery life data to be displayed
The lights on the Pill stop flashing when it is unplugged
This is normal. The Pill will be ‘asleep’ by default and will wake briefly at the set interval to send telemetry. The green light will flash when this happens. It may also wake when movement is detected
Gravity reading is not correct
Check calibration
Physical factors can affect accuracy - gently shake the fermenter to dislodge stuck krausen etc
Ensure the Pill can float freely and unobstructed
Temperature is incorrect
Calibrate temperature
The temperature reading will typically be high when the Pill is active - for example, plugged in to USB-C, charging or during calibration. This is because the battery generates enough heat to affect the on board thermometer. When in normal use, this is not an issue as the Pill will only be active for a few seconds in order to send telemetry.
Enter password 'kegland1'
Plug the Pill into USB-C or place on wireless charger (if using the wireless charging kit)
If the green LED is not flashing, unplug the Pill for 20 seconds and plug it back in (or place back on charger)
Cannot see RAPT Pill XXX in my list of available networks
Plug the Pill inot USB-C or place on wireless charger (if using the wireless charging kit)
If the green LED is not flashing, unplug the Pill for 20 seconds and plug it back in (or place back on charger)
If the above do not work, reboot the Pill by removing the battery for 30 seconds, then plugging it back into USB-C
If using the wireless charging kit, the Pill Captive Portal cannot be accessed unless the Pill has a minimum charge level. It must be charged for at least 12 hours on first use
"Selected Network is not connected to the Internet" error
Select the RAPT Pill XXX network and choose "Forget This Network"
Pill does not connect to my WiFi network
Check that your network is broadcasting a 2.4gHz signal and ensure that the Pil is as close as possible to the router
Non alphanumeric characters in the SSID or password can cause issues - change these to simple (letters and numbers only) characters
Ensure you are selecting the correct network and inputting the correct password for that network
The network must have a password – the Pill cannot connect to an unsecured network
The Pill may already be connected. Check the IP (STA) in Diagnostics. If this is populated with an IP address that is not 0.0.0.0 then the Pill is likely already connected
Open Diagnostics in the Pill Captive Portal and select Reboot
Reboot your modem/WiFi router
Reboot the Pill using Reboot option in DIagnostics screen in the Captive Portal
Try connecting to a different WiFi network
Turn off any VPN or anything that can block an outgoing signal on the router
If the above do not work, see Using Phone as Hotspot below
Cannot see a Validation Code
Connect the Pill to your WiFi network
Update the Pill firmware - select Check for new firmware in the DIagnostics screen
Error when Registering Pill
Check that the Pill Firmware is up to date - select Check for new firmware in the DIagnostics screen
The Validation Code may have timed out. Reboot the Pill using the Reboot option in the Diagnostics screen. Log out of the RAPT Portal and log back in
Ensure the RAPT Portal is open on a device connected to the same network as the Pill. If the Pill Captive Portal is open on the device, it is not connected to the internet and Registration will not work. Open the RAPT Portal on a seperate device such as a laptop or tablet
Determine whether your RAPT Pill is connected to Wi-Fi
To check this, plug your RAPT Pill in to power and open the RAPT Pill Captive Portal and Navigate to WiFi. It will display the network the Pill is currently connected to. You can also check by navigating to Diagnostics and checking that it shows your network’s IP address next to IP (STA) - in the form 192.168.XX.XXX or similar
Determine whether your RAPT Pill is registered to the RAPT Portal
Open the Pill Captive Portal on your mobile device. Navigate to Registration. If the message reads REGISTRATION DONE! then your RAPT Pill has been sucessfully registered. If it is displaying the MAC address and Validation Code then registration has not been sucessful - see Re-Register my Pill below
Re-register my RAPT Pill
Refer to Re-Register My RAPT Pill
Telemetry is only received when the Pill is powered by USB-C
Ensure you have updated to the current firmware
Check that the battery is making good connection with the battery terminals of the Pill’s board. It may be necessary to gently bend these out in order to ensure the battery is making good contact in order to power the Pill when it is not connected to USB-C
No telemetry displayed in the RAPT Portal
Telemetry will take at least 60 minutes to display. If the message Last Contact: never is still di[played in the Pill Status after at least 60 minutes, Re-Register your Pill to correct this
Check that the Pill is Registered. Plug your RAPT Pill in to power and open the RAPT Pill Captive Portal and Navigate to Registration. If Registration has been successful this will display the message REGISTRATION DONE! If registration was not successful then this will display the MAC Address and Validation Code. Re-Register your Pill to correct this
Check that your Pill is connected to WiFi in the Pill Captive Portal. Plug your RAPT Pill in to power and open the RAPT Pill Captive Portal and Navigate to Wi-Fi. Check that it shows that the RAPT Pill is connected to your home Wi-Fi network
Check that the Pill firmware is up to date.
Connect to the Pill Captive Portal and navigate to the Diagnostics screen. Select Check for new firmware. If a more up to date firmware is available this will be downloaded and installed
Check your signal strength. Please refer to the SIgnal Strength Graph below. Signal Strength can be checked in the expanded graph in the RAPT Portal
Battery % shows 0 or no value
The battery is not calibrated yet. The battery must be charged completely for the Pill to calibrate the battery charge level. If the battery was fully charged but not calibrated simply let the battery drain (easiest to just use the Pill as intended). Then, recharge the battery fully. This will allow the Pill to register the fully charged battery. This can happen if it is removed from the charger before the Pill has registered the calibration state
Clear housing discoloured, crazed or has hairline cracks
Probable exposure to high percentage alcohol, ethanol or isopropyl. Do not use high ABV sanitisers or cleaners on the clear Pill housing (over 20% ABV) as this can degrade Nylon 12
Red (battery) light flashes very rapidly when plugged in to USB-C
Please install the battery or check that it is making good contact with the terminals
Lights turn off immediately when disconnected from USB-C
This is normal. To conserve battery power, the Captive Portal will disconnect as soon as the Pill is unplugged from USB-C
To keep the Captive Portal open, you must first open either the Diagnostics or the Calibration screen of the Pill Captive Portal before disconnecting the Pill from USB-C. The Captive Portal will timeout automatically after 10 minutes