eBells Support

Read the troubleshooting sections below to see if there is anything that can help to resolve your problem. If not send an email to [email protected] explaining your problem as clearly as you can, including the versions of software being used where relevant.

Troubleshooting

Physical Issues

Marks and Blemishes
eBells are 3D printed and some cosmetic scars, blobs and lines occur as a result of the printing process. A string of plastic may also come away and hang loose.
Resolution

If a small amount of stringing occurs, cut off the string of plastic and seal the end with a drop of super glue. If a significant amount of stringing occurs, contact us for advice.


Damaged Bell
eBells are fairly robust, but could be broken if dropped or hit against a hard surface.
Resolution

If you do manage to damage an eBell, contact us for advice. We will do our best to help if it can be repaired for less than the cost of a new bell.


Cable Damage
Previous experience with motion controllers and our prototypes has shown that the cables may fracture if repeatedly bent in the same place. Cables can also be damaged by tripping over them, holding the eBells by their cable, or dropping them. The lifetime of a cable can be extended by always ensuring the cable is free to hang from the bell and not held tightly against one’s body.
Resolution

eBells are designed to enable the easy replacement of cables, which can be purchased online. These need to have a USB connector at one end and a USB-C connector at the other. For longevity, ensure that you buy cables that can withstand a very high number of bends, especially if you are a very frequent user. To replace, undo the two M3 bolts in the handles (if present) using a small Allen (hex) key, and feed the new cable through the exposed slot and push the USB-C end firmly into the bell's crown. Allow a little slack on the cable before retightening the bolts. Some versions of eBells have a rubber sleeve where the cable goes through the handle. In this case, snip through the outer heatshrink covering of the rubber sleeve (but not the rubber itself) to release the sleeve from the cable. The sleeve has a slit which will allow you to fit it to the same position on the new cable. The slit can be resealed with a thin wrap of insulating tape.

Below is a video that demonstrates how to reseat, replace and test a cable on an eBell.

Testing and replacing the cable of an eBell


Connectivity Issues

No connection
This is a common issue, and there are a number of causes. Please read the resolution carefully to determine the root cause.
Resolution
  • The eBell is not properly connected to your computer - check that the bell is securely connected into a USB port and it is powered.
  • Your operating system is not recognising the eBells - a quick way to confirm whether your computer is recognising the eBell is to go to gamepad-tester.com in your browser. If your computer is recognising the eBells, each eBell will show up as an entry as shown below.
gamepad tester

gamepad tester with two eBells connected

If your computer is not recognising the eBells, you will need to consult USB troubleshooting for your computer.

You can also use this utility to confirm when other issues have been resolved, including whether your buttons (B1 and B2) work when you press them, and that the Axis 0 to 5 values change when you swing your bell.

  • The cable has come unseated inside the eBell - it is common issue that the cable has been yanked or has come unseated in the crown of the eBell. Although eBells are tested before despatch, the cable could become also unseated in transit. You can sometimes see a red LED if you look down the inside of the bell. While that means that the electronics have power, it is still possible that it does not have full connectivity. To resolve, use your fingers to push the cable firmly back into the bell from both sides of the handle. You can also carefully use a small pair of pliers. For a demonstration, watch the video in Cable Damage under Physical Issues above.
  • The cable is damaged - the cable may have fractured internally due to wear and tear, or it may have a faulty connector. See Cable Damage under Physical Issues above.
  • Incorrect simulator device selection - If the eBells are showing up in Gamepad Tester as shown above, check that Handbell Stadium or Handbell Manager has the correct device selected for each eBell. See their documentation for more details.

Strike Issues

eBells do not ring
If your eBells are connected as confirmed by the steps in the previous section, but do not ring, try the following resolutions.
Resolution
  • The appropriate simulator is not running. Check that the bells ring when the simulator is used with the keyboard, or in the case of Handbell Stadium, in autopilot mode.
  • For RingingRoom, its browser window must be kept in focus.
  • More than one copy of the simulator is running. Close all but one instance.
  • Check that you are running the latest version of your simulator and Handbell Manager or Handbell Stadium.
  • Some users of versions of Handbell Manager prior to v2.2 have experienced bells not striking. This was due to their computer's timer (Environment.TickCount) returning negative values. This timer can be reset by doing a full shut down (sleep or hibernate is not sufficient), removing the power, and powering the computer back on, however this problem is resolved in Handbell Manager v2.2.
  • Handbell Manager is not running (required to connect to all simulators other than Handbell Stadium).
  • The wrong simulator is chosen in Handbell Manager. Reselect using Run – Choose Simulator.
  • The backstroke and handstroke strike positions are set too high or too low.
  • The wrong Handbell swing axis is being used. See Guidance.
  • The device that the eBells are connected to is not selected in Handbell Manager or Handbell Stadium.

eBells do not strike at the appropriate point in the swing
If your eBells are connected, but do not strike at the expected point in the swing, try the following resolutions.
Resolution
  • The eBells are not being held with buttons uppermost.
  • Backstroke and/or handstroke strike delay are not set to a low enough value. Set to zero.
  • The debounce delay setting is too low or too high. Try between the range of 350ms and 750ms.
  • Strike positions are set too early or too late in the swing. Fine tune by making small adjustments to the strike values. Check against the suggested values in Guidance.
  • Incorrect Handbell Manager calibration. If using the Calibrate button, hold the controller absolutely horizontal for the backstroke strike and absolutely vertical for the handstroke strike, then make fine adjustments manually to the strike values.
  • The strike settings are not correct for the swing axis being used. See Guidance.
  • In Handbell Stadium the X and Y axis are not reversed when using the XYZ swing setting. See Guidance.
  • There is a small possibility that the accelerometer and gyro in your eBells might need recalibrating. Using gamepad-tester.com in your browser, check that Axis 1 and 2 are 0.0 and Axis 3 is -0.5 (rounded values) when the buttons are uppermost and the handle is held exactly horizontal. If not contact us via email for advice.

eBells are striking erratically or multiple times
This can occur after restarting or sleeping your computer especially if your USB ports are still powered when the computer is off or sleeping.
Resolution
  • Restart the eBells by unplugging and replugging, checking afterwards that they are correctly assigned in Handbell Stadium or Handbell Manager.
  • Connect your eBells via a switched USB Hub such as the Sabrent 4-Port USB Hub with Individual LED lit Power Switches (HB-UMLS)..
  • The debounce delay setting is too low or too high. Try between the range of 350ms and 750ms.
  • Backstroke and handstroke strike positions are too close to one another. adjust the settings.
  • Strike positions are set too early or too late in the swing, or are outside the swing range altogether. Check against the suggested values in Guidance.
  • Incorrect Handbell Manager calibration. If using the Calibrate button, hold the controller absolutely horizontal for the backstroke strike and absolutely vertical for the handstroke strike, then make fine adjustments manually to the strike values.
  • The strike settings are not correct for the swing axis being used. See Guidance.
  • In Handbell Stadium the X and Y axis are not reversed when using the XYZ swing setting. See Guidance.
  • Inconsistent handbell swing. Swing the eBells in a smooth up and down motion with buttons upppermost. Try other using the different swing axis options outlined in Guidance to see if they work better for you.
  • More than one copy of a simulator is running. Close all but one instance.

Swing Issues

Handbell Stadium images do not reflect the position of the eBells
It is desirable, particularly when ringing online, for your bell image onscreen to start swinging as soon as you swing your bell, but to stay still and not flutter when at handstroke or backstroke rest.
Resolution
  • Inconsistent handbell swing. Swing the eBells in a smooth up and down motion with buttons upppermost. Do not overswing the bells, or hold them too far below horizontal at handstroke rest or too far beyond vertical at backstroke rest.
  • Try using the different swing axis options outlined in Guidance to see if they work better for you. In particular, the XYZ swing calculation is designed to reduce the flicking of the bell at handstroke rest that occurs with the Z-Only calculation when you dip your eBells below horizontal.

Button Issues

Buttons do not work
The eBell button presses are passed to activate the associated function in your chosen simulator. If they do not work check the following resolutions.
Resolution
  • Using gamepad-tester.com in your browser, you can check whether your buttons are operating correctly. B0 should show as 1.00 while you are pressing the left hand button on your eBell and 0.00 when you release it. Similarly, B1 should show the status of the right hand button.
  • The keyboard mappings for the buttons in Handbell Manager don’t match the simulator’s keyboard mappings or Function Keys.
  • The associated function may be disabled by the simulator software. Check your simulator settings.