use a mini ipad for easy view and to eliminate phone calls emails texts or anything else taking away from your ability to stay on task, have both a magnetic and suction ram mount this allows mounting on any machine

double check periodically the elevation as your weather stations could end up in direct sunlight and cause some drifting.

Get out and use it the more i use mine the more confident i become with it

I decided to go with a larger screen and used a IPAD4 Mini on a ram mount this works so nice to be able to see the screen and not worry about phone calls or texts interfering with my ability to stay on track, Both myself and my father have used this on the excavator digging a septic tank hole and for digging the base out on a septic system and both really enjoyed the way it worked we added some orange cones to put the weather stations on in order to keep them protected from sitting them on the direct ground and gives us a visual to find them after and make sure we don't run them over, I started with the 3 pack and moved to the 4 pack system after the first time i used the system to expand the work area, we have put in a 40x40 garage pad using the unit on a skid steer and fine graded a house pad today with it checking it occasionally with a transit and so far we have not had any issues. If your on the fence about it try and find someone else who has purchased and just give it a try for a few minutes and you'll end up with your own as well i'm sure, I am very tight with my spending and looked at every youtube available for quite sometime and finally purchased. I also have a ram mount set up with a magnet to use the device on the bulldozer too.

• Improved battery level reporting

• Improved battery charging indicator reporting

• Added support for orientation tenths as a feature

This can happen even with no wind and no movement. It’s one of the more confusing behaviors because nothing looks wrong, but the elevation continues to shift.

The Delta system measures elevation using barometric pressure, and that pressure is affected by temperature. When the temperature changes from what it was at the time of zeroing, your elevation readings can begin to shift away from that zero point.

The good news is this is predictable and manageable once you know what to look for.

Thermal drift typically shows up as:

• A slow, steady change in elevation, away from zero

• Movement that isn’t tied to wind or machine motion

• Readings that continue to shift even when everything seems stable

There are a few common ways this happens in the field:

1. Changing ambient temperature over time
As the temperature rises or falls throughout the day, drift can begin to appear. Faster or larger temperature swings will create more noticeable movement.

2. Sun and shade differences
If one Delta is in the sun while others are in the shade, they will heat at different rates. This is one of the fastest ways to introduce drift, and it can become noticeable in just a couple of minutes.

This can also happen over time as the sun moves and changes the conditions of your setup.

3. Units not fully acclimated
If Deltas are brought from one environment to another (like from an air-conditioned shop into summer heat), they need time to equalize. Generally 15 minutes will do the trick unless the temperatures are drastically different, then give your Deltas a few extra minutes.

Turning them on also generates heat inside the case, so allowing time before zeroing is important.

A smaller but common scenario

Even normal operation can introduce small temperature differences.

Driving in and out of sun and shade can slightly change the temperature of the primary unit. When returning to your working position, give the system a moment to settle before checking grade.

How to reduce thermal drift

In most cases, thermal drift can be minimized with a few simple setup habits:

• Keep all Deltas in the same sun or shade conditions

• Avoid partial transitions (one unit moving into a different sun or shade condition than the others)

• Allow time for Deltas to acclimate before zeroing

• Re-check conditions as the day progresses

What to do when it happens

Thermal drift can be quickly corrected by re-zeroing.

Before doing that, identify what caused the drift and correct it if possible. Otherwise, the drift will continue after you re-zero.

We are working on a factory performed calibration that should help alleviate the impact of thermal drift in an upcoming firmware update.

The Delta system works by comparing pressure between units. When those units are experiencing similar conditions, noise gets canceled out and readings stay stable. When conditions don’t match, that difference shows up as movement in your elevation readings.

The card below shows what good and bad placement looks like. The top row is what you’re aiming for. The bottom row is what creates problems. The goal is to keep all Deltas in consistent conditions.

One more factor to consider

The card focuses on wind, obstacles, and height because those are the most visible and common sources of instability.

There is one more factor to keep in mind: temperature exposure (sun and shade).

Deltas can begin to thermally drift when they are heating or cooling at different rates. This can happen quickly. For example, if all units are in the shade and one moves into direct sun, you may start to see drift in under a minute.

Because of this, when you’re setting up, it’s important to treat sun and shade the same way you would wind or obstacles. Keep all Deltas in similar conditions.

Common placement issues we see

• One unit in sun while others are shaded

• Anchors set at different heights to make placement easier

• One unit exposed to wind while another is shielded

• Obstacles affecting only part of the setup

Adaptive Filtration can smooth out short-term noise from wind and turbulence, but it won’t fix inconsistent placement.

If you’ve found a setup that works well in tough conditions, share it below. Real-world setups are some of the most helpful ways to help others dial in their systems.

-Rebecca

• Continued improvement to standby time

• Cleanup to battery reporting in anticipation of an upcoming app release which will more transparently show battery state

When you’re running a Delta system in the field, each Delta can experience slightly different conditions depending on placement and what’s happening on the job site.

The system measures elevation change through barometric pressure. Air pressure is constantly shifting due to air movement and temperature, and because the Deltas are spaced apart, each one can see slightly different pressure at any given moment.

When the Deltas are experiencing the same conditions, they agree with each other and that shared signal cancels out. What’s left is the actual elevation difference from your zero point.

When they are not seeing the same thing, that difference shows up as fluctuation in your readings, most commonly from wind and turbulent air.

That’s why readings tend to be more stable in calm conditions, and more active in turbulent air.

This is where Adaptive Filtration comes in.

How Adaptive Filtration helps

With Adaptive Filtration, each filter setting introduces a time window that allows the system to continuously look at how the readings have been changing over that period before updating what you see to remove higher frequency noise.

Wind and turbulent air tend to show up as higher frequency noise, which is why increasing the filter level helps stabilize the readout in those conditions. As conditions get more turbulent, stepping up the filter level helps reduce fluctuation and maintain a more consistent readout.

Movement from the primary shows up differently. The weather anchors do not see that movement, so it is not something that can be canceled out. It comes through as a real elevation change relative to your zero point.

Each step up in filtering increases that window:

• Off = no delay (instant response)

• Calm = 5 seconds

• Each level adds another 5 seconds

• Heavy Wind = 25 seconds

What that means for your readings

With lighter filtering, the system reacts quickly, but you’ll see more elevation fluctuation in more turbulent conditions.

With heavier filtering, the elevation reading becomes more consistent, but it takes longer to reflect changes.

Best practices

All Earthwork projects start in Calm, which applies a 5 second delay and gives you a solid baseline for most conditions.

If conditions are stable, you can turn filtering Off for instant response.
If readings are moving around, step up the filter until things become stable.

When zeroing, give the system time to reflect the current conditions before setting your baseline. Zeroing too early means you’re locking in a value that hasn’t fully caught up yet. For example, if you’re in Heavy Wind mode, you’ll want to wait the full 25 seconds after placing your implement before checking grade.

Placement still matters. Adaptive Filtration helps in rough conditions, but it won’t fix a poor setup. Anchors that are exposed to different conditions or environments are less likely to stay aligned with each other, which leads to more disagreement in the system.

One thing Adaptive Filtration does not address is thermal drift. If elevation is slowly changing while everything else looks stable, that’s temperature. Let the system acclimate, check to ensure Deltas are all in shade or sun, and re-zero when needed.

If you’ve had a chance to try Adaptive Filtration, I’d love to hear how it’s working for you. Feel free to share what you’re seeing in the field or ask your questions below.

-Rebecca

P.S. Download the Adaptive Filtration card here if you don't have a copy yet.

Delta connects over a 2.4 gigahertz Wi‑Fi network. Many routers also broadcast a 5 gigahertz network, which is faster for everyday use but not always compatible during setup. If your phone is connected to 5 gigahertz, Delta may fail to connect.

If you’re having trouble, check which network your phone is using and switch to 2.4 gigahertz if needed. If both networks share the same name, moving closer to your router or temporarily disabling 5 gigahertz can help.

If you’d rather skip Wi‑Fi entirely or just want a more direct path, you can use the Delta Rescue Tool.

Download the version for your computer (Windows or Mac) here: https://dirtydevices.com/pages/downloads

Unsure if your Mac is Intel or ARM64?

1. Click the Apple logo () in the top-left corner

2. Click “About This Mac”

3. Look for one of these:

• If it says “Chip: Apple M1 / M2 / M3…” → you have ARM64 (Apple Silicon)

• If it says “Processor: Intel…” → you have an Intel Mac

After downloading:

• On Windows, open the file and run the application

• On Mac, drag the app into your Applications folder, then open it

Once launched, connect your Delta with a USB‑C cable and follow the on-screen instructions. Keep the device plugged in and powered on until the update completes.

Repeat this process for each Delta.

To confirm each Deltas firmware version:

• Open the Dirty Devices app on your mobile device

• Connect your Delta

• Tap and hold the device icon on the My Deltas screen

• Check the firmware version on the control panel (should read 2.0.0 (169))

Once you’re on version 2.0.0 (169), future updates won’t require Wi‑Fi.

If you run into any issues, reach out to us at support@dirtydevices.com. We are happy to help!

-Rebecca