rooDial a Wireless Volume Knob for Roon with Microsoft Surface Dial

Audio Gear Talk rooExtend
1931

Thanks - I was afraid of that…do you think the ‘logs’ at the bottom of the rooextend page would allow the Dr. to spot anything?

1932

Try reading my old thread , I had a hard time too, and then I figured out I had to do something in a strange order and here’s the link of what I did

1933

The logs may be helpful but take a look at the post by @patrick_mccarthy as the pairing process can be, as you discovered, quirky…:roll_eyes:

1934

Thanks to both of you - I will check out the thread tomorrow

1935

This is what I recommend.

  1. Before reflashing please revoke the rooDial License in the License Manager of rooExtend.
  2. Remove Bateries from the Surface Dial
  3. After starting the fresh SD-Card enter your License Key
  4. Wait till rooDial is visible in Roon Settings/Extensions
  5. Enter Batteries in the Surface Dial
  6. Press the pairing button

Make sure that the Dial was not paired with anything else before!
If paired with a PC or something else it will not pair with rooExtend.

Good luck.
DrCWO

1936

DrCWO - Thanks for responding. I will do as you say but have a couple questions:

The rooDial was paired with the smaller Rpi W up until I had this current problem. I didn’t realise I had to revoke the license on that Rpi before I moved on to the new Rpi 4b. I also deleted those authorizations in Roon Extensions that related to the Rpi W - in hindsight I’m guessing this was a mistake. Based on what I read online I have unplugged the old Rpi W and moved it far from the rooDial and new Rpi 4b in the music room. Is it a problem that the Dial was paired with the old Rpi W?

In response to your task list:

1. Are you saying to revoke the new license I bought yesterday in the 3.4 License Manager within Roon Extensions?

2. Understood

3. Reflash the 3.4 image to the sd card then insert and add my new License Key?

4. Understood

5. Understood

6. Understood

Is it a problem that the Dial was paired with the old Rpi W? Do I need to buy a newDial?

Also, I decided to hard wire the new Rpi 4b to my router with an ethernet cable. Do I need to do the WiFi setup that you show in your videos?

I appreciate your help and have thoroughly enjoyed the rooDial.

Dan

1937

This is no issue as the Pi zero W is off now :+1:

  1. yes
  2. yes

Very good idea, Roon did not really like WiFi. In this case now WiFi setup is necessary.

Best DrCWO

1938

Ok - I’m getting closer. Everything seemed great, the dial was working fine, but after doing a few other things I came back (15 minutes or so) and the dial says it’s sleeping. No turning or pushing wakes it up.

Is there a sleep setting somewhere that I can’t find?

1939

Try to remove batteries and reinsert.

Best DrCWO

1940

I did that at the end of yesterday and rooDial was still asleep AND now the dial doesn’t even blink white when I try to pair - almost like it ie sleeping?

1941

Sorry, but if the Dial don’t blink it is defect.

I’m really sorry but the only thing you can do is send it back and get a new one :face_with_spiral_eyes:

Best DrCWO

1942

I have had the same thing happen, leave the batteries out for a couple of hours, re-insert then try again. My previous activities may be helpful…

When a Surface Dial “refuses to wake” specifically in a rooDial/Roon setup, it usually points to a connection “handshake” failure rather than just the device being asleep.
Here is a quick checklist to get it back online:

  1. The “Battery Reset” (No Re-pairing Needed)
    The Dial can occasionally get stuck in a firmware loop where it thinks it’s connected but isn’t sending data.
  • Pop the bottom cap off and remove one battery.
  • Wait 10 seconds, then put it back in.
  • Don’t press the pairing button yet. Just click the Dial or rotate it.
  • Why? This hard-restarts the Dial’s internal logic without clearing its memory of your rooExtend/Raspberry Pi.
  1. Check for “Ghost Pairing”
    Did you recently use the Dial with a PC or have a Bluetooth-enabled computer nearby?
  • The Surface Dial is notoriously “loyal” to the last device it talked to. If your PC’s Bluetooth is on, the Dial might be trying to wake up and connect to the PC instead of your rooExtend Pi.
  • Try this: Temporarily turn off Bluetooth on any nearby computers/tablets and then try clicking the Dial again to see if it hooks back into the Roon system.
  1. Verify the rooExtend Status
    If the Dial’s LED flashes but Roon doesn’t react, the issue might be on the receiver side:
  • Open your Roon Remote app.
  • Go to Settings > Extensions.
  • Check if rooExtend is visible and “Enabled.” If the extension has crashed or the Pi has lost its network connection, the Dial will “wake up” but have nowhere to send its commands.
  1. The “Long Click” Wake
    Sometimes, if the Dial has entered a “Deep Sleep” (which can happen after 24 hours of total inactivity), a simple rotation isn’t enough to trigger the Bluetooth handshake.
  • Try pressing and holding the Dial down for 3 full seconds. Often, the haptic “buzz” will trigger, indicating it has finally re-established the link with your Pi.
    If none of that works:
    Check the LED light inside the battery compartment when you click it.
  • Is it blinking 3 times and stopping? This means it’s paired but can’t find the host.
  • Is there no light at all? The batteries may have drained unexpectedly (sometimes a “stuck” haptic engine can kill AAA batteries overnight).
2 Likes
1943

This a Microsoft Dial that I have had for 5 years….not sure that is the problem.

1944

I have been out snow blowing and will look at your detailed response and try what you suggest tomorrow. Thanks.

Dan

1 Like
1945

I will try what PixelPopper suggested later today. Assuming I get past the ‘no-pairing’ light issue, I am curious what I should expect with the ‘sleeping’ rooDial. I have re-read much of this thread and found posts that talked about the inability to wake up the Dial but no definitive answer/procedure on how to fix it. Under my past system it seemed a quick rotation to the left woke the dial up. What is ‘normal’ behavior with sleep mode on 3.4 with a Raspberry Pi 4b?

Received a new MS Dial yesterday and the batteries had white gunk all over them - so I am sending the dial back and getting a new one next week.

Also, I tried everything that PixelPopper suggested but it appears my MS Dial is dead. Seems odd it went to permanent sleep when rooDial did the same - but, hey, I have no idea.

1946

Please retry with a fresh install of v3.4.x.
if you see rooDial appearing first time in Roon Settings/Extensions press the Pair button. Do it right after rooDial shows up as there is a timeout for pairing.

Best DrCWO

1947

Trying to pair surface dial with new rooExtend on raspberry pi 4, status in Roon extensions showing unpaired. Surface dial can be seen on all other devices. Any ideas?

1948

I managed to get it paired, but it went straight to sleeping status and nothing is waking it up.

After a Roon server restart, status changed to “Unpaired” and Surface dial can’t be paired no matter what.

I must say that this has been an unsatisfying experience so far.

  1. Pi 4 Model B
  2. rooExtend v3.4.0
  3. DIY SD card image
  4. Bluetooth adapter detected but Surface Dial won’t pair
  5. No SSH access
1949

I answered your PM.

Best DrCWO