Testing Latest Version Of Dreammaker Basic

I've been asked to test the latest version of DREAMMAKER by Wellness Tools. I originally bought the first version (basic) that came out. I thought it was off to a good start but I didnt think EMG was a good way to detect REM. WellnessTools recognized this as well and changed the product and repalced them with Infrared Emitter/Detector sensors. I was very glad to hear this least to say. This will be a moderated topic, please do not post your views or opinions of WellnessTools company, if you do it will be edited or deleted. Although they welcome any suggestions based on your experience with the product.


OUT OF BOX / SETUP
I have to say when I bought the first DM, I thought the manual and instructions were great. Unlike things I hear about the REM-DREAMER manual (not clear or concise, broken english etc). With a matter of flipping a couple of dip switches and adusting light and sound your ready to go. The manual is very easy and clear and you'll be up and running in around 10 minutes. My first test was to disable the delay timer switch and go in the dark and close my eyes (move them side to side) to see if I was getting a trigger, sure enough I did. This didnt happen when I tested the EMG version so this is the factor that was needed. They did some rework on the mask, it feels more comfortable although I havent slept with (this one) on yet but for having a circuit board on your head I think it's the best it can be. Tonight I've cranked up the lights and volume just to make sure I'm getting some triggers while in REM. After that the following nights will be adjusting and posting an lucids that I achieve.

Thanks!

08/17/06 Testing Triggers

Last night I woke up around 2 and put the DM on to see if I would get any triggers during REM. I didnt have the lights or volume up all the way so I'll need to crank them up. I dreamed that I was wearing the mask but it looked really complex when I took it off. It was more of this weird headgear looking thing. Anyway I had a false awakening. I don't remember getting triggers but I'll turn everything up and re-test tonight. The mask is really comfortable, I could even sleep on my side which was really nice.

08/18/06 Testing Triggers

Well 2nd night wasnt good either. I'm thinking its possible I might have a bad sensor. I woke up around 2:00 AM and wore the mask until 5:30. I completely cranked up the lights and volume and I didnt get any triggers. I've been having lots of dreams and remembering them but I wasnt awaken in the middle of them from the mask LEDS. I think if the next couple of nights repeat the same way I may need to exchange the circuit board.

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Originally Posted by phoenelai

08/18/06 Testing Triggers

Well 2nd night wasnt good either. I'm thinking its possible I might have a bad sensor. I woke up around 2:00 AM and wore the mask until 5:30. I completely cranked up the lights and volume and I didnt get any triggers. I've been having lots of dreams and remembering them but I wasnt awaken in the middle of them from the mask LEDS. I think if the next couple of nights repeat the same way I may need to exchange the circuit board.
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:( That's no good. Let me know if it happens for a few more nights and I'll talk to Bruce about it.

08/20/06 Testing Triggers / Queues

Well it appears I may have a bad sensor after all. I went and did a dark test (simply wearing the mask in a dark room and moving my eyes). I had my eyes closed and looked up and down and left and right for about 30 seconds with no response. Althoug I could see a little red light in the dark emitting from the sensor it didnt seem to respond. I accidentally blinked and it picked up that and of course delivered a que. I'm thinking that may have been the case during the first dark test I did and didnt realize it. I woke up around 2 AM and wore the mask until 5:30. I had lots of dreams that I remember but no triggers as well. :(

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Originally Posted by phoenelai

08/20/06 Testing Triggers / Queues

Well it appears I may have a bad sensor after all. I went and did a dark test (simply wearing the mask in a dark room and moving my eyes). I had my eyes closed and looked up and down and left and right for about 30 seconds with no response. Althoug I could see a little red light in the dark emitting from the sensor it didnt seem to respond. I accidentally blinked and it picked up that and of course delivered a que. I'm thinking that may have been the case during the first dark test I did and didnt realize it. I woke up around 2 AM and wore the mask until 5:30. I had lots of dreams that I remember but no triggers as well. :(
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Bruce is sending you a new circuit board. If you would send back the one that you have now, he said he wants to look at it to see what was wrong with it.

Sorry for the setback. :blue:

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Originally Posted by dreammask

Bruce is sending you a new circuit board. If you would send back the one that you have now, he said he wants to look at it to see what was wrong with it.

Sorry for the setback. :blue:
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When you deal with computers and technology its expected, no worries. I'll send that back asap!

Thanks! :)

Okay, I received the new circuit board. I did a dark test and did some eye movements and the sensor picked up the trigger with no problems. Next I'm going to turn the lights and sound all the way up and make sure I get some triggers during the night. I'm thinking just for testing purposes I'm going to disable the 40 min delay to make sure I catch all REM periods while I'm wearing it.

I tried to wear the mask from 1-5AM to see if I was getting queues from the mask but I didnt receive any. I replaced the batteries with some new duracells and tried a dark / scanning test but it didnt seem to work. Although the room was getting lighter since it was around 7 AM. I'll try another dark test and make sure it wasnt the batteries, although the ones I had in there were brand new so I'm not sure what's going on.

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Originally Posted by phoenelai

I tried to wear the mask from 1-5AM to see if I was getting queues from the mask but I didnt receive any. I replaced the batteries with some new duracells and tried a dark / scanning test but it didnt seem to work. Although the room was getting lighter since it was around 7 AM. I'll try another dark test and make sure it wasnt the batteries, although the ones I had in there were brand new so I'm not sure what's going on.
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I'm not sure what's going on. I'm confused because my dark/scanning test seem to work okay. But when I wear the mask during sleep I do not receive any triggers or ques. Last night I wore the mask from 2-5:30 and I remember my dreams but no triggers. I'm a light sleeper so the alarm itself would wake me but I have the lights set very bright and the alarms is loud.

Is it possible that some individuals scan less that others and it's not getting detected by the sensor? I know the Nova Dreamer had a dial for sensativity for the REM sensors. Although most user's had it maxed out most of the time, this could possibly be useful on DreamMaker.

I'll keep testing!

Last night was the same deal, I wore the mask from 2-5:30 or so but no triggers. Before I laid down I did a dark test / scanning but didnt pick up any ques. I tested the reality button and it worked okay. I'm going to pick up another pack of batteries to make sure I didnt get a bad set, who knows. :roll:

Well I have some good news. First all for the record let me say that I may have cried "WOLF" on the first circuit board. I really didnt have a good measure to test REM ques while doing the scan/dark test. So I spoke with Bruce and that board ended up working fine for another person. The 2nd board was damaged in the mail so that makes sense. I worked with Bruce on the phone in testing the circuit board and correctly doing scan test to make sure it's picking up REM. Here's the key fact in what I was doing wrong. I had the Circuit board too low, the REM sensor was much lower than my eye. Well, he mentioned this has already been changed in the design of the mask, there's a bridge now that will not allow the circuit board to sink too deep that will cause this issue. So I'll do one night of check REM queues then I'll kill the sound and start adjusting the lights. Last night I tried around 4 but had minor panic attacks when I had 3 visits from the old hag (Sleep Paralysis). Another night, another test, we'll keep pluggin!

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Originally Posted by phoenelai

Well I have some good news. First all for the record let me say that I may have cried "WOLF" on the first circuit board. I really didnt have a good measure to test REM ques while doing the scan/dark test. So I spoke with Bruce and that board ended up working fine for another person. The 2nd board was damaged in the mail so that makes sense. I worked with Bruce on the phone in testing the circuit board and correctly doing scan test to make sure it's picking up REM. Here's the key fact in what I was doing wrong. I had the Circuit board too low, the REM sensor was much lower than my eye. Well, he mentioned this has already been changed in the design of the mask, there's a bridge now that will not allow the circuit board to sink too deep that will cause this issue. So I'll do one night of check REM queues then I'll kill the sound and start adjusting the lights. Last night I tried around 4 but had minor panic attacks when I had 3 visits from the old hag (Sleep Paralysis). Another night, another test, we'll keep pluggin!
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I'm working on re-writing the instruction manual right now. It's easy enough to use but I want to make it easier still. I think I'll add that problem into the troubleshooting section just in case, regardless of the new bridge. It's always good to have an idea of all the possible things that might be slightly off or could use some tweaking.

I'm glad it's working better now!

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Originally Posted by dreammask

I'm working on re-writing the instruction manual right now. It's easy enough to use but I want to make it easier still. I think I'll add that problem into the troubleshooting section just in case, regardless of the new bridge. It's always good to have an idea of all the possible things that might be slightly off or could use some tweaking.

I'm glad it's working better now!
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Good Idea, I told him it would be a good idea to have a photo with an arrow pointing exactly or as close where the circuit board should lay from the bottom. It seems very critical for it to detect REM.

Well after I figured out how to do proper REM checks and get the mask in alignment I was worried. My REM test were working but for 3 nights I wasnt getting any triggers during sleep. So I replaced the batteries and last night I got three triggers. They woke me up because I had the sound alarm up and lights full blown. But I just wanted to make sure it was working and it was! Now I just have to kill the sound and start tweaking how bright it triggers! Yeahhhhhh!

Okay, new and improved Dream Maker has arrived. Since I have previous experience from before, I should be up and running. Testing tonight, yeah!!!!

Update:Thuderstorm totally ruined my late morning testing. Last night had some incredible HI's while drifting but then the storm came stayed awake rest of the time, ughhhh!

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Originally Posted by phoenelai

I thought it was off to a good start but I didnt think EMG was a good way to detect REM. WellnessTools recognized this as well and changed the product and repalced them with Infrared
Thanks!

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What's EMG an abbreviation of?

Good luck with the test.

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Originally Posted by Vortex

What's EMG an abbreviation of?

Good luck with the test.

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I woke up at 3:00 and wore until 6 with no triggers. I realized though that switch 2 was down which was incorrect so I really don't count this one as a correct test. Corrected and double checked my settings all should be good to test tonight.

What Is EMG?

The letters EMG represent Electro Myo Graphy, which refers to the measurement of electrical activity of muscles. In a similar way, ECG refers to Electro Cardio Graphy which is the measurement of electrical activity of the heart muscle. Just as cardiologists use ECG or EKG to accurately evaluate the heart, and neurologists use EEG to accurately evaluate the brain, Chiropractors, neurologists, researchers and clinicians use surface EMG to more accurately evaluate muscles. EMG measures the capacity of muscles to function.

How Does Surface EMG Work?

The small electric current, or signal, which comes from active muscles is detected by sensors placed on the skin directly above the muscles. The strength and pattern of the signal is seen on a computer screen and the data is collected in a software program that is able to run various analyses of the data to create useful reports regarding muscle function.

DreamMaker does trigger a lucid 09/04/07

Although SP was involved which left me little control; I did get a REM queue from DreamMaker. Posted on Dream Journal.

Read Details

I woke up around 3 AM and wore DeamMaker from 3-5AM. I know I dreamt but didnt get triggers. I think I need to tighten the mask incase I sleep on myside. When you sleep on your side and the mask is loose the sensors are no longer aligned with your eyes therefore REM was not detected. I did a REM check in the morning and it worked so that must be the case. I'll tighten it a bit to see if this helps.