# Stop and reset countdown clock instead of restart
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468
**Category:** General
**Created:** [21 September 2023 06:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468 "2023-09-21T06:31:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Observatory\_Gromme](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Observatory_Gromme)
#### Post date: [21 September 2023 06:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/1 "2023-09-21T06:31:50Z")
Dear,
I have installed an emergency close system with a 10 minute interval with option to stop / reset.
For visual / dashboard inspection, i have setup a "donut shaped" gauge countdown.
Problem:
Clicking ABORT will stop the (separated) process, but only resets the dashboard countdown, not stopping it.
How to stop / reset it?
Maybe i have overlooked, or you have other solutions. I have indeed set it up that the actual emergency close is working side by side with the countdown clock. The countdown clock is just for visual inspection.
Thank you.
[COUNTDOWN.json](https://discourse.nodered.org/uploads/short-url/kenFiHnIWnd6SvHop2DhOhx3TPL.json) (9.5 KB)
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [21 September 2023 06:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/2 "2023-09-21T06:42:25Z")
Hi @Observatory_Gromme
Suggestion:
brake the part/s down that are REALLY needed and make a test flow.
Try to NOT use DASHBOARD nodes - I'll get to that later.
Then with `inject` nodes for input and `debug` nodes for output make a small version of what you want to do.
Why you shouldn't use DASHBOARD nodes?
Well, they are nice, but if they aren't CRUCIAL to the workings: they are mere _decorations_ to the problem, and don't really make any difference.
**You have two `MQTT` nodes in that flow**
That too is a problem.
_I_ don't have access to _your_ MQTT messages.
Don't include them. They don't help.
delete the two MQTT nodes, the `gauge` and `button` node.
Replace the `button` with an `inject` (and configure it to send what is sent by the `button` node.
Replace the `gauge` node with a `debug` and repost the flow.
There is another light green node I see on the right I can see just after (to the right of the `function` node.) Again: Unless crucial to the flow's working: Don't include it.
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### Author:  [@Observatory\_Gromme](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Observatory_Gromme)
#### Post date: [21 September 2023 07:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/3 "2023-09-21T07:51:36Z")
Dear,
The part that is really needed, is actually working. For a year or so now.
Just for my information i would like to have that countdown clock couting down ( also works )
but when i press abort, the clock just resets and start counting down again.
That i want to happen.
The error closing goes behind dashboard and is not dashboard related. I will input debug messages this evening. I will let you know.
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### Author:  [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)
#### Post date: [21 September 2023 07:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/4 "2023-09-21T07:53:20Z")
Ok, good to hear.
But as I didn't download/import the flow I don't know what nodes are used.
why not just name the node you are using as the countdown timer?
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### Author:  [@zenofmud](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/zenofmud)
#### Post date: [21 September 2023 15:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/5 "2023-09-21T15:08:05Z")
> [@Observatory\_Gromme](#):
>
> Clicking ABORT will stop the (separated) process, but only resets the dashboard countdown, not stopping it.
> How to stop / reset it?
If you send
`{ "payload": "cancel", "timeout": 0 }`
to the node, it will stop the timer but will set the counter to `-1` (I think it should be `0`).
If you want the counter to go to 0 you have a couple options:
1. open an issue at the node's GitHub issues and ask the author to make the change (explaining what you think it should be)
2. edit the code yourself (`.node-red/node_module/node-red-contrib-mytimeout/mytimeout.js`) and change all the -1's to 0 (there are 9 locations. Note: if you update the node, you. will have to make the changes again)
3. Do it the way I got around it in my [Coffee Pot Timer](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/coffee-pot-timer/4743) project. What I did was to add a text node and send the time to text node and overlayed that over the mytimeout display
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### Author:  [@Observatory\_Gromme](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Observatory_Gromme)
#### Post date: [21 September 2023 20:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/6 "2023-09-21T20:18:23Z")
Well thank you!
> If you send
> `{ "payload": "cancel", "timeout": 0 }`
That did the trick! Agree, timer stops then at -1, but i can live with that :).
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### Author:  [@ncherry](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ncherry)
#### Post date: [21 September 2023 20:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/7 "2023-09-21T20:33:35Z")
Dang I missed all the fun! I think this is my mytimeout (I'm the author). I have a pause in the works but I haven't had time to post it (or fully test it). It's in one of my branches (pause 3.2.3 I think). At the moment I'm in the middle of moving my elderly Mom and my system crashed when upgrading to Bookworm. It's recoverable I need a new part.
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### Author:  [@ncherry](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ncherry)
#### Post date: [22 September 2023 18:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/8 "2023-09-22T18:45:19Z")
I shared this with Paul (Zenofmud):
On the subject of -1, not sure that's the correct change. I do think there is one other change that would work but I need to look at the code. I think stop could return 0 but cancel would continue to return -1. Let me alsos ee what over value I return. It's actually the testing part that makes this so complicated. I'll look at the code when I get the new part this weekend. Good news on my part, I used Github properly and all the changes are there so if the system is a loss I have lost the work.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [6 October 2023 18:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/stop-and-reset-countdown-clock-instead-of-restart/81468/9 "2023-10-06T18:46:04Z")
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