ECOtality Level 2 charger : Blink

[Deleted member 770]

Now that Nissan has (informally) announced their intention to offer 6.6 kW charging in 2012, does anybody know whether the Blink residental EVSEs being installed as part of the ECOtality project can charge at that rate? I checked their spec sheet, but IANAE (I Am Not An Electrician), so I'm not sure whether I read it right...it looks like with a 40 amp breaker, the maximum current output is 24 A, so the maximum output is somewhere in the vicinity of 5.7 kW. Am I misinterpreting something? Is it possible that with a 40A breaker, the unit could output 240V@30A?

 

[DarkStar]

Now that Nissan has (informally) announced their intention to offer 6.6 kW charging in 2012, does anybody know whether the Blink residental EVSEs being installed as part of the ECOtality project can charge at that rate? I checked their spec sheet, but IANAE (I Am Not An Electrician), so I'm not sure whether I read it right...it looks like with a 40 amp breaker, the maximum current output is 24 A, so the maximum output is somewhere in the vicinity of 5.7 kW. Am I misinterpreting something? Is it possible that with a 40A breaker, the unit could output 240V@30A?

If connected to a 40 amp breaker, the Blink is configured to output 30 amps.

 

[Deleted member 770]

If connected to a 40 amp breaker, the Blink is configured to output 30 amps.

Cool...I gotta make sure that's how the electrician wires mine up when I get it installed...

 

[TomT]

Yep, that is how I did mine. You just need to insure that your breaker panel passes the load calcs necessary (at least in L.A.) to allow for that size circuit breaker.

If connected to a 40 amp breaker, the Blink is configured to output 30 amps.

Cool...I gotta make sure that's how the electrician wires mine up when I get it installed...

 

[WWBD]

Anybody else's screens going a solid GREEN in the past couple of days?

 

[Spies]

The Ecotality people emailed me the installation manual in Acrobat format. If there is a place to post it here, I can upload it.

Did you find a place to host the pdf? I'd love to take a look at it.

 

[DarkStar]

The Ecotality people emailed me the installation manual in Acrobat format. If there is a place to post it here, I can upload it.

Did you find a place to host the pdf? I'd love to take a look at it.

Yep, he got it over to me and I just uploaded it. Enjoy!

http://www.darkstarpro.com/mikiko/BlinkInstallManual.pdf

 

[Randy]

The 12/31/10 paper copy of the Blink manual they gave me upon installation is 45 pages long, more than double the length of the posted pdf copy. The longer one has more screen shots, I think...

btw, the link on the Blink EVSE Help page to the manual does not work, but they told me that they are working on revamping the website...

 

[wsbca]

If anyone else is eager for at least a screensaver/blanker mode for the Blink, not to mention a true deeper sleep mode, here's one way
to contact them:

http://www.ecotality.com/contact-us/

 

[Spies]

DarkStar did you want to host the user manual as well? I just got the user manual pdf emailed to me along with the warranty pdf.

 

[DarkStar]

Blink Owner's Manual: http://www.darkstarpro.com/mikiko/BlinkOwnerManual.pdf

Blink EVSE WE-30 & WE-48 Warranty: http://www.darkstarpro.com/mikiko/BlinkEVSE_WE-30_WE-48_LimitedWarranty_rev0.pdf

 

[Jimmydreams]

Billing rates
I decided to set up my billing rates on the Blink. This process was not fun. You need to enter your rate, time, and time of the year the rate is in effect. So with ToU, I have three rates - on peak, off peak, and super off peak. This actually required 16 entries on the Blink. Because off peak occurs over two time periods during the day, the Blink treats that as a separate rate. So you enter all four for the weekday then the Blink requires you enter all four again exactly the same for weekend. (That is just crazy!) So that's eight entries for winter and then you need to do the exact same eight entries for summer. That's why it took 16 entries. The entries are not easy. I's all up, down, back , and forth arrows to set it all up. It's basically user hustle. I wonder if it will loose all of this information if I ever need to turn the power off?

My blink unit was installed today, and I echo your PITA comment about the rate structure. I called EcoTality and was told that the rates will NOT vaporize if you have a power outage....they will stay in there. So that's a small plus.

But I told the nice gentleman at EcoTality that if our Blink unit can see/talk to the internet, then there should be a web-based setup screen that we can go to to enter/change our setup info. When SDG&E changes my rates each year, I am NOT going to stand there and adjust them all.....it's just too much of a hassle. Plus, if someone at work, for example, asks about how much my Leaf costs to charge, I should be able to bring up that info on the computer straight from my Blink and show them.

We shall see if they take my suggestion. Everyone should call and suggest this and maybe they'll do it!

 

[Skywagon]

Jimmydreams,

You can access the same screens from a computer on your home network. Just look up in the Blink unit what IP address it is using and type it in directly, 192.168.1.xxx (like you would to access a router) and it will load up the same menus. You can click through it that way.

 

[Jimmydreams]

Jimmydreams,

You can access the same screens from a computer on your home network. Just look up in the Blink unit what IP address it is using and type it in directly, 192.168.1.xxx (like you would to access a router) and it will load up the same menus. You can click through it that way.

VERY nice! Thanks a ton. Is this feature documented anywhere?

A great Blink suggestion: if you're going to use the touch-sensitive screen to enter info, use the back endof a pen (not the ink end) and just touch a corner of the pen to the screen. When I use my fingers, my Blink seems to take a second or two to decide exactly where/what I'm touching....entering data is painfully slow. If you use a pen or other small, plastic, pinpoint device, you can fly through the screens and data entry. Makes things MUCH nicer!!

 

[Skywagon]

Jimmydreams,

You can access the same screens from a computer on your home network. Just look up in the Blink unit what IP address it is using and type it in directly, 192.168.1.xxx (like you would to access a router) and it will load up the same menus. You can click through it that way.

VERY nice! Thanks a ton. Is this feature documented anywhere?

A great Blink suggestion: if you're going to use the touch-sensitive screen to enter info, use the back endof a pen (not the ink end) and just touch a corner of the pen to the screen. When I use my fingers, my Blink seems to take a second or two to decide exactly where/what I'm touching....entering data is painfully slow. If you use a pen or other small, plastic, pinpoint device, you can fly through the screens and data entry. Makes things MUCH nicer!!

It actually says it in the one of the menus somewhere in the Blink software on the unit (how to access it remotely). It is easier to click with a mouse than with your finger or blunt metal object.

 

[TomT]

Press Settings and then Intranet from the Blink control panel. This will show you the Blink IP and password.
It is documented in the copy of the manual I got when they installed my unit. I forget if it is in the owners or installation manual...

Jimmydreams,
You can access the same screens from a computer on your home network. Just look up in the Blink unit what IP address it is using and type it in directly, 192.168.1.xxx (like you would to access a router) and it will load up the same menus. You can click through it that way.

VERY nice! Thanks a ton. Is this feature documented anywhere?

 

[evnow]

I just talked to the nice folks at Blink support center. So a few updates.

They do look at this forum and have taken some suggestions from here for their next firmware update. Cycling the Blink (switch it off and on at the panel - and leave it on to boot up on its own instead of calibrating it) solved my problems. It apparently works for quite a few of the problems - so, I guess basically some firmware issues. Try that.

I invited them to join the forum and directly answer / ask people here. We will have to see whether their managers allow them to do that.

I'm wondering whether we should open a new thread specifically for suggestions / problems with Blink. What do you guys think ?

 

[evnow]

Jimmydreams,

You can access the same screens from a computer on your home network. Just look up in the Blink unit what IP address it is using and type it in directly, 192.168.1.xxx (like you would to access a router) and it will load up the same menus. You can click through it that way.

VERY nice! Thanks a ton. Is this feature documented anywhere?

Is the "settings" screen working for anyone ? CSR said this feature is not completely rolled out yet - so in effect a WIP.

When I go to the settings screen I get asked to enter a password - which always results in invalid password.

 

[LEAFer]

I'm wondering whether we should open a new thread specifically for suggestions / problems with Blink. What do you guys think ?

I am almost thinking ... "Ask the Manufacturer -- <mfg-name>" sub-section for each EVSE mfg under the "EVSE - Charging Equipment" section.

 

[garygid]

These small touch screens should come with a stylus, like many touch-screen GPS units do.

Best Buy used to carry fairly inexpensive packs of several stylus-objects, often made as replacements for Nintendo, etc.

However, the LAN-accessed browser screens sound like they would be the most convenient to use.

By using port forwarding (and possibly some form of port mapping) in your router, one might be able to access the Blink screens from any WAN browser.