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GlennD

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 18, 2011
Messages
1,493
Location
Anaheim
Mike the forum owner removed my posts. That certainly is his right.

Remember that I support everything I made. Please email me if you have a problem and I will take care of it. Usually just for shipping both ways. So far I have never charged for parts but there is always a first time.
 
Been trying to get WIFI added to the one that Vegas Brad built but he is MIA...
 
I really can not help with wifi. I juse build basic units with thimr


Wifi support is on your own. I built a unit and the person was able to use wi-fi but I did not help him.

At age 70 cell phone apps do not hold any interest to me. I just want the basics.
 
mikesus said:
Been trying to get WIFI added to the one that Vegas Brad built but he is MIA...


can't you just go to the OpenEVSE store and buy the wifi unit? I bought a full EVSE kit and built mine from the parts.. they have some pretty good instructions on their website to help you follow along. pretty sure the internals of yours would match mine and get you were you need to go.
 
Yes, I am still around and I support what I sold. For general questions I would refer them to Chris Howell at Open EVSE.

It looks like he has a Black Friday sale.
 
You can also buy the wifi module from internet or microcenter. Still using the charger Glenn sold me, and still wifi connected.

https://store.openevse.com/collections/all-products/products/openevse-wifi-kit

https://www.microcenter.com/product/460313/feather-huzzah-with-esp8266-wifi

Both are the same component, OpenEVSE one already has the software loaded, $40, Microcenter $15 one will require you to load the software.

https://github.com/OpenEVSE/ESP8266_WiFi_v1.x

Have fun!
 
With the stock 5V power supply there is not enough power to run the wifi module. Chris supplies a regulator so it can run from the 12V part of the supply. He also provides cables. In truth I would let him have his small profit. IT IS WORTH A LOT FOR A WORKING DEVICE. It is not like he is charging a hundred bucks for his stuff. Regulators on eBay run 5 bucks or so. He only buys from Digikey so he may pay more.

On most of the units I build I use a separate dual 1A supply so current is not a problem. His supply is cute though and it makes a tiny package. I nearly always have room for a separate supply.
 
Chris's units are also prebuild. Making your own requires soldering. Just giving people choices.


That being said, I have one of Chris's full units, and I also tinker with the one I got from you Glenn.
 
I am sorry. The wife of one of my customers Dropped off a unit for repair.

I am suffering from a bad cold and it may be several days before I get to it. Right now I feel too rotten to work.
 
GlennD said:
I am sorry. The wife of one of my customers Dropped off a unit for repair.

I am suffering from a bad cold and it may be several days before I get to it. Right now I feel too rotten to work.

I dont think this was intended for me? I dont have any issues with mine. When I said I tinker with it I added wifi, maybe do some additional upgrades in the future.

Glenn, your service has been A+++

Is there any good 100 amp cables and contactors?
 
The spec maxes out at 80A. I think Quick Charge Power sells one. A 90A contactors are Available. Most have either a 24V coil or a 240V coil. The current version of OpenEVSE supports the 240 coil directly. I use a small 12V relay for the job. I do not think 100A is feasible sincei it is beyond the spec and there is no support for it.

Most cars max out at 30A. Tesla based cars like my B can use 40A. A dual charger Tesla will charge at 80A, An enhanced Leaf charges at 27,5A @240V. I know of no cars that charge at 100A. Remember the car sets the current as long as there is enough.
 
Thanks I'll check them out. I recently purchased a dual charger (80A) tesla and though about upgrading my unit. However there are some HPC's that are too bad in price and might be easier to just pick up one. I thought I needed a 100A contactor to support a 80A continuous load?
 
That is the NEC's stance. With a 90A circuit you could only charge at 72A. OpenEVSE goes in 2A steps. in any event while I am sure that 100A or better contactors exist I am sure that they are expensive, They would be industrial items . Chris charges $123 for his 90A unit. He makes only a small profit on it. Not like the 40% mark up some suppliers use. I do not want to run any contactor at its limit. on a 90A contactor the most I would pull is 60A. For example I use a 65A contactor at 40A. With that reserve it runs very cool. Not like a Chinese 50A contactroor previously Used.

Your OpenEVSE unit has a 30A Potter and Brumfield relay and a 30A Ji772 cable. 30A leaves no reserve. A enhanced Leaf draws 27.5A leaving only a small reserve. Early Tesla's used that same relay at 40A. If it suddenly opened at that current then it was warranty time. The relay is only rated to pass 40A, not switch it. In Teslas' defense they spot welded all connections. but still that poor relay!
 
J1772 cables are used at their max but the input cable and the contactor should be sized as per the NEC. My 40A EVSE has #6 L wires, A 50A breaker and a 63A contactor. The J1772 cable runs warm at 40A but not hot. Everything else runs cold, I had a 40A input cable for a while (after experiencing the VW) and at 40A it ran warm. At 30A it ran stone cold. It is my guess that ranges rarely draw full current and that is where the cable comes from.
 
Well I have updated the EVSE that was given to me and it is ready. A am ashamed to say I was too sick to get details. It is stupid on my part to not get contact info.
 
The repaired EVSE was picked up by an x-ev owner. Michael went back to a VW oil burner. I guess the EVSE will sit a while. It worked fine for me but I got a chance to upgrade it. It now has the latest firmware and I corrected a minor board layout problem. I also soldered the P&B relay.
 
I was looking at the open evse site I like it.
When it's time for a 40 amp or bigger charger I'm getting mine from open evse.
Actually if my granny charger or duosida charger quits I will probably replace it with a open evse.
 
Assuming everything else will handle the current you can just change the cable to 49A and set the OpenEVSE current to match. In my case I already had a 63A contactor and a 50A range input cable.
 
The J1772 cable runs at the rated current. I really do not want to push the rest. I do not bevel in running 40A through a 40A relay and input cable. An EVSE is a continuous load and the parts should reflect that. I burned up a Chinese 50A contactor with a 30A load.
 
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