ECOtality Level 2 charger : Blink

[turbo2ltr]

OK, fine.
Based on currently available information, I would not accept a Blink EVSE without a reliable backup.

This is why I delayed my install. They wanted to install it last week and I said I'd rather wait until they fix some bugs. They were fine with it.

 

[IBELEAF]

Is the firmware upgradeable on BLINK?

 

[klapauzius]

For those of you that had a charge interupted, do you see an EV System warning light when you first turn on the vehicle. It looks like we get the warning when the EVSE was interupted. However if I restart the charging (I have been using the blink to restart the charge process) and we unplug while battery is still charging (or if it has successfully completed) we do not get the warning. We will be taking the car into the dealer tomorrow just to make sure it isn't the car, but the only time we used a public EVSE everything worked fine.

Yes I have seen that as well. Also I am a bit disappointed by the Blink.
It looks nice and shiny, but it crashes all the time cant find the network and it is unreliable when charging. I had 2 overnight 80% charges aborted by the Blink so far
with no apparent reason. Intranet access almost never works or is sluggish to the point of uselessness.
The most stupid feature sofar is that it is impossible to tell whether it charges or not, as it always displays "charging now", when I plug it in,
despite the Leaf being on timer.
Presently I had rather my temporary low-tech charger back....

 

[HIOJim]

Is the firmware upgradeable on BLINK?

My Blink was just installed this morning. About 10 minutes after it was powered on it displayed a message saying the it was upgrading the firmware. So I would have to say it is.

 

[Randy]

So, Jim, what firmware version did your Blink download?

I've had version L2R.1.2A since day 1 (about a month)....

Thanks, Randy

 

[HIOJim]

So, Jim, what firmware version did your Blink download?

I've had version L2R.1.2A since day 1 (about a month)....

Thanks, Randy

Huh, that's the same firmware version that mine lists. I wish I had checked to see what it was originally but didn't think of it in all the excitement.

BTW, it found my network with no issues and seems to be stable. We'll see if that changes once it has to work for a living....

 

[IBELEAF]

I can't seem to connect successfully to BLINK network. Any tricks to it?

Btw, my new install

 

[Randy]

My initial WiFi setup also failed the first time, and the installer said that was what he's observed with other units as well. We re-tried it and it correctly connected the second time through, so I would suggest that you re-try it (if you haven't already)....

 

[perpetualstudent]

I took my car to the dealer just to confirm that the EV system warning light was not an actual problem. Service center confirmed my suspicion that it was just a generic alarm that something was wrong with the charging system as a whole (including EVSE). Nothing is wrong with the car so it is most likely EVSE. I guess my work around for now is to use L1 overnight and L2 only when I can restart the charge. Hopefully next firmware update fixes this and we get it soon.

 

[jcesare]

My install isn't until next week but I just wanted to add my 2 cents about the wireless issues. My standard operating procedure with wireless devices is once they have obtained their IP address via DHCP, I go into the router and reserve their IP address to their MAC address. This way the IP address never expires. Has anyone experiencing problems tried this?

The other thing I do is play with the routing priority. Usually this comes into play if you have a Voice Over IP device. It typically configures your router to give it the highest priority. I give highest priority to my PS3 becuase I use it to stream video.

My router and cable modem are hooked up to a UPS. Dirty power can really screw up your datacomm.

Also it might be good to check that your router's DHCP setting has a large enough IP address range to allow all of your devices to connect simultaneously.

FYI I have CAT 6 gigabit backbone throughout my house and my router is in the garage where all the services enter. It's feet away from where my Blink will be. I plan to use a hardwire CAT6 connection instead of wireless.

 

[evnow]

I can't seem to connect successfully to BLINK network. Any tricks to it?

See my earlier posts - I had the same problem. Turned out that Blink didn't like my router. A router change to an older router I had did the trick.

 

[DarkStar]

My install isn't until next week but I just wanted to add my 2 cents about the wireless issues. My standard operating procedure with wireless devices is once they have obtained their IP address via DHCP, I go into the router and reserve their IP address to their MAC address. This way the IP address never expires. Has anyone experiencing problems tried this?

Mine is configured with a static IP...

 

[Luft]

I can't seem to connect successfully to BLINK network. Any tricks to it?

IBeleaf, It's hard to diagnose without being there but the picture you suppied shows that it acquired an IP and it was able to find the DNS. It failed to connect to the "Blink Network." This could be something on their end or you may not be getting outside of your network do to a firewall issue within your own router switch.

 

[IBELEAF]

I can't seem to connect successfully to BLINK network. Any tricks to it?

See my earlier posts - I had the same problem. Turned out that Blink didn't like my router. A router change to an older router I had did the trick.

There are too many posts to go through

Can you tell me which router did you have and which one works for you? I just got new Asus RT-N56U router which is the best one at the moment (Also tried WNDR3700 & E4200) Is there a port that I may need to open?

Also, should I be able to connect to BLINK via IP address? Does it have Web UI?

 

[bowthom]

Hello Blinkers.
I have a test I would like you to perform on your Blink charger.

1. Have your car and the Blink set up for instant charge (press timer bypass button if needed).
2. Plugin your car for 5 min then unplug it and record the real times of those events.
3. Now go to the blink and record the start / stop times it displays for the last charge event.
4. Log into the Blink Network and record the times displayed for the same events (may take a while to show up).

I do not have DST selected in the Blink menu.
Also I should add the web UI times displayed because they are different again. I'll have to be home for that.
Here are my numbers:

..............................Start.........Stop
....Actual time____7:44 AM___7:52 AM
.....Blink Time____6:04 AM___6:52 AM
Blink Network___10:10 AM__10:52 AM

Yowsers..........unbelievable!! :roll:

 

[wsbca]

Also, should I be able to connect to BLINK via IP address? Does it have Web UI?

Yes, if you point your browser at whatever address your router gives it, you'll basically see what you see on the Blink's screen.

 

[bowthom]

Also, should I be able to connect to BLINK via IP address? Does it have Web UI?

Yes, if you point your browser at whatever address your router gives it, you'll basically see what you see on the Blink's screen.

Not true when it comes to time display

 

[IBELEAF]

Ok, looks like that's obviously not working for me. i see that IP address is listed, but my page is timing out...

 

[Randy]

Interesting, I didn't notice this until last night...

I was up at 2am when the car was charging. I had reset the Blink earlier and I decided to check it to make sure it was working. I connected to the browser connection and the main screen said "Plug in your car" as though it was waiting to be plugged in to the Leaf.

I went out to the garage to check on it and the car was plugged in and charging normally with a different screen showing "Now Charging"....

So there is a definite difference between the in-person screens and the intranet-presented Blink screens.....One didn't know about the other, for some reason...

 

[blackleaf]

Ok, looks like that's obviously not working for me. i see that IP address is listed, but my page is timing out...

I just got mine to work tonight, I'm official online with inspection by city and everything. Had the same problem of timeout initially, but figure out I was using https://IP instead of http://IP.
Made all the difference.

Double check if you had same mistake.