Replace Blink - Best Alternative?

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baumgrenze

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2011
Messages
114
Location
Charlottesville, VA
We've had our 2012 Leaf since December 2011.

We signed up for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's (BAAQMD) Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Readiness Plan and had a Blink installed in early January.

The unit cannot connect directly through our wireless network. Ecotality installed a 'PLC/Valet combo' (an Alfa powerline adapter and a Cisco Valet Plus wireless router.) Recently the PLC equipment has started dropping out and Car Charging Group sent out a message asking that I reboot the Blink. Clearly it will communicate until the PLC drops out. I can run a network test from the console and everything passes the test.

Looking ahead, is it time to dump the Blink and consider another EVSE?

If so, what do Leaf drivers like best in 2015? What is the best value for the money invested? Clearly all I'd need to do is replace the EVSE, the wiring to it works fine.

Should I just consider turning the Blink into a 'dumb EVSE?'

Are there other questions I should be asking?
 
There's no reason to replace it just because it can't connect. You can fix the connection problem by buying a new powerline adapter...or just unplug the network and run it without. It will just keep working even without a connection, you'll just lose the ability to log into the Blink portal to monitor usage records, and to update the clock automatically.

Be sure to try different ethernet cables in case it's just a fault cable. Also, try plugging a laptop into the adapter and testing.

If the adapter is indeed bad, this will do the job as a replacement, cheaply: http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA2010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUIY4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427497114&sr=8-3&keywords=ethernet+powerline+kit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No sense getting a faster one for the little that the Blink uses the network.
 
baumgrenze said:
Recently the PLC equipment has started dropping out and Car Charging Group sent out a message asking that I reboot the Blink.

Are you under any obligation at this point to provide data?
 
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