JPVLeaf
Well-known member
DBar Blink DC quick charger:
Chademo QC nozzle:
Chademo QC nozzle:
Public EV Charging Stations at the SCAQMD in Diamond Bar, CA
- Thread starter JPVLeaf
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baronvonshush
Well-known member
This is great news! I probably won't get too much use out of this one because it's so close to where I live, but I'll definitely have to check it out sometime soon.
One nice benefit to having the QC at this location is that we found there isn't much to do within walking distance while waiting for L2 charging. L3 definitely helps mitigate that issue.
And if the L3 is in use when you arrive, I can't imagine there being an issue finding one of the many L2 stations to use while you wait for the L3 to become available.
One nice benefit to having the QC at this location is that we found there isn't much to do within walking distance while waiting for L2 charging. L3 definitely helps mitigate that issue.
And if the L3 is in use when you arrive, I can't imagine there being an issue finding one of the many L2 stations to use while you wait for the L3 to become available.
baronvonshush
Well-known member
I had a chance to try the Blink L3 charging station today. Worked pretty well, and here are a couple of observations:
* This was my first time using a Blink QC (or any Blink unit whatsoever - my card hadn't been tied to my account yet, but a phone call promptly fixed that).
* I definitely prefer the Eaton readout which shows voltage and current going into the car - I can easily tell when charging is slowing down.
* The constant music is kind of silly. :roll:
* Saw the same discrepancy between Blink estimated SOC % and GOM that others have seen. Blink jumped between 98% and 97% several times before I finally stopped it at 11 bars.
* I parked in the same spot as the photo above, and there's just enough room for the cable to reach the car. A few inches more to the left (as you sit in the driver's seat) and the cable wouldn't have reached; a few inches to the right and the car could have scraped a bollard.
* Putting the nozzle back in the machine seemed a little clunky.
* The unit is in the lower lot (uncovered), closest to Golden Springs Rd after you turn onto Copley. Use the entrance that heads toward the parking garage, but don't go in the garage. Keep going right and you'll see it. If you go to the upper lot where all of the Level 2s are, you've gone too far.
I can see this being handy to get a quick boost before heading to downtown LA or similar.
* This was my first time using a Blink QC (or any Blink unit whatsoever - my card hadn't been tied to my account yet, but a phone call promptly fixed that).
* I definitely prefer the Eaton readout which shows voltage and current going into the car - I can easily tell when charging is slowing down.
* The constant music is kind of silly. :roll:
* Saw the same discrepancy between Blink estimated SOC % and GOM that others have seen. Blink jumped between 98% and 97% several times before I finally stopped it at 11 bars.
* I parked in the same spot as the photo above, and there's just enough room for the cable to reach the car. A few inches more to the left (as you sit in the driver's seat) and the cable wouldn't have reached; a few inches to the right and the car could have scraped a bollard.
* Putting the nozzle back in the machine seemed a little clunky.
* The unit is in the lower lot (uncovered), closest to Golden Springs Rd after you turn onto Copley. Use the entrance that heads toward the parking garage, but don't go in the garage. Keep going right and you'll see it. If you go to the upper lot where all of the Level 2s are, you've gone too far.
I can see this being handy to get a quick boost before heading to downtown LA or similar.
I used the SCAQMD Blink DC QC on Saturday, Sept 22. It worked fine, but I too found the install cramped with the short cable. I ended up positioning my LEAF face forwards, but only half into the stall. Probably not recommended, especially during business hours when the fleet cars behind you might need to get out, but on the weekend that was my solution. I never thought to back in. I am glad the district found a way to get the unit installed.
The Blink design is odd. There is this huge video display going constantly on top, while the only useful info is on a little display low down that is difficult to read in afternoon glare from the sun. The charging progress is displayed in very small type. The two hoses is a nice feature if they both continue to work and if this unit gets busy.
I won't need long charges here because it is only about 12% of a full charge from home, but it will give me more margin on my way home.
The Blink design is odd. There is this huge video display going constantly on top, while the only useful info is on a little display low down that is difficult to read in afternoon glare from the sun. The charging progress is displayed in very small type. The two hoses is a nice feature if they both continue to work and if this unit gets busy.
I won't need long charges here because it is only about 12% of a full charge from home, but it will give me more margin on my way home.
JPVLeaf
Well-known member
Were you there around 5p-ish?baronvonshush said:
+1 ... even the Blink L2's are short on such data. More data is a good thing.baronvonshush said:
Yes, parking in backwards is the best way. Perfect time to make use of the rear view camera on the SL. And, yes, be careful not to graze the yellow post but you gotta get close for the cord to reach comfortably (or manage to go a little diagonal with front closest to the Blink unit).baronvonshush said:
I agree on the awkward install/location. However, you may have noticed there is not a whole lot of 'free' space in that back lot to have installed this unit. I'm glad they were able to make it work.
I was asked to copy this post over from the other thread on this subject; here is the info I posted elsewhere.
I tried this level three charger out yesterday. I wanted to write a post that consolidates the information I needed to have before going, as well as providing some additional tips. That way maybe other new leaf owners can use this information in the future.
Before You Go
Before going, I watched the videos on how to use the ChaDeMo connector, which definitely helped make it easier. For completeness, those videos are found in this post:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4795&hilit=AQMD&start=10#p228459" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Credit Card Needed Even Though Charge is Free
While preparing, I signed up for a standard Blink card, but I wasn't going to have my card by charging time, so I also prepared to charge as a guest. It turns out that you can just show up to this unit and either call to get a code, or go to blinkcode.com on your smartphone. You'll get an access code that you can type in to the charger. You have to provide a credit card number even though the charge is free. In retrospect, I wish I had used a different credit card from the one I signed up for the Blink card with, because it's hard to tell for sure if my credit card was charged for the use of this charger; but I'm pretty sure the Blink charges on my card today were already there.
Since Blink membership appears to require a credit card, there appears to be no way around the requirement that one have a credit card to use this station even though the charge is free. This hopefully is only an issue for a small fraction of Leaf users.
Getting There
Point your navigation to the intersection of Golden Springs Drive and Copley Drive in Diamond Bar. From there, turn onto Copley and turn into the first driveway. This is the SCAQMD fleet driveway, not the public parking lot. Perfect directions to find the unit are in this post, last bullet:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=228512#p231042" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
According to other posts, the unit is available after hours by pulling up to the gate and calling on the call box for the guard to let you in. I went during regular business hours so this wasn't an issue for me.
Parking
The cables are short so you'll want to back in to one of the two stalls adjacent to the unit. Here's a picture of how to do it:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4795&hilit=AQMD&start=20#p228512" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here's a picture of my car in the other parking space, showing how to position yourself best, while avoiding a bollard in the space; apologies for the poor lighting as it was mid/late afternoon and trees were casting shadows on the car:
Charging
I told the charger to charge to 100% because of the advice in this post:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4795&start=10#p228471" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Since this post references other posts, for convenience, here are the two linked posts therein:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=8212" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=8769&start=20#p197028" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I ended up with nine bars out of 12. (So to re-iterate: You won't over-charge if you pick 100% on the fast charging unit; just pick 100% and don't worry.) It took about 25 minutes start to finish to go from one or two bars (about 10 miles range indicated on the GOM) to nine bars.
If the weather is nice, you'll want to roll down your windows. I meant to do this before starting the charge, and I forgot. I was able to put the car in "ACC" and roll down the windows during the charge without interrupting anything, but I would still have preferred to do this beforehand.
The cabinet behind the charger has some stuff that makes noise during the charge. It turns out this is a good way to know when your charge is complete; when it stops making noise, you can finish up and leave.
Impressions
The charger is easy to use and does what it's supposed to do which is give you a good charge in a modest amount of time. I could definitely see getting used to using these on a regular basis if they were more common. I'm really glad I visited and will do so again if I am in the neighborhood.
I tried this level three charger out yesterday. I wanted to write a post that consolidates the information I needed to have before going, as well as providing some additional tips. That way maybe other new leaf owners can use this information in the future.
Before You Go
Before going, I watched the videos on how to use the ChaDeMo connector, which definitely helped make it easier. For completeness, those videos are found in this post:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4795&hilit=AQMD&start=10#p228459" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Credit Card Needed Even Though Charge is Free
While preparing, I signed up for a standard Blink card, but I wasn't going to have my card by charging time, so I also prepared to charge as a guest. It turns out that you can just show up to this unit and either call to get a code, or go to blinkcode.com on your smartphone. You'll get an access code that you can type in to the charger. You have to provide a credit card number even though the charge is free. In retrospect, I wish I had used a different credit card from the one I signed up for the Blink card with, because it's hard to tell for sure if my credit card was charged for the use of this charger; but I'm pretty sure the Blink charges on my card today were already there.
Since Blink membership appears to require a credit card, there appears to be no way around the requirement that one have a credit card to use this station even though the charge is free. This hopefully is only an issue for a small fraction of Leaf users.
Getting There
Point your navigation to the intersection of Golden Springs Drive and Copley Drive in Diamond Bar. From there, turn onto Copley and turn into the first driveway. This is the SCAQMD fleet driveway, not the public parking lot. Perfect directions to find the unit are in this post, last bullet:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=228512#p231042" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
According to other posts, the unit is available after hours by pulling up to the gate and calling on the call box for the guard to let you in. I went during regular business hours so this wasn't an issue for me.
Parking
The cables are short so you'll want to back in to one of the two stalls adjacent to the unit. Here's a picture of how to do it:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4795&hilit=AQMD&start=20#p228512" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here's a picture of my car in the other parking space, showing how to position yourself best, while avoiding a bollard in the space; apologies for the poor lighting as it was mid/late afternoon and trees were casting shadows on the car:
Charging
I told the charger to charge to 100% because of the advice in this post:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4795&start=10#p228471" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Since this post references other posts, for convenience, here are the two linked posts therein:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=8212" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=8769&start=20#p197028" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I ended up with nine bars out of 12. (So to re-iterate: You won't over-charge if you pick 100% on the fast charging unit; just pick 100% and don't worry.) It took about 25 minutes start to finish to go from one or two bars (about 10 miles range indicated on the GOM) to nine bars.
If the weather is nice, you'll want to roll down your windows. I meant to do this before starting the charge, and I forgot. I was able to put the car in "ACC" and roll down the windows during the charge without interrupting anything, but I would still have preferred to do this beforehand.
The cabinet behind the charger has some stuff that makes noise during the charge. It turns out this is a good way to know when your charge is complete; when it stops making noise, you can finish up and leave.
Impressions
The charger is easy to use and does what it's supposed to do which is give you a good charge in a modest amount of time. I could definitely see getting used to using these on a regular basis if they were more common. I'm really glad I visited and will do so again if I am in the neighborhood.
vsaphill
Well-known member
As of 11/9/12 the DC QC is still out of service
vsaphill said:
Did you ascertain that by actually trying to use it? It shows offline on Plugshare but somebody actually used it as recently as the 2nd.
JPVLeaf
Well-known member
District Staff have been notified that the Blink QC is/may be down.
I'll post here with an update on its status.
It had been reported as being down as recently as 11/6 and 11/7 on carstations.com.
I love Blink.
I'll post here with an update on its status.
It had been reported as being down as recently as 11/6 and 11/7 on carstations.com.
I love Blink.
vsaphill
Well-known member
Happy to report that the DC QC is up and running as of 11/09/12 @ 11am
JPVLeaf
Well-known member
I've been told the Blink QC is back online (as of ~10a today).
YAAY! Not that I'll likely ever need that one.
MrFish
Well-known member
JPVLeaf said:District Staff have been notified that the Blink QC is/may be down.
I'll post here with an update on its status.
It had been reported as being down as recently as 11/6 and 11/7 on carstations.com.
I love Blink.
On 11/5 I was using it and smelled a burning smell coming from the transformer just behind the station and it shut down around halfway through the charge. I called it in, hopefully this isn't going to be an on going problem.
JPVLeaf
Well-known member
Thanks. I'll pass this on.MrFish said:
abasile
Well-known member
Thanks for the updates. I'm planning to do lots of miles tomorrow and it will be really helpful to have access to the AQMD QC!
JPVLeaf
Well-known member
FYI, the Blink DCQC at the AQMD in DBar will be down for at least 30 days starting today (3/5/14) ...
due to some demolition work that will be done near the entrance to the fleet lot.
Power to that area will be turned off during the demolition work.
due to some demolition work that will be done near the entrance to the fleet lot.
Power to that area will be turned off during the demolition work.
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