SoCal LEAF & EV Gathering - Sixth Year Ended - 20 Aug 2016

[tbleakne]

I am out of date on J1772 EVSE offerings, but a friend wants a 40 amp output
(about 10 kW, on a 50 amp circuit and breaker) to use with his EV, but also
be useful (with the Tesla-supplied J1772 to Tesla Model S adapter) when/if
he upgrades to a tesla in the future.

Does anybody have some suggestions for a good EVSE in the range of $500 to
$700 that will really handle long hours of full 40 amp charging?

Thanks, Gary

I have a 30A Aerovironment EVSE, for 40A breaker, available for resale at a very reasonable price if it goes to a good home. My suggestion is wire the circuit for 40A, 50A breaker, but install a 40A breaker to work with this EVSE. If you get a Tesla later, replace the EVSE with a 14-50 receptacle and change the breaker to 50A. You then can use the portable EVSE that comes with the Tesla at full power for a single charger.

I have the Aerovironment EVSE available because when I ordered my Telsa in 2013 with dual chargers, they forced me to include a Tesla HPWC in the price. The HPWC is a very nice unit, with adjustable limits all the way to 80A, and it allows you to open the charge port without reaching inside the car. Its current price is $750.

 

[garygid]

Thinking ahead for April and May Gathering dates, trying
to avoid Passover weakends ... how about these dates:

------ 69th month Gatherings ------ 
Gathering #69a: 7 May 2016 at the HTB in Cerritos for breakfast.
Gathering #69b: 21 May 2016 at the HTB on 17th in Santa Ana for breakfast. 

------ 68th month Gatherings ------ 
Gathering #68a: 2 Apr 2016 at the HTB in Cerritos for breakfast.
Gathering #68b: 16 Apr 2016 at the HTB on 17th in Santa Ana for breakfast. 

Any comments, suggestions, or requests?

 

[91040]

Can anyone help JimSouCal on this thread- http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=21588
He is having charging problems. Unfortunately he can't make the meeting on Saturday. I think he lives in Orange County.

Any weekend is as good as another for meeting, whether weak, strong, dead, tight, rear, back, front, up, east, west, deep, etc… :lol:

 

[garygid]

Funny enough that I'm not even going to edit my post to fix the blunder.
Indeed, some ends are weaker than others :

Next Gathering in 23 hours and 2 minutes.
Experience: Go, ... went ... aah, good!

 

[garygid]

With 13 people at the tables, there were lots of good conversations.

Outside we had at least Fit, Leaf, Rav4, BMW i3, Tesla S, and Tesla X.

Next Gathering in 2 weeks at the HTB on 17th Street in Santa Ana.

Thank you all for joining me for breakfast.
Sincerely, Gary

 

[garygid]

Our next EV Gathering will be on March 19th 2016 in Santa Ana at
the Hometown Buffet on 17th Street, two blocks East of the I-5 freeway.

I should be there by 8:00 when they open for breakfast, along with
Nicolas, my Tesla Model S. I have a Testing version of the TM-Spy
app for Android to show.

Possibility: A first iOS (Apple) version might be available by then
to apple-testers with iPhones or iPads (versions with Bluetooth 4.0 LE
support). I should have the required TDC Adapter Cable, and also
a Bluetooth LE (low energy) dongle by then, from LELink via Amazon.

Cheers, Gary

 

[garygid]

About 2.75 days and 34 minutes until our next Gathering,
this coming Saturday in Santa Ana. Hope to see you there,
but I appear to be battling a bladder infection. :roll:

 

[garygid]

2 days, 1 hour, and 42 minutes until our EV Gathering in Santa Ana.

Pi day was last Monday, rounding 3.1415926... to 3.1416 gives us 3/14/16 ...
now you do not get that very often.

 

[garygid]

We had a really nice Gathering today at the Hometown Buffet on 17th in Santa Ana. There were a dozen people from as far away as the the San Fernando Valley, Temecula, and San Diego. As usual there were LEAFs, Teslas, a BMW i3, ... and others.

Our catastrophic news ... the HTB in Cerritos has permanently closed.

New locations, both HTB and other are up for nomination for our next meeting, which is currently scheduled for Saturday, April 2nd, ...

Some possibilities:
1. Another Hometown Buffet, in nearby Lakewood, at 4700 Candlewood, about 2 miles West, and a block or 2 South of our Cerritos location.

2. The Golden Corral, a few miles West of Cerritos, at freeway 91 and Bellflower.

3. ...

Criteria:
1. Open Saturday morning around 8 for Breakfast.
2. Sufficient, safe, off-street parking.
3. Sufficient flexible seating inside to handle 20, without impacting normal business.
4. Reasonable selection of decent food, not too expensive.
5. An all-you-can-eat buffet is ... kind of nice, allowing flexible food choices.
6. Reasonable pleasant, clean, friendly environment and facilities.
7. ...

There are many nice places that are too small, too expensive, or don't open until 10 or 11 on Saturday (don't serve breakfast foods), don't have enough seating, or enough parking. So, ... suggestions, please.

You get more points if you have eaten breakfast there personally, to check it out for the group. We need to consider the distances from our less-fanatic LEAF drivers,
or ride sharing.

With no other suggestions, I suspect that the management will suggest that we try out the Golden Corral near Cerritos one more time, on the 2nd of April.

There is a rather good Golden Corral several miles West of 57, just South of freeway 60. I have eaten there several times, if that means anything.

 

[Boomer23]

Gary, thanks for coordinating our choices for a breakfast venue in the Cerritos area.

My vote is the Lakewood HTB. It's quite close to the Cerritos location, and the HTB format is quite friendly and workable for our group.

Another choice that Brian Andrews suggested is the HTB in Downey on Firestone. It's a few miles north, but a closer drive for our members coming from the north.

As you know, I'm not a fan of Golden Corral, based on our previous experience.

That being said, I'm busy on April 2 and the following weekend as well, so I won't be able to make April's Cerritos-area meeting anyway. So count me out of the voting for April.

Cheers.

 

[garygid]

Since Boomer cannot make the April 2nd Gathering, we could try the GC
up toward the north a bit, for convenience of out more northern guests.

I have eaten there a few times, and felt that it is a couple steps up from
HTB, with a wider selection of quite good foods, but can be crowded at
times, like for Sunday brunch. I suspect that early Saturday morning
should not be a problem.

I am not really sure about flexible seating at this particular location.
(The Bellflower location has a group seating area with some
longer tables that possibly could be "arranged", if needed.)

They open at 7:30 (I will double check) for breakfast on Saturdays.
So, hungry early birds could arrive early, but our official Gathering
start time will still be at 8:00 AM.

Golden Corral
17635 Castleton St
City of Industry, CA 91748
Phone: (626) 839-8188

It is located just South of the 60 freeway, West of the 57 freeway, about half way
between the S. Azusa Ave exit on the West and the Fullerton Rd exit on the East.

Edit: Apparently this Golden Corral (in City of Industry) has a different franchise owner than the GC in Bellflower, and this owner is really trying to make sure everything is just right at HIS GC. So, this location has a rather excellent reputation. I have eaten there several times and been very favorably impressed with it, and so has Brian.

Saturday breakfast is apparently only $8.19 (probably plus $0.66 tax, so maybe $8.85) including drink ... for Seniors (over 60).

Some links, with prices, menu, and hours:
https://lovelycorral.com/golden-corral-menu
https://lovelycorral.com/golden-corral-locations/california/city-of-industry/91748

I am willing to meet and transport some folks who do not have enough Range,
perhaps Dori, Steve, and ...

An experiment, an adventure, out of the HTB rut ... comments?

 

[garygid]

One day later, no comments or thoughts yet about having our next EV Gathering at the Golden Corral in the City of Industry location?

This GC is about 4 miles West of the 57 freeway, and just barely South of the 60 freeway.

 

[sparky]

Works for me Gary.
About the same drive as Cerritos HTB from Glendale.
GC gets a solid 3 stars from Yelp but I don't really make the trip for the chow.
I'm game.

 

[JeremyW]

You guys realize that April 2nd is also the day of Formula E in Long Beach, right?

 

[garygid]

I did not recall the E date, but knew it was coming, thanks.

I will not be able to go see it in person, but are there
trials in the AM and the race in the PM?

Do you know the start times for both and what
channel will be covering it? ... I will record it.

Who is going to the Formula E race?

 

[Boomer23]

Yes, I'm going to the Formula E race, for a BMW i event.

Yes, qualifying in the morning, the race is usually in the late afternoon/early evening.

 

[garygid]

JasonA, sparky, and I for breakfast at the Golden Corral in
the City of Industry on April 2nd at 8 AM. Hopefully, they
will not be too crowded that early on a Saturday.
Consider it an adventure.

Anybody else ... Boomer and Dori are busy ... please let me know
so I can try for suitable seating. Thanks.

I have room for ride-alongs, planning on leaving Laguna Hills
at 7:00 AM, going up I-5, up 57, and then West on 60 to the GC.

 

[garygid]

The first post of this thread has been edited to reflect the
Golden Corral location that we will try on April 2nd.

I consider this buffet to be, under normal circumstances, as
good or better than HTB in Santa Ana, with more food choices.

So, we will try it out. Join us for this adventure, if you can.

 

[91040]

I plan to be there.

Gary, can you pick me up? :lol:

 

[garygid]

Allen,
Well, I could pick you up, but perhaps not lift you very high.
Or, it might be easier to get a ride with JasonA.

However, I look forward to seeing you at Golden Corral.
Cheers, my friend.