csriram45 said:
I am in the same situation as "IBELEAF". I plan to go Blink route and will have my unused AV unit for sale. The unit was just installed but with no car to charge has been sitting idle.
If anyone is interested email me at csriram45 at yahoo dot com or pm me
I'd go back to the Clipper Creek in a heart beat if I could.
1. The CC plug plugs in to the LEAF waaaaaay smoother than the Blink. I'd guess this is due to manufacturing tolerances AND materials used. The white plug on the CC seems to just have a smoother sliding contact surface and the Blink seems to be waaaaaay too frictionfull (new word) even after trying to lube it with teflon (guess I'll try oil next). The CC just slips in to the receptacle with the greatest of ease. The Blink requires jacking with it a bit. Why do I have to jack with it? I already know it can be made without having to. CC, you are the bomb for simplicity and ruggedness.
2. The CC has a longer cord that by coincidence I do not need but would be nice to have anyway for the rare case where I want to charge and have the car in the driveway instead of in the garage.
3. The Blink has an illuminated display that is bright enough that I don't even need to turn my garage lights on if I'm just going out to the workbench to grab a tool or check the clothes drier (yikes !)
4. The Blink is full of extra programming features that currently are not compatible with the leaf that I personally would not use even if they were more compatible. I already have my super off peak time period memorized (that's real hard to do by the way) and I can easily estimate my monthly usage doing some simple math and be within 10% anyway. In all the fancy programming features that the Blink can do they didn't even get it right on the unit I have (It says it's charging when it's not). Small detail but shows it was rushed to market.
5. The Blink has a larger than needed footprint (wide) due to the cosmetic cover. The CC is just about right and the AV is nice and small but it also looks too cheap after seeing the CC in action on my wall for 6+ wks.
Ya know... sometimes simple is just better. I can tell you this: At the end of the EV Project experiment my Blink will be up for trade for a simpler EVSE with a smoother plug (CC maybe but certainly not the AV unit as it seems too cheap and not very rugged but this is just my observation from only seeing photos of it). To be totally fair as a reviewer, the CC cord holder is not large enough to easily hold the cord (it will, but not as conveniently as on the blink - Blink did get that part right) but my cord never goes back to the holder anyway as it just sits on my bicycle handle bars when I remove it from the car in the morning. Not enough of an issue for me not to want it back. Oh, and the reason Blink got the cord holder right is because the Blink comes in two monster pieces. CC tried to do it all-in-one with only one piece so to their credit they did about as good as they could with one piece AND a longer cord. All CC needs to do is add a bit more lip on the cord holder tongue and it will be perfect-o.
Now I'm not saying I'm hating the Blink because it came at the right price but if I'da paid for it with more than my tax dollars I would be one disappointed customer for sure.
Malcolm
