RavCharge, a solution to charge timer and entune woes

[fooljoe]

Thanks! My cellular internet connection is often very spotty in the building I work in. It also seems to freeze and take a while to re-establish even if the phone is reporting it has a cellular data connection, hence knowing that the RavCharge server received the request is helpful.

In the meantime, while I figure out how to do this, a "workaround" would be to set the climate timer to go off in 1-2 minutes instead of using the "start climate now" button. When you save the climate timer, the collapsible button text changing from "Climate Timer: Off" to "Set: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm" is confirmation that the server has received the transmission. You could do that and then hit "start climate now" and if for any reason that command doesn't go through you know that the timer at least is in the system.

Also - sorry if this is painfully obvious or not a possibility for you, but you never know - if you have access to a computer at work with internet access you could just send the command through RavCharge.com on that computer instead of your phone. That's one advantage of making RavCharge a web app instead of a native Android/iOS app (and a big advantage over the entune app) - you're not at the mercy of weak cellular signals.

 

[bruin nut]

I just started using the app last night with the new charger. It works great. Of course, I really like being able to start charging at a given time, as opposed it relating on my departure. Like many others, I have the TOU rate tiers, which give me super off peak rates between midnight and 6 am. With my new clipper creek charger, I can fill up the battery completely during that time (as opposed to my Blink unit, which was de-tuned to 16 amps)

Thanks!

 

[Dsinned]

My 14 day trial expired today, so I decided to take the plunge for a one year subscription.

This morning around 8am, I plugged in my RAV4 and it immediately began to charge, completing around 2 1/4 hours later. However, I did not leave my center console inside the car set to "charge immediate". My RavCharge Timer was set to send a charge command last night a few minutes after midnight. Of course, I was not plugged in till this morning, so that Ravcharger charge did not occur as scheduled. Ravcharger's Plug Check worked because I did not receive any "failure to charge" notifications. The charge scheduler in the car was previously set for a 8:50am departure time and still is.

So, my question is, what caused my car to start charging this morning at 8am at the same time I plugged in?

I think it was Ravcharger that may have been waiting all night to initiate the charge, not the scheduler in the car, because there would have been not nearly enough time for the car's scheduler to complete the entire charging process before 8:50am.

One more thing . . . I noticed that Ravcharger's slider to adjust for battery capacity degradation does not allow entry of values other than 2 significant digits, e.g. "33" kWh. Can this be changed to allow values of 3 significant digits to be entered, e.g. "32.9" kWh?

Comments?

 

[fooljoe]

My 14 day trial expired today, so I decided to take the plunge for a one year subscription.

Thanks!

This morning around 8am, I plugged in my RAV4 and it immediately began to charge, completing around 2 1/4 hours later....The charge scheduler in the car was previously set for a 8:50am departure time and still is.

If you plug in before the on-board timer's departure time, but after when the car would've started the charge, then the car will (appropriately) start charging immediately. RavCharge would never start a charge immediately upon plug-in, because RavCharge doesn't know when you plug in. It only knows the status of your car if you do a commanded status update or have a scheduled charge event.

And all commands sent through RavCharge time out in about 8 minutes, so there's no way a timer scheduled in the middle of the night would still be trying come morning. Of course I did check the logs to be sure and there weren't any charge start commands sent between mine at about 2:30am and tonight.

One more thing . . . I noticed that Ravcharger's slider to adjust for battery capacity degradation does not allow entry of values other than 2 significant digits, e.g. "33" kWh. Can this be changed to allow values of 3 significant digits to be entered, e.g. "32.9" kWh?

It is set to accept 0.1kwh increments - I just set mine to 34.3. Perhaps you need to update your browser, or try a different one? You can also click/tap in the box where the number is and type in a value directly if you're having problems with the slider. Shoot me an email if you still can't get it to work and we'll get to the bottom of it.

 

[Dsinned]

It's working now . . . thanks!

 

[waidy]

Umm, I just completed an extended charge (100%), Why does RavCharge told me that I have 35kWh in my battery pack?

 

[Dsinned]

Waidy, I'm not the expert here, although this was covered earlier in this thread. It is because Ravcharge's data source (Entunes) only "scales" to 100% SoC based on the standard useable battery capacity (assumed to be 35kWh), which is really only a SoC of 80% of the maximum useable charge. This corresponds to 16 bars on the GoM. Beyond that point, Ravcharge cannot determine the actual SoC (81 to 100% of max. capacity). Entunes still somehow must be able to get a range "estimate" (equivalent to the additional, but hidden, 4 extra bars on the GoM). However, Ravcharge has no way to actually substantiate (or calculate) it, and therefore does not use Entune's range estimate. Basically, Ravcharge has no confidence in the GoM's readings.

I know it's confusing . . . perhaps Joe can explain it better.

 

[fooljoe]

Dsinned summed it up pretty well. Basically, when it comes to figuring out your range/SOC there are two options: the miles remaining Guess-o-Meter (GOM) or a 0-100% SOC value.

The GOM has the advantage of factoring in the "extra" kwh available between a normal charge and an extended charge, but it has the big disadvantage of being calculated based on unknown assumptions (namely, what value is used for miles/kwh). That disadvantage makes it pretty much impossible to determine your actual state-of-charge, and so apply your own assumption for miles/kwh to estimate your range, which is the end goal.

The %SOC has the disadvantage of mapping 100% to a full normal charge and ignoring everything beyond (just like the bars in the car), but it has the advantage of being a direct measure of state-of-charge, and being a much finer measure than the bars in the car afford. Using this value, along with your estimate of how much energy your battery can hold when "full" (normal charge full) and your estimate of how efficient you'll be on your next drive, allows for a very straightforward calculation of your projected range.

So, hopefully it's clear why I opted for the %SOC method. And hopefully lacking the extended charge range info won't be too big of a deal in practical usage.

 

[waidy]

Dsinned summed it up pretty well. Basically, when it comes to figuring out your range/SOC there are two options: the miles remaining Guess-o-Meter (GOM) or a 0-100% SOC value.

The GOM has the advantage of factoring in the "extra" kwh available between a normal charge and an extended charge, but it has the big disadvantage of being calculated based on unknown assumptions (namely, what value is used for miles/kwh). That disadvantage makes it pretty much impossible to determine your actual state-of-charge, and so apply your own assumption for miles/kwh to estimate your range, which is the end goal.

The %SOC has the disadvantage of mapping 100% to a full normal charge and ignoring everything beyond (just like the bars in the car), but it has the advantage of being a direct measure of state-of-charge, and being a much finer measure than the bars in the car afford. Using this value, along with your estimate of how much energy your battery can hold when "full" (normal charge full) and your estimate of how efficient you'll be on your next drive, allows for a very straightforward calculation of your projected range.

So, hopefully it's clear why I opted for the %SOC method. And hopefully lacking the extended charge range info won't be too big of a deal in practical usage.

Thanks all for repeating what you have discussed in the past postings. I am sorry that I missed reading that. I thought I have caught up with my 10 weeks of mails and blogs and forums, etc. etc... Apparently not. Thanks again.

 

[Dsinned]

Joe, I still would like to have Ravcharge reveal what the GoM says, just as a reference, which I think can be easily determined from Entunes data, correct? Even though Ravcharge provides its own interpretation of range - adjustable in two ways - I still find myself comparing its range prediction to the GoM in the car. Rather than, going into Entunes to get that reading, or into the car itself, it would be much more convenient to see in Ravcharge. It also would help to confirm that an "extended" charge properly occurred if the GoM reading is replicated in Ravcharge. Can this be added?

 

[boredcleaner]

Also, is it possible to enable/disable extended charge via the RavCharge interface?

 

[fooljoe]

Joe, I still would like to have Ravcharge reveal what the GoM says, just as a reference, which I think can be easily determined from Entunes data, correct? Even though Ravcharge provides its own interpretation of range - adjustable in two ways - I still find myself comparing its range prediction to the GoM in the car. Rather than, going into Entunes to get that reading, or into the car itself, it would be much more convenient to see in Ravcharge. It also would help to confirm that an "extended" charge properly occurred if the GoM reading is replicated in Ravcharge. Can this be added?

Yeah, I believe I could pull that data simply enough. I'll look into it tonight.

Also, is it possible to enable/disable extended charge via the RavCharge interface?

No, unfortunately that can only be done from within the car.

 

[Dsinned]

Thanks Joe. Ravcharger just keeps getting better and better! :mrgreen:

As an aside, many of us are referring to RavCharge by the name "RavCharger". There is just something about "Ravcharger" that just seems to fit slightly better.

 

[fooljoe]

Thanks Joe. Ravcharger just keeps getting better and better! :mrgreen:

As an aside, many of us are referring to RavCharge by the name "RavCharger". There is just something about "Ravcharger" that just seems to fit slightly better.

I dunno, I'm scared to use the term "charger" in any context with cwerdna lurking around. Careful, he might jump in and inform you that you should only use "charger" to refer to the hardware inside the car. I was thinking my next app will be a routine that automatically searches all the EV forums to correct people who confuse EVSE/charger terminology. Gotta lighten cwerdna's load a bit.

 

[miimura]

Thanks Joe. Ravcharger just keeps getting better and better! :mrgreen:

As an aside, many of us are referring to RavCharge by the name "RavCharger". There is just something about "Ravcharger" that just seems to fit slightly better.

I dunno, I'm scared to use the term "charger" in any context with cwerdna lurking around. Careful, he might jump in and inform you that you should only use "charger" to refer to the hardware inside the car. I was thinking my next app will be a routine that automatically searches all the EV forums to correct people who confuse EVSE/charger terminology. Gotta lighten cwerdna's load a bit.

ROTFL!!!

 

[miimura]

Ok, that probably made me laugh because I was reading Autoblopnik.com earlier today after seeing a reference at InsideEVs.com. I never knew auto industry humor could make me literally laugh out loud.

 

[crxpilot]

Thanks Joe. Ravcharger just keeps getting better and better! :mrgreen:

As an aside, many of us are referring to RavCharge by the name "RavCharger". There is just something about "Ravcharger" that just seems to fit slightly better.

I dunno, I'm scared to use the term "charger" in any context with cwerdna lurking around. Careful, he might jump in and inform you that you should only use "charger" to refer to the hardware inside the car. I was thinking my next app will be a routine that automatically searches all the EV forums to correct people who confuse EVSE/charger terminology. Gotta lighten cwerdna's load a bit.

:lol:

 

[fooljoe]

Joe, I still would like to have Ravcharge reveal what the GoM says

Ok, I added the "Entune range" under the efficiency slider on the main status page.

 

[Dsinned]

Excellent! Thanks!

 

[Scott1258]

Hey Joe,

My wife signed up for RavCharge today and we set it up to start charging the car at 12:15 am. I was in the garage waiting to see it work in person At 12:15 I started waiting for the great pumpkin (I mean RavCharge) to rise out of my garage and with ease and wonder wake up my sleeping Ravy asking her to request power from my waiting EVSE, at the very time I DECIDED I wanted her to charge.

Lo and behold, at 12:16 am the great RavCharge rose effortlessly with might and wonder from somewhere in the night! I heard a click click, then a zzzz, and then like magic my new Clippercreek CS-60 roared to life with a resounding THUMP! And the life giving elixir began flowing to energize her hungry and waiting underbelly.

I never actually saw RavCharge tonight, I can only exclaim he came in so quickly and was gone in a flash ... But his mighty powers left our Ravy screaming with pleasure and delight as the wonderful juices she so desired flowed into her longing loins from her consummated union with RavCharge. It was a passionate beginning I know she is excited to experience often.

As I left the garage I could hear Ravy whispering into the night sky ... "Come Ravcharge come, and join with me every night! You are mine and I am yours, and we will be together forever!"

Oh those crazy kids ... Infatuated after just the first kiss.