Volt & Amp meter to replace charging "blinking lights"

jgblair said:

RavCharge will show you the SOC in integer percentages. However, you have to pay for ongoing SafetyConnect service and the RavCharge annual fee.

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My wife wanted the SafetyConnect service so I have already renewed it. Although most everyone prefers free over paying for things, my issue with RavCharge is that, as I understand it, it requires a smartphone. My cellphone is an old-fashion flip phone. I live in a rural area where cell coverage is often iffy. We only got a tower in town two years ago. I rarely need the other smartphone features so I haven't wanted to pay an extra $40 per month. My wife has an iPhone and she uses it. I have an iPhone 4s that I bought to use as a camera so it only operates on wifi. I also have a wifi iPad. I think that RavCharge requires a cell connection to work? My schedule is erratic plus I am a volunteer firefighter. My cars need to be charged all of the time so I can't take advantage of scheduled charging. I should look into RavCharge in more detail. Thanks for the suggestion.

John
John Blair

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Of course, RavCharge is more useful if you have a smart phone with a data plan, but it's by no means required. It is not an app per-se, it's just a web page. You can use a desktop computer and web browser if you like. You can use it with a phone or tablet with WiFi in a coffee shop too.

Of course, it is not a solution for glancing at your battery level. It's more useful when you've stopped somewhere and want to know exactly how much range you have left based on a known mi/kWh. There is a slider in the interface so you can set your own efficiency and it will calculate from your SOC how much range you have. The other useful features are the extra charging and climate timers that it provides that Entune does not. You could easily set those on a desktop computer and then the server just takes care of the rest.... well, it does when Entune is working, which it is not right now. Entune remote commands like Charge Start, Remote Climate Start, etc. are failing due to a network system problem at Toyota or one of their sub-contractors.

So Tony, did your Volt/Amp display ever become an actual product? If so, how much does it cost? I couldn't find it mentioned on your website at all.

Also, I assume this would only work for the normal charging plug...not your JdeMO, right?

Thanks,

miimura said:

Of course, RavCharge is more useful if you have a smart phone with a data plan, but it's by no means required. It is not an app per-se, it's just a web page. You can use a desktop computer and web browser if you like. You can use it with a phone or tablet with WiFi in a coffee shop too.

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Don't forget that there is even an SMS interface to RavCharge. So even with a flip phone you can text B to the RavCharge number and get back your current battery status.

tridub said:

So Tony, did your Volt/Amp display ever become an actual product? If so, how much does it cost? I couldn't find it mentioned on your website at all.

Also, I assume this would only work for the normal charging plug...not your JdeMO, right?

Thanks,

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It's really a hobbyist product. I never did build one for my personal car, but who knows? I think that the display and a light on the charge port would be good.

TonyWilliams said:

It's really a hobbyist product. I never did build one for my personal car, but who knows? I think that the display and a light on the charge port would be good.

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OK, does anyone have pictures on how I could access the power coming into the j1772 from inside the car?

I'd like to try this with the same LCD Volt ammeter that Glenn uses.
Or has anyone installed one of those that Glenn uses and if so, how did it fair in the heat?

Thanks

EnerGene said:

TonyWilliams said:

It's really a hobbyist product. I never did build one for my personal car, but who knows? I think that the display and a light on the charge port would be good.

Click to expand...

OK, does anyone have pictures on how I could access the power coming into the j1772 from inside the car?

I'd like to try this with the same LCD Volt ammeter that Glenn uses.
Or has anyone installed one of those that Glenn uses and if so, how did it fair in the heat?

Thanks

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The one in my garage is now fine. When the temperature got to over one hundred degrees there was some black bleeding on the extreme edge. In a car it would need to be out of direct sunlight.

Hi Guys,

this is my version:

Can you post pics on where you tapped the power and put the current loop and more importantly how to get to them?

I'd like to try it myself but I don't want to go in totally blind....lol

I like pics so the more on the steps you took the better.

Thanks

The install looks great! That is the same LCD unit that cost 16.88 shipped. The housing that you mounted it in looks great!

mine bleeds at extreme temperatures. does yours?

@pics: there is a threat in this forum http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1445
The difference to the shown car at my 2012 RAV4 was: there is no connector to remove the J1772 from the car ( I had to fix it on the car), the backside of the J1772 Plug is a bit different (no white clip) and I did the wiring through the rubber beside the J1772 Plug to find a way inside the car.
all together you can fix it in one hour

@ housing, from ebay http://www.ebay.de/itm/371479624720?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
3€ + 2€ shipping (in europe) and two 3mm leds also from ebay: http://www.ebay.de/itm/371315129433?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=640432810952&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT I took the 12V version - better would be the 14V because the 12V are to bright.

@ bleedin at cold temp - I used one of them on my EVSE in the garage (Wintertemp about 0°C ) with no problems till now - but if there would be a problem - it just costs 12€ and takes one minute to change.

Best regards from Austria

I will never get a chance to try low temperatures. 40 degrees F is cold in Southern California. Once in a while it gets below freezing but not often. I see high temperatures more often since I live in desert conditions in Anaheim. Not at all like Phoenix though.