I'm curious to find out just what happens when a Zappi or other solar-aware charger decides there's not enough free/cheap electricity available, so it's time to suspend charging for a bit.
Do they completely stop the charge, in which case I'd expect to hear a contactor of some kind go clunk maybe?
In this case, the car would think the charger has disappeared, and completely stop the charge. And then when the sun comes out again, the car would see a completely new charging session starting up, and so so whatever it normally does at the start of a new charge.
Or do they somehow simply pause the charge, by somehow reducing the current to zero in a way that the car thinks the connection to the charger is still there and alive, just no providing any amps right now? A kind of sleep-mode if you like? In this mode the contactors would stay energised, and charging would resume the instant the charger decides there's enough electricity available. Less contactor-clunking, less wear and tear, and faster. Car would think the original charge was continuing as usual.
Reason I ask is, I'm testing a Mainpine ECU inside my Rolec, fitted with a variable resistor which lets me alter the current smoothly from 6A upwards. That part works fine. I can set it to zero resistance, which shuts down the Mainpine and opens the contactors with a clunk.
Problem arises when the charge starts up again! My Ampera gives 2 toots on the horn!! This will drive me, my wife, & neighbours nuts, if the car honks every time a cloud passes by!
One i3 owner with Mainpine says he's happy, as i3 doesn't beep. What's happening with the rest of you?
I've fired off qns to the OpenEVSE crowd, and some on here who have tweaked these things, as the J1772 spec I have (Aug 2001) isn't as crystal clear on some details as I'd like. I rather think that this "Sleep-Mode" I'd like hasn't been thought of or considered in this spec. I would like to be proved wrong, and shown how to achieve it!
Do they completely stop the charge, in which case I'd expect to hear a contactor of some kind go clunk maybe?
In this case, the car would think the charger has disappeared, and completely stop the charge. And then when the sun comes out again, the car would see a completely new charging session starting up, and so so whatever it normally does at the start of a new charge.
Or do they somehow simply pause the charge, by somehow reducing the current to zero in a way that the car thinks the connection to the charger is still there and alive, just no providing any amps right now? A kind of sleep-mode if you like? In this mode the contactors would stay energised, and charging would resume the instant the charger decides there's enough electricity available. Less contactor-clunking, less wear and tear, and faster. Car would think the original charge was continuing as usual.
Reason I ask is, I'm testing a Mainpine ECU inside my Rolec, fitted with a variable resistor which lets me alter the current smoothly from 6A upwards. That part works fine. I can set it to zero resistance, which shuts down the Mainpine and opens the contactors with a clunk.
Problem arises when the charge starts up again! My Ampera gives 2 toots on the horn!! This will drive me, my wife, & neighbours nuts, if the car honks every time a cloud passes by!
One i3 owner with Mainpine says he's happy, as i3 doesn't beep. What's happening with the rest of you?
I've fired off qns to the OpenEVSE crowd, and some on here who have tweaked these things, as the J1772 spec I have (Aug 2001) isn't as crystal clear on some details as I'd like. I rather think that this "Sleep-Mode" I'd like hasn't been thought of or considered in this spec. I would like to be proved wrong, and shown how to achieve it!