I'm ordering my own Monday. I'm very excited. Using it with a Sunsynk. I'll post some pics of it all plugged in.

Sincerely

Jay

Can you give a status update on your product offering?

I am also interested to hear feedback from people using this software.

 

Highlights which make it a good product and anything to add which could improve the product? 

I have sent Peirre an email this morning ... waiting for a response 

A few things concern me about the website ... no address ... no contact details (just an email link)  ... i am assuming it is just aperson doing something on the side line? 

I need to setup 1 x solar system complete with PV ... inverter and batteires and 3 sytems used as backups for load shedding.

I have a couple of others in the pipeline ... but a little nervous to outlay R10 000.00 on software and devices. 

Anyone using tried this product and ICC ... which would you recomend? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

45 minutes ago, 87 Dream said:

I'm using it on 2x Axpert Max

Currently it's the only monitoring software to show all MPPTs on more than 1 Max (using 2 USB cables or more as needed) that I'm aware of which I really like!

Some of the other benefits I like:

1. It's very easy to set up and doesn't require using 3rd party software like VNC or port forwarding to access the device from external networks 
2. Intuitive graphs and data presentation
3. Ability to set different SOC limits according to time bands
4. One software license covers voltronics, sunsynk and deye inverters
5. Ditto for reading Pylontech, Hubble, Revov, Shoto, Iseli, Leoch and Averge batteries (I have only attempted the Revov C8 and the RS485 is not ready yet)
6. Ability to invite viewers via email
7. Ability to view multiple sites for installers

I've had good communications with the developer and am assured that the RS485 for Revov will be implemented soon and that the ability to change settings for voltronics inverters is planned. No MQTT yet but it's in development.

The only problem I've had is getting a pi 4B to boot if a Max inverter is plugged in (I've had similar with a VMIII). Feedback is that the Max provides power to the USB port which stops the pi4 and 4B from booting. A USB hub placed between the Max and the pi prevents this, as does using a pi 3B I'm told.

32 minutes ago, isetech said:

Anyone using tried this product and ICC ... which would you recomend?

It depends on the application you are wanting it for right now and possibly how long you can wait for changes.

If it's just monitoring and recording plus remote viewing I would say go solar assistant especially if you want to give a client easy access.

If you want to have remote control like changing battery settings etc, which if it's a remote location you can't drive to easily you probably do, I would lean towards ICC. ICC also supports load management through it's add on options or you can use node-red by pulling the MQTT values. I haven't played with a solar assistant install yet via ssh or plugging into a display and peripherals (because you don't need to to set it up which is brilliant) to know if you can pull the data into a program like node-red. It's probably possible...

1 hour ago, isetech said:

Highlights which make it a good product and anything to add which could improve the product? 

I have sent Peirre an email this morning ... waiting for a response 

A few things concern me about the website ... no address ... no contact details (just an email link)  ... i am assuming it is just aperson doing something on the side line? 

I need to setup 1 x solar system complete with PV ... inverter and batteires and 3 sytems used as backups for load shedding.

I have a couple of others in the pipeline ... but a little nervous to outlay R10 000.00 on software and devices. 

Anyone using tried this product and ICC ... which would you recomend? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy to install with excellent service from Pierre. Software at a good price. 

I have managed to source a Pi 3 B ... lets see how easy it is to setup the sotware and hook it up to the inverter. 

I know everyone will tell you to replace the inverter with an inverter which already has remote this and that and viewing etc.

However in reality ... there are thousands of RCT ... meccer units in operation ... and going to still be in operation for many years to come ... so lets solart assistant and see how difficult it is to install and setup.

Contacted Pierre via email ... he doest respond in a couple of days and sent me a trial version.

First you need a rasspberry Pi ... so I sourced one from a friend.

then you need a SD card 32 GB is advisable ... I want to set up home assistant so I decided to get a 64 GB.

Went to Vodcom purchased an SD (cscandisk ultra 64 BG micro SD XC )  card for R179 ... inserted it into a scan disk ... transflash adapter and slid it into the SD card reader in the laptop ... "the disk is write protected" 5 hours later ... tried everything from moving the lock tab on the side ... to fitting tape over both  tabs on either side ... to CMD diskpart ... to even a new key in the register editor ... still "write protect" 

Fitted the SD card in my camera it records ... it formats ... as soon as I put it back in the laptop " write protect" 

I have balena etcher downloaded and ready to load the url ... but it wont work until I can get the SD card to loose the "write protect" 

Tried my old netbook with windows XP ... same thing write protect. 

................... for now the project is on hold ... will continue once I figue out how to undo the write protect or find a SD card which is not write protected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, isetech said:

Went to Vodcom purchased an SD (cscandisk ultra 64 BG micro SD XC )  card for R179 ... inserted it into a scan disk ... transflash adapter and slid it into the SD card reader in the laptop ... "the disk is write protected" 5 hours later ... tried everything from moving the lock tab on the side ... to fitting tape over both  tabs on either side ... to CMD diskpart ... to even a new key in the register editor ... still "write protect" 

 

The problem is most likely your adapter.

2 hours ago, isetech said:

then you need a SD card 32 GB is advisable ... I want to set up home assistant so I decided to get a 64 GB.

 

@isetech Home assistant will require it's own Pi and SD card.  You run hass.io which is an operating system, you can't run Raspberry Pi Desktop or any other OS together with hass.io.  There are technically ways that you can run home assistant without hass.io on Raspberry Pi Desktop, but if you are a new user it's probably not a good idea.

Solar assistant is similar to home assistant meaning it's an operating system and not an application you run within Raspberry Pi Desktop.  Both hass.io and Solar assistant is used as a network device, you don't plug in a screen, keyboard, mouse into it.

I'm mentioning all of this because it sounds like you were expecting Raspberry Pi Desktop where you install home assistant and solar assistant, which is not true for either apps.

I am all brand new to this stuff ... its is proving to be quite a challenge.

I returned with my SD card with my laptop in hand ... the technician plugged the 64 GB SDXC I  sd card (default exfat)and my adaptor into his laptop ... format ... no problem ... the lock tab was in the right position ... did the same thing in another laptop worked no problem ... so the SD card is not faulty (plugged it into my go pro camera no problem) 

Tried it in my netbook with XP ... not working.

So we got a 32 GB micro SDHC I card (default fat 32)  ... plugged it into the technicians laptop ... format ... no problem.

Plugged the 32 GB into my netbook with XP ... format ... no problem.

Bought a couple more 32 GB micro SDHC cards (for the other projects and as mentioned it looks like I am going to need a couple raspberry Pi's (as mentioned ... if I want to run home assistant).

Get home tonight all excited to start preparing the software ... plug the SD card into the netbook with windows XP ... SD card working ... load balena etcher ... tab pops up ... windows 7 or higher required.

No problem .. we know the SD card is working ... so I plug the Sd card into into my window 10 laptop ... it doesnt work ... "write protect" when I try format. 

More time wasted ... but we leant a lot.

Balena etcher doesnt work on XP 

and XP doesnt recogonise SD XC cards.

From what I learnt today ... PC's older than 3 years will also has issues with the newer SDXC cards. 

It seems my windows 10 PC has a setting issue or register confilcts.

The question is

Do I waste more time  trying to get the windows 10 laptop to work or piss money against the wall and get a PC technician to check it ... it might be cheaper to just buy a new laptop for these projects. 

Do I just take the SD card and get a friend to copy the image to the SD card and setup the rasspberry Pi .. .then try use my laptop?

Will the Rasspberry Pi work with the XP laptop?

Do I just buy the whole package from solar asssitant ... what if it doesnt work.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 2020/11/04 at 12:24 PM, Solar Assistant said:

For hobbyist it's open in terms of reading data and has automatic device detection/integration for home assistant.

hello @Solar Assistant - Care to share a little more detail on this?
I can only assume that the Pi as a docker host with influx, grafana, your custom site, MQTT in there too perhaps ?

It is so frustrating when you are new at something ... dont understand the entire process and other bits and bobs ... you cant just pick up the phone and ask someone.

It turns out after many hours of frustration ... youtube videos on how to reverse write protect on a windows 10 PC to find the card reader "lock pin" is jammed and the card reader someone gave me is faulty ... XP doesnt run everything as it did for many many years ... it has finally reached a sell by date and time to unload the old netobook.

If you ever get stuck find your computer "the disk is write protected" ...

first check the tab on the side of the card adaptor.

then try it in another PC ... if it works ... then try a USB card reader ... if it works you know the laptop card reader is faulty.

If if you know the card reader is working but it is still write protected ... 

use CMD ... and go the diskpart route. 

if you are using winodws 10 ... 

you might need to check the registry editor and make sure the storage write policies ... Dword for 32 bit and Qword for 64 bit is loaded and correct ... set to "0" 

then go to "this PC" ... storage device management and check the status.

I managed to source a working card reader ... downloaded the solar asssistant info and set it up ...and at the same time while busy with soalr assistant ... used one of the other SD cards and loaded and setup home assistant.

The solar assistant was simple even for a technically challenged person like myself ... but the instructions are clear and simple to follow ... if I can do it anyone can do it ... home assistant on the other hand is a little more complicate dand l looks like it is going to take a lot more tinkering to get it setup.

The Pi is setup and ready to go to site to test.

On 2021/04/23 at 7:27 PM, 87 Dream said:

Just little clip of the system in action. 

87

Battery capacity as % read from where?inverter or directly from battery port (BMS), i wondering if read from inverter not equal to BMS in battery

On 2020/12/15 at 7:45 PM, Solar Assistant said:

Yes we are building support for Narada batteries.  Will keep you updated.

how about the huawei ESM they are call BoostLi, is it possible too?

AS I understand since this is now a paid app (OS?), they are no longer permitted of posting here (which, although a bit annoying, makes sense, to keep the forum impartial, etc).

Regarding the battery %, If you don't have the special cable to talk directly to the battery BMS, it's reported by the inverter, and as such, not very precise. With the cable, as soon as I get the parts to build mine I'll update.

It's a great product, with a developer very eager to improve it further.

8 hours ago, 87 Dream said:

Hi Isetech, I tried to make you aware of the notch. But maybe at the time it did not make much sense to you. Glad you got sorted though. A RasPi is also another box of tricks. Quick question to avoid you spending more time in frustration. How do you plan to connect the Pi to the inverter? There are only 2 options on the Inverter. One is Usb direct via what is essentially a Usb printer cable. The other can be quite complicated if you have not been informed. Through a RS232 to serial usb adaptor. So these are two cables that combine to make one long cable. Of the two cables one has a LAN computer connector, the other looks like a VGA or serial male/ female. The other cable has a male/female VGA looking or serial connector to USB. The LAN cable (RS232) connects into the Inverter & the USB into the Ras Pi. The below image is a Serial to USB adapter. 

 

 

Thanks for the help ... this stuff can get extremely frustrating and waste hours of time for silly little proceedures missed or using the wrong cables ... throw in a technically challenge "uncle" as refered to by some youngsters. 

My laptop card reader is faulty/damaged ... so no matter which way you slide the lock/unlock tab on the adpator ... it comes up as write protected ... I was going to open the laptop and repair it ... but I managed to source a usb card reader for SD cards ... so we are all good.

 

 

Is your Solar Asssistant available for Sunsynk/Ohm 5k 48V Hybrid with Freedom Won 5kWh Lithium?

Any movement on the Narada BMS support?

I think the Assistant has gone belly-up.

19 minutes ago, 8321 said:

I think the Assistant has gone belly-up.

Can you please share what makes you say that?

Certainly. They were very active on this forum with free monitoring software a while ago and then stopped responding to queries. On 7 May I asked a question here and a day before that sent them a PM. No response at all.

Why would that be if they are keen on getting business?

On 2021/05/07 at 8:46 AM, 8321 said:

Is your Solar Asssistant available for Sunsynk/Ohm 5k 48V Hybrid with Freedom Won 5kWh Lithium?

It's compatible with your inverter but can not read your battery via direct cable. If you have BMS comms between inverter and battery then SolarAssistant will read the correct battery SoC, Capacity, etc. from the SunSynk.

1 hour ago, miles said:

Any movement on the Narada BMS support?

We support reading Narada directly via RS232. Currently working on adding RS485 and cables to our store.

44 minutes ago, 8321 said:

I think the Assistant has gone belly-up.

Nope, getting lots of customers from all regions world wide. As stated before on this forum topic, commercial content is against the powerforum rules. Rather email us if you have a question.

I finally got someone to repair the damaged RCT 5 KVA inverter ... at a cost of R850 ... bought 4 new batteries and connected the unit and switched on ... it works ... hooked up the fluke 435 and carried out a few load tests ( I have a portable 6 KW  resistive load bank which can be switch on in 1 kw stages) a bit concerned about the massive volt drop when only 2 kw is switched ... anyway not here to talk about the inverter.

Back to the solar assistant software and the Pi ... I am starting to think I should have just bought the complete package. 

First connected my laptop to the inverter and made sure it would link up to watch power ... all good.

I made up a 20 m long network cable so that I could link up to the switch in my office ...  I then switched off everything ...  plugged in the Pi and powered up the inverter ... got my iphone out ... linked to safari and downloaded the solar assistant ... logged in and tried to connect to solar assistant ... not so lucky. 

Then took a 4 G wireless router and tried to hook it up using the wifi method ... made sure the phone is on the same network and tried again ... waited patiently like I have for the watchpower link the laptop to the inverter ... still nothing. 

Read through all the instructions ... tomorrow is another day ... lets see if I can get some technical support from solar assistant in the morning. 

More time wasted.