WiFi dongle force charge issues

[Alextrical]

For the last few months I've been having issues with setting the Force charge via the android FoxCloud app, with the error "41203 - Operation times out" all other functions of the data logger look to be working OK.

When I try to connect directly to the IP of the WiFi dongle, I can see the initial configuration screen, however it is now perpetually showing a "connecting" bar.

Please can you advise how I can get this working again?

[Dave Foster]

The timeout message you are getting is because the Foxess cloud has been having a lot of problems recently (just do a search through some of the more recent posts), it is being worked on and hopefully within a few days will be fully operational.

On the second point, you very likely don't need to bother re-connecting it - as it's the cloud with the problem, if the red light is flashing slowly with the occasional green pulse every 10-15 seconds it is connected fine.

The dongle screen you are seeing usually happens if the browser on the device you are using isn't compatible - usually on older devices, try with a newer phone, ipad, laptop - failing that un-screw the dongle, remove it and re-insert it and try again.

[Alextrical]

Just contacted Project Solar UK who have told me that they renamed the connector on purpose, as it not something they fit and as such "mostly redundant"
I asked if they could leave the connector with the unit for future installations, and there answer was pretty much Nope, customers don't need that

They have also stuck a sticker on the unit saying NO EPS fitted, At least they haven't ripped out the functionality. Still slightly peeved at having a 5Kw system instead of a 6Kw (that wasn't offered as an option) for 0.3% price difference too.

That and the referral I gave for a neighbor, they didn't connect up for over 8 months, so they weren't generating any solar energy


As for the Dongle web interface, I have disconnected, and reconnected. Using Android on a Glaxy Note 10 with Firefox and Google Chrome, alongside a Ubuntu laptop, running Firefox and Chrome all show the same infinite "Connecting..." issue. The main reason i wanted to access it was to prepare for changing over to a new WiFi SSID/Network name

Kind regards

[jsfoxe]

After any kind of glitch or reconfiguration, I find it can take half an hour or more for the wifi dongle to re-connect to the foxess cloud. Of course there's neither feedback nor control over this process, you just have to wait and hope.

(I can understand not wanting to spam the servers or the network with failing connection attempts, so some kind of backoff is usually a good idea, but this is excessive and user-hostile. Not to mention installer-hostile because the same thing applies to them when setting the system up too.)

[Dave Foster]

Just contacted Project Solar UK who have told me that they renamed the connector on purpose, as it not something they fit and as such "mostly redundant"
I asked if they could leave the connector with the unit for future installations, and there answer was pretty much Nope, customers don't need that

They have also stuck a sticker on the unit saying NO EPS fitted, At least they haven't ripped out the functionality. Still slightly peeved at having a 5Kw system instead of a 6Kw (that wasn't offered as an option) for 0.3% price difference too.

As for the Dongle web interface, I have disconnected, and reconnected. Using Android on a Glaxy Note 10 with Firefox and Google Chrome, alongside a Ubuntu laptop, running Firefox and Chrome all show the same infinite "Connecting..." issue. The main reason i wanted to access it was to prepare for changing over to a new WiFi SSID/Network name

Kind regards

If the unit was fitted with EPS (there are those versions with a sticker where Foxess have not installed the electricals) it should be supplied with and left with the connector - obviously if it is the non-EPS unit then it won't be supplied, you need to check that.

I can understand their reticence to get involved in EPS as there is a lot of contention around how it should be installed - i've seen some where it is simply fitted with a 13A socket, and others where the EPS supplies a consumer unit with critical house loads.

The issue comes as when the incoming supply is isolated you will very likely lose the Earth<->Neutral bonding and as such there is no safety anymore.

There are a number of home earthing standards ~TNC-S, TNC, TNS, TT and understanding this is critical to how the EPS should be installed.

As a rule for an EPS circuit where no earth rod is fitted (non TT installs = i.e. the majority) a bonding relay should be fitted which connects the EPS Earth to Neutral when the EPS output is activated, and because the incoming supply has been disconnected you have to assume there is no supply earth and so an earth rod must be fitted, this is then used as the EPS circuits earth.

It can be a complex problem and needs a qualified electrician to look at it and recommend the correct use depending on your installation (hence their reticence to get involved).

There is a post on the forum from Ryan Morgan that shows the various types of EPS that can be fitted and some of the requirements you need to consider.

Finally just a comment on the dongle wifi - the most recommended approach to changing the broadband provider is to rename your new routers SSID and password to be the same as the outgoing routers, then typically it just carries on working (although there are occasionally issues with 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz if they have the same SSID name).

The dongle is 2.4Ghz only, i've de-coupled mine from the inverter using a wifi extender (something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Extend ... B08V5KZCXV) which only has 2.4Ghz enabled and a unique ssid name for the inverter, then if the router changes it's just a WPS press on the new router/extender to re-connect it.

[Alextrical]

After any kind of glitch or reconfiguration, I find it can take half an hour or more for the wifi dongle to re-connect to the foxess cloud. Of course there's neither feedback nor control over this process, you just have to wait and hope.

(I can understand not wanting to spam the servers or the network with failing connection attempts, so some kind of backoff is usually a good idea, but this is excessive and user-hostile. Not to mention installer-hostile because the same thing applies to them when setting the system up too.)

Oddly up until yesterday (for nearly a week) I could not get the FoxEss Android app to let me change the force charge times, however after using the Energy Stats app to change the force charge time, I'm now able to use the FoxEss app again. Though with the nicer user interface of the "Energy Stats" app, and not needing to kick the user back to the login screen every day, will probably be my go to, at least until I can get Home Assistant connected to the inverter via RS485, and ditch this last piece of reliance on the "Cloud" (somebody else's server)

[Alextrical]

If the unit was fitted with EPS (there are those versions with a sticker where Foxess have not installed the electricals) it should be supplied with and left with the connector - obviously if it is the non-EPS unit then it won't be supplied, you need to check that.

I can understand their reticence to get involved in EPS as there is a lot of contention around how it should be installed - i've seen some where it is simply fitted with a 13A socket, and others where the EPS supplies a consumer unit with critical house loads.

It seems I posted this response in the wrong thread, but this is good information to work with either way.
I wasn't aware that the H1-5.0 had a version without EPS, that would slightly suck, especially as I specifically asked the Sales Engineer for that functionality... Sigh
There is a sticker on the unit, is there a way to be able to tell from the menu if the required hardware has been installed in the unit?

It makes sense about the reluctance to install, in regards to the earthing that you mentioned. I would be looking to install a distribution box, and then running 2 lighting rings, and 2 double sockets (one for a freezer, another for IT equipment)

[Dave Foster]

If the unit was fitted with EPS (there are those versions with a sticker where Foxess have not installed the electricals) it should be supplied with and left with the connector - obviously if it is the non-EPS unit then it won't be supplied, you need to check that.

I can understand their reticence to get involved in EPS as there is a lot of contention around how it should be installed - i've seen some where it is simply fitted with a 13A socket, and others where the EPS supplies a consumer unit with critical house loads.

It seems I posted this response in the wrong thread, but this is good information to work with either way.
I wasn't aware that the H1-5.0 had a version without EPS, that would slightly suck, especially as I specifically asked the Sales Engineer for that functionality... Sigh
There is a sticker on the unit, is there a way to be able to tell from the menu if the required hardware has been installed in the unit?

It makes sense about the reluctance to install, in regards to the earthing that you mentioned. I would be looking to install a distribution box, and then running 2 lighting rings, and 2 double sockets (one for a freezer, another for IT equipment)

I don't believe there is a way in the menus as it 'looks' exactly the same - you can enable EPS but nothing happens as it just doesn't have the circuitry fitted - i've only seen one like this (H1-5.0 not H1-5.0-E) and just under the inverter screen on the right hand side there was a white label with "NO EPS FITTED" written on it. This person wanted EPS and had to get their inverter changed to provide it, it might be worth emailing your inverter serial number to foxess service and asking if they can verify from that whether it does/does not have EPS function fitted and then go from there.

[Alextrical]

I sent an email to FoxESS UK service, and got the following less than useful response

"Hello,

All of our inverters have this function but you would have to ask your installer as it is something which is optional so sometimes it is installed and other times it is left."

I gave them the serial number and was hoping they could tell me one way or the other. I'm guessing as the unit has the dreaded white sticker on the case, that the function is omitted. By any chance do you know if this functionality can be purchased and retrofitted. I'm guessing not as the other user you mentioned had to replace the entire inverter :/

[Dave Foster]

Hmmmm, I guess the only way to test for sure is to try and get hold of the EPS connector (Foxess again would be the point of contact), connect a single trailing socket to it and plug in a lamp, set the EPS to enabled and trip the grid MCB powering the inverter - if the EPS socket goes live and the lamp comes on, it has EPS circuits fitted.