Android app for the Classic

[Graham]

First off the app has been working great on my nexus 7 tablet. I haven't tried the latest update with my WBJR but I have it installed and keen to try it this weekend.

It's turning into a great little app. I was thinking with the price of small no name android tablets  I might even purchase one and permanently mount on the kitchen wall so anyone can get a quick visual of where the system is at. Without having to go to the PC and open the local app.

"Would it ever be possible to have it show the Whizbang interpreted to watts ?  Always nice to see what something is drawing in watts when you plug it in "

I agree this would be great. (Would nice if the midnite local app could do it to) Sure you can just read the wbjr amps and multiply it by the voltage a the time to get watts but its not as nice as just having watts displayed for quick reference.

It could just be me but I much prefer working in watts and kwh rather than (Amp's and AH's) Its much easier to relate to and work with across all areas of the system.

Kurt

thanks,

I keep an old HTC phone at my cabin with the classic app as the only app installed in case I forget to bring my nexus tablet, the app can be installed on android 2.3 or greater, should also work on a kindle fire.

I'm going to add the ability to switch the battery current to watts by tapping on the gauge, + a battery icon with the SOC% when the WhizBangJr is detected.


Graham.

[ClassicCrazy]

I also have an extra older Android phone that can be dedicated to this . The new features are going to make it the monitor of choice . Can't wait to test it out when I get back to the solar site.   The watts reading will be great .

[ClassicCrazy]

     Just got to try out the latest Classic app and the Whizbang amp meter that will swing positive or negative is great ! Night here so have the needle going negative.

Would it be possible for you to add something that would make the dial full screen ?  Or possibly a pinch type gesture that would expand it ?   Scaling on this gauge would be nice because then could really see small loads swing the needle. I was just playing around turning up the volume on the stereo and it does read in the numeric form 0.1 increments .  I suppose when you start trying to program in those features it gets more complicated to make it work on different type devices.

Just suggestions - you really have come a long way into making a usable Android app for the Classic - thanks again.

[offgridQLD]

+1 on the new features. Just tried them out today the new amp gauge is working well just nice to see the negative amps on the other portrait screen to.

Once it shows watts for WBJR it will have everything I could want as a simple visual of my system.

I think keeping it simple is a good thing.

Kurt

[GHOSTNH]

OK LOVE THE APP!!!! .. been waiting long time for one that works on android
the one issue i have is in the power settings .. when i use the 3000w setting   the app comes back  as "unfortunately app has stopped"

all the other power settings work ??

am i doing something wrong??

[Graham]

OK LOVE THE APP!!!! .. been waiting long time for one that works on android
the one issue i have is in the power settings .. when i use the 3000w setting   the app comes back  as "unfortunately app has stopped"

all the other power settings work ??

am i doing something wrong??

There is an issue with the memory for bitmaps not being released, especially on older version of android where bitmaps are in native memory. The next commit to sourceforge should have many of these issues fixed.
I've been working on adding the SOC% display when the whizbangjr is detected (see the screenshots below), I'm reading register 4370 for the bi-directional current and register 4372 for the SOC%, when I tested this using the classic, I'm always getting a reading of '10' from 4372 when my batteries were at 27V Float. Looks like I need to update the classic firmware (currently at 1609). Once I get this working I'll post an updated .apk.

Some of the new whizbang features;

- Bi-Directional current can be viewed in watts or amps
- Tapping the current gauge zooms in the scale (modulo 5)
- SOCWheel SOC% display with stepped colour.
- Tap the SOC to view the large 'CounterTop' display.

Modbus FileTransfer now working, working on the calendar view...

[Halfcrazy]

This is looking very sweet cant wait to play with it

[TomW]

This is looking very sweet cant wait to play with it

Yeah, it is looking sweet. I may need to join the 21st century and get a smart phone for monitoring things while in the house.

Tom

[offgridQLD]

Thats looking real good, all the info you need for day to day casual monitoring.

A visual display of the load on the battery. Displayed in (watts)  is something I have been really looking forward to. I'm not sure about other parts of the world but personally I think working in watts whr and kwh is more universal . A little like working metric vs imperial. They both can give you the same answer in the end though I have to take a moment to do a small conversion in my head for it to have meaning to me. It's the same with amps and AH I have to do the  Amps X Volts sum in my head to get watts and me being slow. By the time I do get the answer in watts that the Amp load or voltage has changed  and we start all over again

I can just see myself now. Walking all over the house and workshop switching on loads and noting the load in watts .

looking forward to that updated .apk.

Edit: Will that watt gauge dial scale to meet your system loads. Most of the time 1000w would cover it but when things get busy in the kitchen or workshop 5000 - 6000w isn't uncommon with short peaks of 12,000w.

Kurt

[Cniemand]

Looking forward to the latest update, Graham!

Thanks for such a useful tool to have. Easier to check out the basics on the phone than head over to the controller.

I use it to monitor the system when I opt to use an electric space heater during the day to heat the Tiny off-grid house. ;-)

I know. I'm bad. 'You can't do that!'

[mahendra]

when will this app be available?

[Cniemand]

The app itself is available already. sourceforge.com/projects/classicmonitor

Or did you mean the latest version, Graham, showed above?

That is what I am waiting on.

[mahendra]

the latest version

[Graham]

when will this app be available?

I'm out of town this weekend, hopefully I'll be able to get back to this next Sunday.

Graham.

[laszlo]

Tried the version available as sourceforge download, looks nifty! This is an app that is inspired by mobile paradigm,  and not trying to do everything under the sun, which is extra nice.

Couple things:

-array amps gauge seems to be stuck at 20amp
-would suggest not to "scroll" the digital counters, just jump to the current value at the time (would make it look cooler and less busy)