Android app for the Classic

[aleman83]

Good morning everybody,

You guys pretty much already answered all my pending questions. Thank you so much for such a great app Graham. The accumulative tab would be fabulous!!!


Now I will be away from my system for a few weeks as well now, and I'm no expert at remote access things. Does anybody of you know a step by step instructions on how to set one up that is easy to understand for a novice? It would be brilliant to be able to see what's happening from abroad.

And again.... Thank you very much Graham!

[binkino]

@aleman83

so you mean, you can use the app and have a look to your device from external?

you need to know your IP of your internet connection at home, or a dynDNS service.

What router do you have?

[aleman83]

I tried again on my own now, but am not making much progress. I opened an account with www.noip.Com which should work like dyndns. I opened a host with a name let's call it solar.ddns.net using my current ip address on my local network. Then I went into my router settings and found "virtual servers". There I added my classic with the port I am using, which is 502, and the classic static ip address that I have set with the dip switches on the classic itself. Then I went to Dynamic Das on my router, and added my host that I created with noip.com,. But so far no luck. Apparently the app finds the classic just fine when I'm in wireless range of the local network, but not over the internet.  Did I miss something?

Thanks for all the got work!!!!

[aleman83]

The router I have is from nexxt solutions. But I found all the settings so far as described in the local app manual. But am still no able to access over the internet. I'm not sure what Imy missing. The iPad dress of my provider seems to be dynamic since I have a new one everything I reconnect. So I opened the account with noip.Com which my router even showed in the drop down menu in dynamic dns.

[offgridQLD]

Yes you can log into the andoid app from a external internet connection.

You need the ports open to the outside world (port forwarded) and if your internet service   at home has a dynamic Ip address (one that changes all the time) you need to use a 3rd party service to keep track of the changing Ip address so you know how to find your home network.

I opted for a adsl internet service that alocates me with a static IP address and that made connecting to divices (classic chargers, security cams, wifi aiconditioners...lots of things can take advantage of it now days) from outside a lot easier . As you always have the same IP.

So if I want to connect to my classic using the android app I  type my IP address into the  box and the port number of the classic and that's it once it's saved it automatically conects every time I open the app away from the house.

You can do the same with midnite solars (local app) only advantage in the local app you can make changes to your classics settings via the app.Though I don't use it much now days.particularly as you need a pc to run it.

Some times internet providers charge extra for static IP addresses but I found one that offers it as standard. Even if you do have to pay extra it might be worth it as the 3rd party  services you need to use if you have a dynamic Ip cost money to now days.

Kurt

[binkino]

...
Is this only possible using an Android device?

If you need to use it on a PC, you can use one of the Android Emulations.
I use "BluStacks" on my XP machine. The Emu needs some modification, so that all game-crap is gonski - works great
Have downloaded a "allready rooted" version then, that makes it much easier.

But better get a cheap (used?) tablet with 6" or 7" with android 4.x - also the chinese bricks work okay and are good enough for that.

I have my old ASUS 7" with crack in the display and a "lexibook tablet master 2" (if the bootloader in my Asus will go on strike again)
that was very cheap (because no one wants them haha) and is absolute good enough for this job.

The only problem (generaly on android) is, that the midnite app sometimes hangs in the process / memory and blocks the access to the midnite, if you had the app open ... naah okay then rebooting the tablet, things done (that is the moment, when my Asus sometimes strikes in bootloader, 2 days later it runs again... I modified something tooooo extremly in it hehe)

[offgridQLD]

This isn't the midnite app we are talking about this is a privatly produced app for the classic that runs on Android available from the app store.

Yes a old or inexpwnsive Android tablet is the go. I might look into that for dedicating it to this app and mounting it in the kitchen. It's a bit of a wast to have a nexus 7 1080p screen and hardware just running a simple app.

Kurt

[binkino]

I don't know the "nexxt solutions" ...

1st, you must know your IP. Go to  http://myip.is/ and remember it for later

Like it is written before, you must do the settings in your router. A so called "port forwarding"

(btw does your provider allow access from external? here in germany, you have problems with unitymedia/kabelbw if they give you a ipv6 - or mobile networks, no chance then)

I can tell you how in a fritz.box 6390/7220/similar:
- login
- click on "internet" on the left
- click on "shares" (or similar, this is all translated from german)
- then "new share" on the right lower place
- choose "other" in "share active for.." in the pull down menu
- "description" - your choise, i.e. use "Classic"
- "protocol" = tcp
- from port ___ to port ___ <- here you can use the regular port 502 from the device, or other, but you must remember this port, when do the settings in the app ... let's say, you keep "502" to "502"
- "to computer" - a menu, here you should find your midnite device, select it or chooce "manual" and input the IP of your midnite device
- "on port" - the port of your device, normaly "502"

then click the [ok]

in the opverview you should now see the share.

in my case, there is:

• PV-Midnite   TCP   502   PV-Midnite   502
  
  
  
  then set the IP you get in the app and the port 502
  

[binkino]

This isn't the midnite app we are talking about this is a privatly produced app for the classic that runs on Android available from the app store.

Coorect, I know
I know this app, look in the last page

I just wrote about, that if you had the midnite app open and leave/close it, the midnite app sometimes hangs somewhere in the Android system and blocks the access to the midnite for Graham's App.
That is in my view, an importand hint if someone can't connect to the midnite

Yes a old or inexpwnsive Android tablet is the go. I might look into that for dedicating it to this app and mounting it in the kitchen. It's a bit of a wast to have a nexus 7 1080p screen and hardware just running a simple app.

Kurt

yes that is like driving a ferrari to buy milk haha

[Westbranch]

Interesting comments, thanks... 

I have 2 older ASUS W7 pc's that are gathering dust right now, I will try the oldest one first,  with Linux ' Mint V. 17.2 Rafaela Xfce' and see if I can get the LApp working and leave it on 24/7 on site...

[binkino]

Running a complete big PC? Okay if you have the energy
But a old laptop ( most ~ 70 watts) or netbook (most ~ 30 watts) will be perfect

[Westbranch]

Sorry, not a desktop PC but a notebook...ASUS EEE PC 4g - BK040 ....  uses 22W max...
Even 70W is too much

[Graham]

Still very much a 'work in progress' but I have an updated version of the app that has a new 'System' tab that will display when more than one classic is detected, the "energy' tab also has a radio button to select system or unit energy. Have yet to look at the summation of the historical data for the calendar etc.

If anyone (with more than one classic) would like to try it, here is a link to dropbox, let me know what you think.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/60fw2sid4yf5yl3/app-release.apk?dl=0


Graham.

[Graham]

BTW, forgot to mention, you need to have a whizbangJr in your system, the new tab will display when you select the classic with the whizbangjr connected to it.

Still very much a 'work in progress' but I have an updated version of the app that has a new 'System' tab that will display when more than one classic is detected, the "energy' tab also has a radio button to select system or unit energy. Have yet to look at the summation of the historical data for the calendar etc.

If anyone (with more than one classic) would like to try it, here is a link to dropbox, let me know what you think.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/60fw2sid4yf5yl3/app-release.apk?dl=0


Graham.

[ClassicCrazy]

Graham ,
I don't see any setting on the Energy Tab - is that only for more than one Classic ?

Larry