I have the JuiceBox Pro 40 (for the last 4-5 years now). Once or twice
in that time it has dropped off my wifi, but I was able to get it back
on by power cycling it, and following the "initial setup" procedure.
(i.e. it had gone to a "safe mode" and lost my wifi password, but I was
able to reset it and get it back on the network without shipping it back.)
In all cases the EVSE still charged my vehicle, even if it had lost
network connectivity.
EMotorWorks has been very accommodating for other issues I've had with
it (that ended up being a problem with my charger in the vehicle, not
the EVSE), and I've been happy with their service and product.
If I need a new EVSE I plan on buying their current Pro 40 model (which
now comes with UL certification.....mine is old enough it was before
they spent the money for the certification, although basically the same
unit.)
Jay
On 1/7/19 5:57 PM, Damon Henry via EV wrote:
Last year I bought an EV Juicebox 40. I did not opt for the Pro model because
I did not see much value in the internet side of the product. I mostly liked
the fact that I could max out my circuit with it even though I do not currently
have any vehicles which charge at that high of a rate. Still even the non-pro
version comes with some internet dependent features some of which were
interesting enough to me to connect the charger to my WiFi and download the App
on my phone. Then last summer I got an email telling me that eMotorWerks had
tried to push out an update to my charger that had disabled the WiFi and it was
no longer online. They needed it back to fix the problem and offered me a free
replacement which they were willing to ship out first and then let me return
mine. That seemed reasonable and the whole exchange process was pretty
painless. It just took a few emails and a couple of forms, and they paid for
everything.
It did bug me a bit that they had botched an over the air update. I have spent
a career in IT with large portions of it dedicated to automatically updating
networked computers, so I have some sensitivity to the caution needed to
successfully pull this type of thing off.
I got the replacement charger and hooked it up to my WiFi. Then a couple of
months later I noticed that it was once again not connected to my WiFi. I
opened a ticket with their support organization and asked them if they had
perhaps once again busted my charger for me. They did not directly answer that
question, but did once again offer to exchange the unit.
At this point I did not jump on the exchange. First of all I did not feel like
doing the paperwork again even though it was fairly easy. Mostly though it
bothered me that they possibly kept breaking my charger. Not in a way that
kept my cars from charging, but how was I to know that would always be the
case. I kept dragging my feet on the exchange as well as badgering them for a
root cause. Eventually they claimed that the WiFi chip goes into a safe mode
when it experiences a weak wifi signal. This did not sound right to me on many
levels, although perhaps it is true. My charger is physically perhaps 6 feet
away from my Access Point. Also, if it were hardware related why would they
ship me a new unit with the same problem as the one they had to replace
already? Maybe I am being too skeptical...
Eventually, I decided I would go forward with the exchange, but not connect the
new charger to my WiFi. Then I would have the functionality I paid for if I
ever decided I want it, but not have to worry about any unwanted updates.
Alas, I took too long making up my mind and they closed the support ticket for
me, so rather than have them reopen it, I just decided to keep my current
charger as is.
I did send a note to their Customer Service department letting them know of my
dissatisfaction and that I would not be buying any additional chargers from
them or recommending them to fellow EVrs. It is very possible that I will be
adding a second Level 2 charger in my garage in the near future, but it will
not be another JuiceBox.
Damon
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