Solar - Controller WRM15 dualB - Bluetooth help

[Lightning]

This is the wording Apple use. The consumer protection lasts longer than their warranty.


Summary of Consumer Laws, the Apple Limited Warranty, the AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+.

	Consumer Laws in the United Kingdom	Apple Warranty	AppleCare Protection Plan or AppleCare+
Claim period	England and Wales: 6 years from date of delivery Scotland: 5 years from date of delivery	2 years from date of purchase for Apple Watch Edition 1 year from date of purchase for all other Apple products

 

[motacyclist]

I guess I was lucky mine went within the warranty period, I would have been a bit peeved like you had I had to pay for another one. However, I suppose a discount is better than nothing.

 

[DrJuanKerr]

It's compounded by the fact for the last two years I've hardly been able to use it due to COVID!

 

[reserves]

Hello all:

Our California came with 2 solar panels and the Western WRM15 DualB controller. The Controller also has the Bluetooth module fitted (top left corner in the image below). The manual gives the steps to reset the password but no instructions on enabling the pairing mode on the Bluetooth module. I have an open ticket with Western tech support today, but thought that I would ask on here for any inputs). My phone currently does not find the module. The app also searches but does not find the module.

For those interested in a read, the manual is here - https://www.western.it/prodotti/wrm15-dual-battery/

View attachment 56109

I have this unit, is there a way to reliably connect to the App?

My phone connected once, but I didn't have to pair it or put in a password.

Now when I open the app (standing next to the unit) the unit no longer appears on the App?

 

[Roger Donoghue]

That look svery much like my installation, from a long time ago!

The WRMs are a great concept but I found the app access to unreliable. I tried them again last year, soak testing, and ended up sending the unit back as the app was too hit and miss.

Best bet is power it down properly (pull ALL power, solar, batter and starter), then reconnect, batt, starter, check its powered up, and only then, connect solar.

It might reset it.

 

[reserves]

That look svery much like my installation, from a long time ago!

The WRMs are a great concept but I found the app access to unreliable. I tried them again last year, soak testing, and ended up sending the unit back as the app was too hit and miss.

Best bet is power it down properly (pull ALL power, solar, batter and starter), then reconnect, batt, starter, check its powered up, and only then, connect solar.

It might reset it.

Hey Roger,

Thank you.

I borrowed the photo so well could be yours, I didn't have a pic of my install on my phone.

That's a shame they are unreliable, but hey ho.

Is there a better unit that I can simply swap out and just reconnect at the back?

Here’s a screenshot of when the App was connected. Does it look like everything is running ok? (I had the front battery disconnected for a while) If so I’ll leave it all be

 

[Roger Donoghue]

Certainly looks like it was charging your battery (leisure). 1.5Amps.

Only MPPT I know that has a great app and support is the Victron Smartsolar range. You can pick up a smartsolar (don't buy a blue solar - it won't have bluetooth) 75/15 for under £60 now. It wont' charge your stater mind you, though a lot of people dont' really need that.

 

[kurienp]

Certainly looks like it was charging your battery (leisure). 1.5Amps.

Only MPPT I know that has a great app and support is the Victron Smartsolar range. You can pick up a smartsolar (don't buy a blue solar - it won't have bluetooth) 75/15 for under £60 now. It wont' charge your stater mind you, though a lot of people dont' really need that.

@Roger Donoghue , can we put 2 MPPT chargers - one for the leisure and the other for the starter battery? If yes, then what will the connection be like? I also have the same issue as @reserves. The bluetooth connection is quite flaky.

 

[reserves]

@Roger Donoghue , can we put 2 MPPT chargers - one for the leisure and the other for the starter battery? If yes, then what will the connection be like? I also have the same issue as @reserves. The bluetooth connection is quite flaky.

Not sure on the year it kicked in, however I’m pretty sure the Cali on hook up will charge the leisure batteries first and then top up the starter battery if needed (maybe later T6’s?)

I’d assume (guess) that this would do the same?

 

[reserves]

Which Californias (trickle) charge the starter battery?

So what year of Californias do charge the starter battery?

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Though I’m not convinced. I was hook up on a long camping trip and used the cigarette lighter next to the gearstick to charge mobiles etc.

I assumed that being on hook up the main starter battery would be ok.

However when went to start the Cali, the starter was flat (this was a Cali without any solar)

 

[yossarian]

@kurienp you could google "votronic standby charger 12v" which is available on a well known ecommerce site for around 30 quid.

 

[Roger Donoghue]

No, you can't use 2 MPPT chargers with 1 solar source. The MPPT needs to work with the battery voltage and solar voltages, monitoring and adapting all the time. It can't do that with 2 batteries.

Manufacturers get round this in 2 ways.

1) The WRM chargers have a relay, and switch between the two batteries. Charging one or the other.
2) Epever Duo chargers just have a seperate 1Amp max PWM charger built in for the starter battery which can run at the same time as the MPPT.

 

[Roger Donoghue]

@kurienp you could google "votronic standby charger 12v" which is available on a well known ecommerce site for around 30 quid.

That's a good call. Votronic make good kit usually. (edit - just found I've already researched that - not something I'd buy.. It's a current limiting resistor with a diode, and that's it)

Regarding hookup charging that someone else asked about - that's totally different to solar charging as solar charging doesn't use the same internal VW hookup charging systems at all. It won't charge the starter unless you take steps to make it happen with a dual charger, or, the above!

 

[reserves]

Regarding hookup charging that someone else asked about - that's totally different to solar charging as solar charging doesn't use the same internal VW hookup charging systems at all. It won't charge the starter unless you take steps to make it happen with a dual charger, or, the above!

Good to know. Thank you

 

[reserves]

For what it's worth I managed to connect to the controller again.

I noticed that when I opened the app once the the 'Sync' icon spins and changes to "searching' or something (see pic below, this icon was static like this)

However quitting the App and restarting it had no affect, I couldn't see the 'searching' field and pressing the 'sync' icon didn't do anything.

So I restarted my iPhone, then opened the App and voila it found the control straight away.