Victron Smart Charger Not Playing ball

[RAW]

Received one of these from Onboard
https://www.victronenergy.com/chargers/blue-smart-ip22-charger

Have an issue in that it is no allowing me to configure on BT and says update failed:

I have tried obvious stuff like disconnecting and leaving it etc

All that seems to happen is all the Lights flash continuously ?

Any ideas ? (@wildebus )
TIA

 

[wildebus]

As per the screenshot, have you gone into the bluetooth config and done the pairing before you went into VE Connect? At one time it seemed to be possible to do the pairing during the Connect process, but not any more (I think the latest versions also force (or at least strongly prompt) you to change the PIN as well).
turn BT off on the phone, turn it back on and see if the charger is in the list?

 

[RAW]

As per the screenshot, have you gone into the bluetooth config and done the pairing before you went into VE Connect? At one time it seemed to be possible to do the pairing during the Connect process, but not any more (I think the latest versions also force (or at least strongly prompt) you to change the PIN as well).
turn BT off on the phone, turn it back on and see if the charger is in the list?

I opened the Victron app on the phone and it prompted me to connect to the charger which I did with default password 000000
Then the APP said charger needed an update which I tried and it failed
I was not prompted to change BT Password at any point
The phone and charger were in close proximity
Done for the day now and will try more troubleshooting tomorrow, thanks.

 

[Squiffy]

You must pair through the app, turn on BT on your phone but do not pair using your phone, open the app and wait till the app finds the charger bt then click on it, as you are aware it will ask you to enter the 000000
And then will say needs update. You sometimes have to do this up to three or four times before it successfully updates I really dont know why but loads of folk complain that it doesn't seem to update on the first attempt. I had to have three attempts before it finally updated, I also realised that initially I was only putting in 4 0's as per the usual password on most bt items obviously it wouldn't connect until I entered the correct amount of 0's. Phil

 

[wildebus]

You must pair through the app, turn on BT on your phone but do not pair using your phone, open the app and wait till the app finds the charger bt then click on it, as you are aware it will ask you to enter the 000000
And then will say needs update. You sometimes have to do this up to three or four times before it successfully updates I really dont know why but loads of folk complain that it doesn't seem to update on the first attempt. I had to have three attempts before it finally updated, I also realised that initially I was only putting in 4 0's as per the usual password on most bt items obviously it wouldn't connect until I entered the correct amount of 0's. Phil

sorry, but I don't agree.
The App does not have a BT pairing function, it will just switch to the phones BT software to prompt for pairing if it finds a device but the phone is not already paired with it - and sometimes the prompt disappears and is not seen, so the actual pairing is not possible if the app is run first and you end up with the message Robert got.
It is a much better idea to pair the device first using the BT function on the phone and THEN go to the Victron Connect app, and then it will go straight in.

I actually just checked the above 5 minutes ago with the MPPT 100/20 I have in another room just to check what I believed and what I typed and it is just as above.
Other people may have found something else and have their own ways, but my explanation above is correct and it works.

 

[Squiffy]

In the instructions from the manufacturer Dave they specifically say switch on your phone BT but do not pair using the phones application you must then enter the victron app and wait for it to appear in the app then click on it and for this first and only time it will ask for the 000000 code when it appears. Otherwise some phone applications try to take control and blank the victron app. After you have paired with your phone through the victron app it then may say it needs updates after the update you can then get into the victron energy app proper and change the pin if you want to. Phil

It would seem that the victron app has a hidden pairing functionality


Just found this on victron site

3.1 Bluetooth Smart - Pairing and Connecting
To connect to your Victron product, over Bluetooth, always connect from within VictronConnect. Do not connect from the device's system menu because VictronConnect will not find your Victron product.
Here is how to connect:

1. Enable the Bluetooth on your phone, tablet or laptop (device).
2. Open VictronConnect, and scan:
   1. On a phone or tablet, pull down the screen, or tap the refresh button to initiate a scan.
   2. On a computer or laptop: click the “Scan or Refresh” button on the left.
3. The first time you attempt to connect the phone will ask to pair with the device. Enter the pin code. The default pin code is 000000
4. Connection is complete.

If connection was not successful please refer to section 9. Troubleshooting

 

[wildebus]

Not the one I have it does. the pairing prompt is right from the phone (you can see this from the font and message window that matches the phone and does not match anything else in the Victron app)

 

[Squiffy]

I've just updated my last post. Phil

 

[wildebus]

fair enough, but I will tell you the Victron statement "... Do not connect from the device's system menu because VictronConnect will not find your Victron product. " is utter tosh. I know because I did precisely this less than 2 hours ago and guess what? VictronConnect FOUND my Victron product.

but no worries, it works for you, and my way works for me

 

[Squiffy]

Very odd Dave because I did just that, I thought oh I know how to do this I've set up so many BT pieces of equipment before that I put the instruction booklet to one side and tried in the usual way to set up a piece of BT, I found that I could pair it with the phone alright but the victron app would then not find it, I have to say that I nearly gave up and thought that the software of the victron was corrupt or not there or not compatiblewith my particular phone, it was then I decided to look at the instructions and realised that although you are using your phone as a BT host you are actually pairing with the Victron app as such and not the phone, the software is on the Victron kit not in the app, the app is just a means of communicating with the Victron article of what ever type charger/solar. It was only then that I could get the app to work by following the instructions, my wife used to come to me with various problems of bought tech saying it's not working and I would say to her "Have you read the instructions " "No " she would say and when she did the problem invariably went away, I should in this case have followed my own advice in the first place rather than spend a frustrating hour or so checking signal strength, internet connections and electrical connections. By the way Raw to update you have to have a really strong internet connection be it wireless or phone supplied if you don't have a really strong connection it will not update, that's something else I realised after I had connected the app, I would think this is down to the Victron software not allowing an update unless the signal strength of the internet is good enough not to be lost during updating and corrupting the update. Phil

 

[RAW]

I see @Squiffy and @wildebus have some different solutions.
THANKS for all the comments

It might have been because it was a New Device but there were no real instructions to set-up in the box and never had such a big issue with any other Victron Device when connecting first time. All the Flashing LEDS were because the device effectively had no firmware

When I first tried I connected direct through Victron app which prompted for PIN default one and put that in. Then prompted for Firmware update which failed on multiple attempts

Tried all usual device on/off and phone reboot; BT on/off

This was the solution I found

• UNPAIR device in Phone BT settings
• PAIR device again through Victron
• Enter Default Password
  
  Miraculously it worked First Time
  Connected and Firmware Updated - ALL GOOD
  
  Then come out of Victron App, and re-enter and open device again and this time prompted to change default BT connect password
  All worked
  
  So all good, thanks for all the help

 

[Squiffy]

I think Raw exactly what I have said, I went through exactly the same problems as you encountered, and solved it in the same way, its just that I did not read the instructions in the first place Phil

 

[SquirrellCook]

I see @Squiffy and @wildebus have some different solutions.
THANKS for all the comments

If it helps, I've been there too

 

[wildebus]

If it helps, I've been there too

Yup, it can be very frustrating. I have found sometimes a device will work one way, but sometime a different device or different version of connect will work the other.

It is one of the advantages of having a Venus GX or a Pi that you can do the updating via the internet rather than the Connect App (although not of course with the IP22 chargers)

 

[RAW]

It is one of the advantages of having a Venus GX or a Pi that you can do the updating via the internet rather than the Connect App (although not of course with the IP22 chargers)

Sadly Budget and Van do not stretch to be able to get a decent Multiplus, think it would be a bit big for this Van in the space I have and also cannot afford one. Next larger van will have a Multiplus probably.