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kali-the-miller avatar image
kali-the-miller asked

Victron Connect App - History Frozen

Hi Victron and Forum!


I use a MPPT 75/10 with Bluetooth Dongle on a (very ;-)) small water power installation.

To make the system look nice, I have all installed in a box with a Lenovo 7" Tab as display with VictronConnect for people to see what is going on. The Tab is powered by the water power and always on.

The history bars that show the daily generation are not moving forward. Is that bug or feature?

Attached a picture taken on Feb 14th. The display is still on the 7th.

PS1: earlier, the whole display (trends, wattage, …) got stuck after 2-3 days. This seems to work now after the latest updates.

PS2: to bring the bar charts back to the actual date, I have to completely close down the app and restart. After the restart, VictronConnect does not find the MPPT controller via Dongle. I always have to stop Bluetooth on the tablet, restart it and then start the VictronConnect app. I know now, so small nuisance, but may be worth fixing?


VictronConnectbug report
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By design the daily history stops sending updates after certain amount of time so reconnection is necessary to refresh the chart. We are working on improving it.

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Leon Burgher avatar image Leon Burgher commented ·

IMG_8074.pngHi, We certainly fell down that rabbit hole quickly! To clarify, History used to provide the ability to scroll back through time for about 30 days. Now it is frozen to a couple of days and the ‘scroll’ function simply takes you the next tab, Trends. Why? Very annoying. Cheers Leon

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JohnC avatar image
JohnC answered ·

Hi @KaLi the Miller

Your 75/10 can't tell absolute time, but as a solar cc can detect a night and a new day. In a 24/7 hydro application it can't do that, so the 'long day' rolls on.

If you could simulate a night by shutting off it's supply once a day, then it should recognize a daily history. How long you'd have to do that for I don't know. Maybe someone else does, but failing that you could test yourself.

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ttbb avatar image ttbb commented ·

Don't quote me on this but i believe it could be 2 hours after the voltage goes low that a new day is triggered. A delay was added into one of the firmware updates to account for cloud cover / shading of panels + to prevent the messing up of charge cycles.

I have observed if PV is not connected the history will still count on days and does not just stop dead in its tracks the day PV was disconnected. So it needing a high and low input voltage in every 24h cycle to count a new day is clearly not an absolute. How it does this and if it translates to a constant high input voltage i don't know. Past cycles could be used as a reference point to count on. It is all a bit odd how it works and i would love to know the exact rational for not also implementing programable system time.

It's an interesting question, even with the cyclic solar voltage does the victron connect app self updates a new day. I can't say i recall leaving it connected for long enough to find that out. I can't imagine there was much intent for it to be used as a long duration display monitor without a reboot.

I can say if your system time is shifted forward in months the app just shows the corresponding months so it clearly overlays the computer system date/time at the app level on top of the data it pulls form the MPPT. Seems likely a reboot to recalculate and show up a new day would be required.





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kali-the-miller avatar image
kali-the-miller answered ·

This is odd, as the app needs not only the day but also the time to calculate properly what has been produced/consumed/... in the 24 day period?

Disconnecting the power to the MPPT for 2 hours every day from a 24x7 water power generator seems not very sensible?

The App runs on a device that knows the time and day anyway - that is uses when first started.


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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ commented ·

I hear ya. But the kit you have was never designed to be 'sensible' in such an application. I'm glad it actually works for you, but it's beyond what would be recommended and supported.

That said (and I'm not at all suggesting you do this), it's possible to add a GX box, some www, access the VRM portal, and your little 75/10's performance and long term history would be available - globally. To the minute..

So what you want is actually available, just not via bluetooth..

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kali-the-miller avatar image kali-the-miller JohnC ♦ commented ·

Hi JohnC! This is how the application looks like today:

I heard you - you don't suggest to do the GX Box. You are right - I don't think I want to tamper much with what we have arrived at after our teething problems. Not to mention the price tag.


Why can an official Victron app running on a device that it is designed to run on not accurately reflect the time - and forward the days in history?

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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ kali-the-miller commented ·

Probably the cost involved for a very limited consumer base.

And if you're really set on having history, an rPi loaded with VenusOS (perhaps for similar cost to that bt dongle) could provide more than that of the app. Expressed a little differently, but your hydro would look good graphed at per-minute intervals.. :)

Ta for the pics, does help set-the-scene. Nice tidy job, but what's that wheel that looks like a film spool?

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kali-the-miller avatar image kali-the-miller JohnC ♦ commented ·

the film spool look-alike are really two wheels that turn counter-currently - much slower than the generator - this is a vacation home for rent in an historic water mill - which was without the milling equipment when I got it - and for the guests I wanted to have something to look at that reminds them: this is a mill! :-)

This is a short video from construction phase:


If I'd find someone who can program the rPi to do what you say? I thought I was smart - buying a cheap tablet, install VictronConnect - et voila ;-) - almost

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kali-the-miller avatar image
kali-the-miller answered ·

Hi Victron - anybody to comment?

I understand that the 75/10 does not know the time. This is "just" a controller. All it needs is really day/night shift to switch the lights on and off.

Here though, the history is frozen in the App. The App knows the time and does the sums?

Any work around here? Or fix in (one of) the next update(s) possible?


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