Duosida EVSE

[justoneman]

...So what about this Duosida with the 15 amp plug?

We now know that plugging this thing into the i-MiEV will result in 14.0A-14.2A current draw, which exceeds the 12A max allowable for this type of an installation.

The EVSE wire leading to the 5-15 connector looks a little thin to me to have #10AWG or #12AWG wires inside it.

On a forum such as this, none of us can recommend doing something that's outside of code requirements; nevertheless, if you're going to be using the Duosida EVSE with 5-15, I'd be inclined to have it sit on a brick with the wires going to the wall outlet suspended in mid-air for maximum ventilation, and have nothing flammable immediately around the wire or connector if it should start cooking. I'd periodically check the connector/outlet to make sure it's not hot. Ambient air temperature also makes a significant difference.

Let us know how you fare, and perhaps measure and tell us what some of the temperatures are.

Yes the connector going to the 5-15 connector would be a 14AWG wire. None the less the extension cord I connected it with is for sure a 14AWG cord. This would be the "weakest link" It is not very warm at all to the touch so I figured a human oral thermometer range should be sufficient. I taped this digital thermometer's metal end against the extension cord and then wrapped bubble wrap around that connection and watched the temp increase to 91.3 degrees F. Its a cool evening here and the ambient temp in the garage was 75 F.

 

[Robertdouville]

When I bought my imiev, last year, no body could help me, not the dealer, not Mitsubishi canada, no body, my single phase 120 Volt charger was only working on the 8 amp canal, being a retired electrical engineer all the answers I was getting made no sens to me. Suddenly I realized that to get the 12 amps canal I had to press the 12 amp option after connecting the charger to the wall but before connecting it to the car! :roll:

No support no noting for the car by Mitsubishi here in Montreal Canada Sad we have to discover ourself!

 

[JoeS]

...I realized that to get the 12 amps canal I had to press the 12 amp option after connecting the charger to the wall but before connecting it to the car!...

That comment applies to the 2013+ Mitsu EVSEs (in Canada) and not the Duosida EVSE. The Duosida EVSE is unique because it allows 16A from a 120vac source, which is in excess of the allowable current from a conventional NEMA 5-15 outlet, but happily it's been shown that the i-MiEV only draws 14.0A-14.2A at that voltage. Robertdouville, you've come to the right forum to get i-MiEV information!

 

[justoneman]

...So what about this Duosida with the 15 amp plug?

We now know that plugging this thing into the i-MiEV will result in 14.0A-14.2A current draw, which exceeds the 12A max allowable for this type of an installation.

The EVSE wire leading to the 5-15 connector looks a little thin to me to have #10AWG or #12AWG wires inside it.

On a forum such as this, none of us can recommend doing something that's outside of code requirements; nevertheless, if you're going to be using the Duosida EVSE with 5-15, I'd be inclined to have it sit on a brick with the wires going to the wall outlet suspended in mid-air for maximum ventilation, and have nothing flammable immediately around the wire or connector if it should start cooking. I'd periodically check the connector/outlet to make sure it's not hot. Ambient air temperature also makes a significant difference.

Let us know how you fare, and perhaps measure and tell us what some of the temperatures are.

So what do you think about the temperature reading I made of the cord?

 

[JoeS]

So what do you think about the temperature reading I made of the cord?

justoneman, I'm a little perplexed as your continued concern makes me wonder why you didn't opt for a #12AWG or #10AWG extension cord? In any case, IIRC your house wiring is for a 120vac 15A circui, even though a 20A connector had been (improperly) installed. The 16degF temperature rise you measured in the wire would not concern me too much. The issue is with the connections and the connectors themselves in the entire wire chain from the house circuit breaker and through every outlet in that path. Even an inexpensive infrared spot thermometer would tell you if there's an inordinate temperature rise. All the failures I experienced originated at a connector, in either at the wire termination or the male/female connector mates. Once again, what you are dealing with is a steady-state 14A current draw on a 15A powerline. Whereas operating at this current for 15 minutes or 1/2-hour may cause no problem, three or four hours may be enough time for a connection to overheat and run away on you without tripping the circuit breaker.

 

[GdB]

These are the perfect range to check the temperature at the plug. I'm going to stick one on my 5-15P. The minimum order is 10, if anyone want's to order one. I'll sell the extras on Ebay also.

http://www.tiptemp.com/Products/Sev...Single-High-Temperature-Reversible-Label.html
SKU: TLCSEN503
Price:$17.00 for 10
Reversible 7 Level Digitemp Temperature Label
Range: 86°F~140°F (30°C~60°C)

 

[GdB]

I noticed Amazon sells 12A and 16A versions of the Duosida

https://www.amazon.com/Level-Portable-Electric-Vehicle-Charger/dp/B018A6QK7C/ref=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_t

What does the inside of the 12A version look like? I'm wondering if it's possible to modify my 16A version with a switch that does either 12A or 16A?

Here is the inside of mine, I took these before I put a longer 10g input wire and NEMA L5-20 plug and made a bunch of different stub adapters to do either 240V or 120V with all the common plugs....:

 

[sandange]

I did a Duosida EVSE power draw test

Since my dual Turbocord portable evse failed recently ,
I decided to purchase the Duosida EVSE at 1/3 the cost.

With concerns about the amperage drawn on a regular 15 amp 110 circuit I tried measuring the power draw in this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTC6YG4Hy1s

Since the current drawn meter was in kw hours
I use an on line converter .,. photo here

http://s211.photobucket.com/user/Sandange/library/miev/EVSE Duosida

According to this chart (If I entered everything correctly)
the draw was 13 amps.

Would you consider it safe to use a solely dedicated regular household
15 amp outlet while charging in the wild?

 

[GdB]

sandange, I'm an engineer and I'm sorry I noticed an error in your calculation, house mains are usually closer to 117V (not 110V) and 235V, with 120V and 240V being the maximum allowed. So when I recalculated, your Duosida is charging your 2014 i-MiEV at 12.2A assuming 117V. Which is fine for all 15A circuits and good condition plugs.

Your energy monitor looks pretty good, where did you get it and what is the model number?

My EMW Wattbox with EKM OmniMeter II is a very high quality device that I received to participate in an SCE sub-metering pilot study for 1 year. It's utility grade accuracy.
So I connected my Duosida EVSE to 120V through the OmniMeter and charged my 2012 i-MiEV and it alternated between 14.0 and 14.2 Amps (Edit) at L1. Also 235.3V, 3298W and 3306W were indicated at L2.

Perhaps 2014 i-miEV's have been updated to limit L1 charging to 12A, just like the Chevy Volt does.

How many kW do you get with the Duosida connected to 240V? I think this model Duosida is only capable of setting one maximum amps for both 120V and 240V, but your 2014 i-MiEV is chooses different maximum amps for L1 and L2.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_J1772

A 1 kHz square wave at ±12 volts generated by the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE; i.e., the charging station) on the control pilot to detect the presence of the vehicle, communicate the maximum allowable charging current, and control charging.

I did a Duosida EVSE power draw test

Since the current drawn meter was in kw hours ...

I also sent the Amazon question to Duosida tech support, since the 12A vs 16A Duosida question is still unanswered. I'll post what they say.

 

[JoeS]

Interesting different power consumption readings between the two Duosidas, probably more due to instrument tolerances, although maybe the newer i-MiEV might have it's power draw dialed down slightly.

Sandy, your power meter showed 1.440kW which is 1440Watts

1440W/120v = 12A, which is a perfect maximum for the 15A circuit.

Worst case, let's say your house voltage drops to 110vac and the power draw is unchanged; thus,

1440W/110v = 13.1A

I wouldn't worry about it, and use it as is. Just make sure the wiring and connectors and EVSE are exposed to the air and not covered by something like a rug.

 

[GdB]

probably more due to instrument tolerances, although maybe the newer i-MiEV might have it's power draw dialed down slightly.

These power meters are much more accurate than the 14% difference between 12A and 14A.

http://documents.ekmmetering.com/EKM-Omnimeter-Pulse-v.4-Spec-Sheet.pdf

EKM Omnimeter accuracy class 0.5%

However the Efergy sandage used may be off by a lot, or could be accurate to 1% if the voltage is measured and input into the device...:

https://www.amazon.com/Efergy-Elite-Wireless-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B003XOXU02

You have to measure the voltage and then program it into the device. Power factor is not taken into consideration. This is not a super accurate device but is good enough to give you a ballpark measurement for home use.

http://mapawatt.com/2010/04/16/efergy-e2-energy-monitor

They don't have a voltage connection and therefore do not sense voltage. Voltage is entered in the display. These are really current meters that don't measure kw or even volt X amps. The accuracy will be very bad with motor and transformer loads. Also inaccurate with voltage changes.

 

[sandange]

Thanks for you feed back
The meter is the Efergy Elite Classic wireless Monitor with in home display.
I believe this meter is accurate enough for this application.
I got it so that I can monitor my power consumption of my EVSE

JoeS, you got me interested in measuring wall to wheels, Power used to odometer.
This makes sense to me since I've always kept records for our Honda fit (ICE) gas pump to odometer.

It's a little more difficult to track with the Miev's limited range since
I'm charging too often in the wild.
I'm preparing for tracking our future longer range EV
requiring very little charging out of house.

Thank you both , I'll sleep better knowing I'm safe charging L1 with this EVSE

 

[mannyaguilar]

So after all the technical info and measurements considerations, what would be the general consensus?

A) OK, its good enough, just make sure you keep an eye on it and keep it well ventilated or

B) Do not buy, do not use or

C) On the fence but I would rather buy _____ that's only $100 more (if such thing exists).

Newbie here! Just last Sunday (9/10/17) bought a 2012 i-MiEV SE (fully equipped) with 27K miles. VEry happy camper here!

 

[GdB]

The Duosida's are great in that they allow 240V or 120V.

The 16A model is good low cost option for charging 240V up to 16A at home. This avoids the 120V 14A or 16A charging issue.
http://www.e-zencar.net/charging-mode-2-16a/

After I bought the 16A version I found out about their better version, about $200 more, but much more capable,. It's a bit less portable due to heavier cable which does not add much value to using with the i-MiEV.
http://www.e-zencar.net/product/evse-32a/

They are great price and capability, but not sure about long term reliability. I saw a used 16A model sell for $60 on ebay due to not working. Maybe water damage, the seller said a fuse, but they have no fuse.

 

[mannyaguilar]

The Duosida's are great in that they allow 240V or 120V.

The 16A model is good low cost option for charging 240V up to 16A at home. This avoids the 120V 14A or 16A charging issue.
http://www.e-zencar.net/charging-mode-2-16a/

After I bought the 16A version I found out about their better version, about $200 more, but much more capable,. It's a bit less portable due to heavier cable which does not add much value to using with the i-MiEV.
http://www.e-zencar.net/product/evse-32a/

They are great price and capability, but not sure about long term reliability. I saw a used 16A model sell for $60 on ebay due to not working. Maybe water damage, the seller said a fuse, but they have no fuse.

Thank you for the response. Would you buy directly form e-zencar or ebay? I contacted e-zencar inquiring about pricing and got a response in broken english asking what type of connector and length of cable for them to be able to quote. I am guessing they are located abroad and dealing with them would not be as easy as to work with a USA based seller.

Thanks again!

PS I see you have a Zero motorcycle. I have a couple motorcycles and I would like to get a Zero. How is it?

 

[GdB]

PS I see you have a Zero motorcycle. I have a couple motorcycles and I would like to get a Zero. How is it?

It's perfect for commuting. I really like it. Many advantages to ICE motorcycles. Range is easy to extend a lot in a pinch, by drafting and slowing down. Once I calculated I was getting 450MPGe following a wide truck in the HOV lane for 5 miles. I did not feel like risking passing between lanes. But I mostly drive a constant 85 (getting 180 MPGe) with the speed limiter in custom mode, which helps avoid tickets and thermal protection speed limiting. Otherwise eco and sport mode can be used. Cheaper to commute, due to lower fuel and maintenance expenses.

Complaints:
Suspension adjustment came too hard from factory for my 175lbs. Much better now after changing shock settings.
My 2014 has no ABS option, but that was part of the special discount deal I got, which is no longer available.