OH3.1 Generac MobileLink Binding

Add-ons Bindings
21

Generator installed and works in OH.
Thanks a lot for the binding!

It seems the channels have changed quite a bit from what the binding page shows, and as far as I can see they’re all read-only. But just to monitor the generator, that’s totally sufficient.
I’ll just have to figure out which channel gives me what exactly…

22

I just added this openHAB and it reports on line and green. Now to set up displays for it.

Thank you!

1 Like
23

Hmm, seems like the last OH3 update may have broken it.
I currently run OH 3.4.3-2 and the org.openhab.binding.generacmobilelink-3.4.3-SNAPSHOT.jar

OH3 shows both the account and the generator thing as uninitialized, and I don’t even have a button to disable and re-enable it.

Both things show:

Status: UNINITIALIZED
HANDLER_MISSING_ERROR
Handler factory not found

The binding doesn’t even show up anymore when I try to add a thing, so I suppose it got incompatible with OH 3.4.3-2.

Logs show:

org.osgi.framework.BundleException: Could not resolve module: org.openhab.binding.generacmobilelink [236]
2023-05-05 10:13:01.137 [WARN ] [org.apache.felix.fileinstall        ] - Error while starting bundle: file:/usr/share/openhab/addons/org.openhab.binding.generacmobilelink-3.4.3-SNAPSHOT.jar
24

You probably need to install Jsoup again , see my original instructions OH3.1 Generac MobileLink Binding - #11 by digitaldan

25

Thanks, I’ll check if that is still installed. If so, I’ll probably drop that into the local addons folder so it can’t get away next time.

26

@digitaldan,
Yes, the missing Jsoup was the issue, probably got kicked out during the upgrade. I now have it in the local addons folder and hope it’ll stay there.

Thanks!

27

Thanks for developing this binding. I loaded it from OH 4.0.2, entered my credentials for the account thing. It came online immediately and my generator showed up very quickly in the Thing Inbox.

My initial use case is to supplement the information I have been getting from the UPS(NUT) binding regarding the state of the power supply to our home. I have been using the status of my UPS from NUT to trigger a rule that turns off a few things that come on if the main power is off, even for the few seconds it takes my generac to kick in. I’m finding that NUT on my Pi stops working after a while. I created a new trigger for the rule based on the status text changing from “Your generator is ready to run.”

Hopefully this will cut down on the complaints from DW that a light came on in the middle of the night!

28

Hmm, I’m not sure I understand this correctly. You have stuff on a UPS, which you in case of a power outage switch off? Why have it on an UPS in the first place?

NUT-monitor runs pretty stable for me, even through the network (1 server has the USB connection to the UPS, the other monitors the UPS via network). Only thing is that once in a few weeks the server loses USB connection, but reconnects quickly. Maybe I need to adjust the dead time in the conf file…

29

I submit that he is shutting off things which draw power and are on the UPS for line conditioning to protect them from brownlut and spike damage…I certainly do… but with a generator it taks up to two minutes to come online, and sometimes that fails too… so turning things off to conserve power in case it fails and to limit the power draw even if the generator starts as it uses gas or lp and conservationbecomes important

30

Ok, that may be. My UPS has different outlets for surge-protected (obviously not brownout-protected) and fully battery-fed circuits. The latter ones should obviously not have more load connected than the battery can provide.

But you give those Generac generators not enough credit. They start up two seconds after the power fails and take over the load about 10 seconds later.

31

well for my Generac RG03224ANAX it is not quite as fast as 2 second start and 10 second later transfer.

  • https://gpsprodmobilelink.blob.core.windows.net/apparatusimage/RG03224ANAX.jpg
    The lowest time setting for mine to start is 15 seconds after power loss (to avoid a spike/brownout triggering a start and then ~ 15 more seconds for coming up to speed and stabilizing then it does the whole house transfer. so around 30 to 40 seconds. then I have mine set to wait 5 minutes after commercial power returns to avoid any surge/brownout of everyone getting power back on at same time.
    Then of course cool down before it shuts off. I know many of the smaller gensets use load shedding to avoid the initial surge of the transfer to genie so I can see why that also would be a reason to turn things off.
    Also, not so sure I would just depend on that status message change either this binding is not connecting to your local generator Wi-Fi it is actually screen scrapping the Generac web site. So, if you lose internet when power drops either because your router bounces, or the ISP RT site bounced you may not see that status update. Might be a better approach of having a non ups protected outlet or some other ZigBee or Zwave type device that is providing the outlet voltage or look into getting a AP9631 card (good card and cheap on Ebay now days) for the ups if your UPS supports it and then you will not have the challenges that NUT sometime has. Also, you then can configure power chute and turn off many other items as well a gracefully shutdown the protected devices when the UPS battery is getting low. @jgreene are you having intermittent gen start issues?
    My neighbor did with his air cooled 24 kw and it turned out for him they did not completely purge the propane line and apparently air can stay trapped in the line even after a extended run something about propane being heavier and the air stays trapped at the top of the horizontal pipe as it was explained on the Generac web site.
32

Exactly right. I wouldn’t, either. But the NUT monitor runs off the local network, so as long as the involved switches etc. are on UPS’s, that would work. I haven’t used the NUT binding myself, though.

33

So I have a rule setup to alert me if the generator status changes. Last week it encountered a ground fault and set it self to a “needs maintenance” mode, which would have prevented it from running in a power outage. I would have never know that it was not working this quickly without this binding and the alert, so nice to have. FYI i also have a UPS that powers all my networking/POE, NAS and other servers like openhab so there’s no disruption during the time it takes the generator to kick in.

1 Like
34

@digitaldan I agree 100 % at the usefulness of the binding and by no means was I stating otherwise.
I have had the binding notify me as well on a Needs Maintenace condition as well related to a battery issue. It does work. Also, as I said if you lose internet be it from either local internet modem/ router or a carrier loss you may not see the status change was the only point I was making. I also had a rule false fire due to Generac web site being in a maintenance mode a few months back so it is a good that folks are reminded of the cloud dependency Well yes I also have my network and POE and servers and pretty much everything electronic on an APC 16kw Symmetra LX with 13 battery packs and I can run for well at least hour and a half on UPS alone so plenty of spare time for the genie to start up and switch everything over too. :laughing:

35

I have heard other folks say they have had issues with NUT mostly when used with USB not so much for the older serial connection. All of my UPS’s have a network card and I use snmp to monitor my UPS so I have not had the issues some folks see. I also used the APC powerchute for many years without issues as well. However, I recently moved to an alternate way of managing servers and workstations that are on my ups that involves Openhab exec binding, PowerShell and SH scripts it seems to work fine too, Now I do not have to have the older private java install that APC power Chute requires.

36

I was just sharing a recent experience and a useful way to use the binding, was not actually replying to any one post and not implying anything else :wink: Glad its useful for others.

37

not, for the longest time it had a dodgy NG regulator which the support vendor kept replacing, until they did it one more time this summer and used a new part supplier/mfr for the regulator… it’s behaving much better now