Rainforest Eagle 200 released

[Afrmthabay]

Hi, I have got my Eagle 200 hooked up to wattsvision and to pvoutput the only data I'm not getting is import I'm not sure if there is a setting to activate it. I also notice I do not get voltage and temperature but I'm not sure if that is possible

[sensij]

You are more intimate with this than I, so forgive me if I have misunderstood your last post.

I think we are basically saying the same thing, but let's look at it another way. Here are the common options I understand to get Eagle data to PVOutput, without digging into the pros and cons of each:

1) Eagle -> PUSH -> Wattvision -> PULL -> PVOutput
2) Eagle -> PULL -> Rainforest Cloud -> PULL -> PVOutput (this was what they were describing in the 6/25/16 email. The Rainforest Cloud doesn't store data and just acts as a relay, so it is really a single PULL command from PVOutput that gets passed through to your device)
3) Eagle -> PUSH -> PVOutput (this is the version they are referring to in the 8/2/16 email, that you are currently using)
4) Eagle -> PUSH -> Home Automation Server -> PUSH -> PVOuput
5) Eagle -> PULL -> Home Automation Server -> PUSH -> PVOuput (this is what I'm doing)

Of these 5 methods, if I'm understanding all of the Amazon reviews correctly, only #5 has been "crippled" in the Eagle-200. There is a review that positively affirms that #1 is intact, and as long as that one works, #3 and #4 will work too if the "cloud provider" is configured to a target other than Wattvision.

I'm a little bit skeptical of the Amazon review... even if the webserver on port 80 is shut down, it doesn't mean that the port 5002 communication is closed too, or that another local communication port isn't open. However, since communication on that port was never officially supported, it is more believable that it no longer exists.

[cebury]

The PUSH system is how the Eagle sends data to Wattvision, and other reviews suggest that functionality is intact. That means PVOutput's ability to accept the push data should also be intact, since it receives the data the same way as Wattvision. (PVOutput's ability to accept the PUSH data is new to me... I was so disappointed with the PULL approach to getting data from RFA's cloud server that I stopped following Eagle development for PVouput completely. With this approach, it makes Wattvision pretty unnecessary).

I am going off what PVO tech support has explained to me.


email dated june 25, 2016

​[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif][COLOR=#000000][B]Subject:[/B] Re: Stopped Updating on System ID: 42008[/COLOR][/FONT]
Hi,
The eagle service is not very reliable and will often respond with empty data. This is because it is [B]querying your eagle device directly and not data from the rainforest server.[/B]
We may be looking into having data pushed directly from the eagle to pvoutput instead.​​​​​​

followup email Aug 2, 2016

If you are still having issues with Eagle uploads, please try the Eagle Push service direct to PVOutput which is now available -
<deadlink>getsatisfaction.com/pvoutput/topics/eagle-push

That link is now dead.
I immediately installed the new method last year which just involved going into the Eagle settings and adding a new Cloud provider. It has been flawless, but of course requires flawless connectivity to your device at all times. No batch uploads or offline caching. They named this Eagle Post or Eagle Push depending on what part of their online docs and forum help you read. https://forum.pvoutput.org/t/rainfor...tion-eagle/163 is a more recent, but crummy reference. Their tech kept emailing me to get me to install it asap so he could monitor it but that was last August.

You are more intimate with this than I, so forgive me if I have misunderstood your last post.

[Afrmthabay]

I got mine in the mail yesterday but will need to call PG&E tomorrow to provide them my mac address and install code to register it with them before I can do anything.

[sensij]

SensiJ, i was reading through the reviews on Amazon of the new version and they stated this version of Rf 200 is crippled, one feature being removed is their Uploader Api. On my older 109, once I switched PVoutput to push based from the Rainforest itself, it is so much more reliable than standard pull based from wattvision, this would be impossible with new version.

The PUSH system is how the Eagle sends data to Wattvision, and other reviews suggest that functionality is intact. That means PVOutput's ability to accept the push data should also be intact, since it receives the data the same way as Wattvision. (PVOutput's ability to accept the PUSH data is new to me... I was so disappointed with the PULL approach to getting data from RFA's cloud server that I stopped following Eagle development for PVouput completely. With this approach, it makes Wattvision pretty unnecessary).

What I think that Amazon review is referring to is a variant of the PULL api that allowed communication directly through the LAN. In the uploading script I use, I talk directly to the Eagle using this command in an http POST using basic authorization, on port 5002. This bypasses any interaction with the cloud.

stEagle_Command_Body[0] = "<LocalCommand>";
stEagle_Command_Body[1] = "<Name>get_usage_data</Name>";
stEagle_Command_Body[2] = "<MacId><snipped></MacId>";
stEagle_Command_Body[3] = "</LocalCommand>";

As far as I know, this wasn't officially supported... the API document refers only to communication with the cloud server. Through the support ticket system, RFA had been willing to help shed some more light on how the <localcommand> system worked. They warned me that it could change without notice in a future firmware update, so I've been really cautious about doing updates since then.

The reviewer also notes the removal of a local webserver, which is probably related. I think I originally found the <localcommand> stuff by Wiresharking the communication between my computer and the Eagle when I was accessing it via its built-in webserver on port 80. If that webserver is gone, it might be that all direct LAN communication is gone (especially since they never advertised either of those as supported or documented)

I don't think I'll have a reason to buy one of the Eagle 200's for myself as long as my older one continues to work. I hope the OP or anyone who ends up buying it can follow up with their experience.

[cebury]

SensiJ, i was reading through the reviews on Amazon of the new version and they stated this version of Rf 200 is crippled, one feature being removed is their Uploader Api. On my older 109, once I switched PVoutput to push based from the Rainforest itself, it is so much more reliable than standard pull based from wattvision, this would be impossible with new version.

[jasonvr]

Nice, glad to see they have this product finally available. No worries about accuracy, it is communicating directly with your meter and reports exactly what it sees. You'll need another source of data if you want to separate out generation and consumption, since this only shows what is either imported from or exported to the grid.

A decent setup (usually 1-2% accurate on clear day, worse on cloudy days) would be:

Eagle -> Wattvision -> PVOutput
SolarEdge Inverter -> SolarEdge Portal -> PVOutput

Let PVOutput do the math to figure out consumption.

This is exactly my setup with the original Eagle. Once you donate it works fine. I do wonder if they fixed some of the problems with the original Eagle though. My locks up periodically and I would lose consumption data (really net data). I finally went and got a Wemo to plug it into and every night just before midnight it power cycles to keep it fresh

[sensij]

Hi, since I have Solaredge API entered as my automatic uploads is there another location where I would add my watts vision info on the pvoutput website ? Maybe donating allows for a secondary device.

Right, you can donate, and use the secondary device and enable "Net" calculations.

[Afrmthabay]

Hi, since I have Solaredge API entered as my automatic uploads is there another location where I would add my watts vision info on the pvoutput website ? Maybe donating allows for a secondary device.

[Afrmthabay]

Great I will buy it and after I set it up to wattvision I will figure what info I will need to enter on the pvoutput site which is already configured with solaredge. I think I might have to donate on pvoutput also.

[sensij]

Nice, glad to see they have this product finally available. No worries about accuracy, it is communicating directly with your meter and reports exactly what it sees. You'll need another source of data if you want to separate out generation and consumption, since this only shows what is either imported from or exported to the grid.

A decent setup (usually 1-2% accurate on clear day, worse on cloudy days) would be:

Eagle -> Wattvision -> PVOutput
SolarEdge Inverter -> SolarEdge Portal -> PVOutput

Let PVOutput do the math to figure out consumption.

[Afrmthabay]

Hi for consumption monitoring I am considering the newly released Rainforest Eagle 200. As far as accuracy should I be concerned with accurate reporting of consumption and what my solar panels generate since it requires no clamps and this is all done through the internet. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Here is the website https://rainforestautomation.com/

Here it is on amazon for sale https://www.amazon.com/Rainforest-Au.../dp/B07681Y7ZV