Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

After our array went on line a couple weeks ago, I found myself going out to the electric meter with a clipboard every day, sometimes more than once a day, to track our electric generation and usage.  Over the weekend, I threw together a Palm (PDA) application to gather this data.  I intend to release it as freeware (and open source, it's really trivial) in case someone else can use it.  Maybe someone here is interested, and can give me feedback? I'm still tweaking it.

http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/pvlog/pvlog.htm

Frankly, given the small fraction of the population that has Grid-Tied Arrays, intersected with the small fraction that use Palm PDAs, it would not shock me that the number of interested people is equal to 1 (myself)...

All the Best,
  Roderick.

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    If it works with the Treo 600 (Palm OS, 160x160 lo res screen) I'm VERY interested.

    Will it take spreadsheet input from logging programs? (GT-VIEW for Xantanx)


    UPDATE:
    It does run, and no crashes on Treo 600. I'll try to enter some data when I have a chance this weekend.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • Roderick
    Roderick Solar Expert Posts: 253 ✭✭
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    It should work on the Treo 600, but obviously, I haven't tested it on there.

    The idea is that the Palm program will output a file of tab-separated values to a PC, where Excel or some other spreadsheet can consume it. I'd imagine you could merge in your inverter data at that point, but that's beyond the scope of the program. All I wanted to do was have a handy notepad to record my readings manually.

    If I could just pry the IR protocol out of PG&E, this program could be great - just walk up to the digital utility meter, point the Palm at it, and one click to capture everything, just like a meter reader.
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    thats awesome, good for you! i wish i could program, i was looking for a way to extract data from my pentametric battery meter that has a serial interface (and windows software), but i wanted it for linux and they have no support for linux.

    supposedly my grid connected inverter has adataport and supposedly one day (solectria) they will finish the software.. i suppose i should check on that agian.. cool, wish i had xantrex just so i could try your software
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    Well.
    I guess I need a doc reader for my PDA. The files are not in straight .txt format, I can read them with a hex editor, but not with a .txt reader I guess a .doc reader will have a matching PC version, so I can copy the file and import it to a spreadsheet?

    Any suggested freeware doc reader for PDA?
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    ive used mobipocket reader on my pocketpc for years to read books. i am pretty sure they have a palm version and its free
  • Roderick
    Roderick Solar Expert Posts: 253 ✭✭
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    If you look here

    http://sourceforge.net/projects/palmtextsync/

    you will find the program that I use to automatically transfer DOC files to .txt files on my PC. It take some configuring, but once it's set up, it's very convenient. You will find a folder on your PC that (biidirectionally) mirrors all your DOC files.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use
    Roderick wrote:


    http://sourceforge.net/projects/palmtextsync/
    It take some configuring, but once it's set up, it's very convenient. You will find a folder on your PC that (biidirectionally) mirrors all your DOC files.

    I'll say, it's not very intuitive and the manual isn't much better. But it looks like it will be easier than copy & paste to memo pad
    Thanks
    UPdate - got it working, and it's pretty nifty.
    thanks again.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    who the heck is mongomery burns

    sourceforge is a treasure trove!!
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use
    mattl wrote:
    who the heck is mongomery burns

    best explained here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_Burns

    Wealthy plutrocrat, AKA Charles Montgomery Burns. Owns Springfield Nuclear Power, and in an effort to increase revenues, created a giant sunshade for the entire town, so more folks would have to turn on lights, and consume His electricity.

    Blinky, the fish in my avatar, is a three-eyed fish caught by Bart Simpson. Mr. Burns defends the fish saying that it's the next step in evolution, rather than having been mutated by toxic waste pouring out of the sewers and into the river from the nuclear plant.

    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    oh cool, thanks for info. that doesn't have any parallels currently does it? :| :roll:
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    wow matt, i'm amazed you never heard of or at least watched the simpsons to see monty. i don't watch it much as that station doesn't always come in well(no cable), but even only the few occasions i've watched i know of him. you are a rare one matt. hmmm. maybe another pv or 2 will allow you to power a tv. :roll: just kidding. :-D
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Palm program for tracking Time-of-Use

    ironically we just ordered a cable upgrade YESERDAY! (mostly for kids and nature channels and movies). no, i dont watch much tv almpost out of principal. alot of the stuff disgusts me morally.i rent a LOT of movies. i checked out simpsons once in the 90s. not my cup of tea.