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The Hub in winter and in hot weather: charging

The Hub has a built-in rechargeable battery that the solar panel charges. You do not replace the battery. Without sun, the Hub works for up to 2 weeks. When there is little sun, charge it through USB-C. In hot weather, the Hub stops charging when the temperature inside is more than 50 °C. This is a protection, not a defect.

In winter and when there is little sun

  • The Hub works for up to 2 weeks without sunlight.
  • Install the Hub 1-2 m above the ground. Lower, the panel can get too little light, mostly in winter.
  • Point the panel to the sun, with no shade. Tilt at least 20°, recommended 30-50°.
  • When there is little sun, charge the Hub through USB-C. A power bank is sufficient.
  • You can supply power to the Hub permanently through USB-C. The Hub must stay outdoors and nothing can cover it.
  • If the Hub is discharged, do not restart it. After charging, it starts to work again by itself and connects to the devices.

In hot weather

The Hub charges only when the temperature inside it is not more than 50 °C. If the Hub is installed on the south side and the weather is hot, the temperature inside can be up to approximately 70 °C. Then the Hub stops charging. Thus full sun all day can stop the charging. When the temperature decreases, charging starts again by itself.

In hot weather give the Hub a little shade, for example a spot that gets shade around midday. Do not cover the solar panel all day: the panel still needs sun to charge.

How to check the Hub battery

Open the apiary → ⋮ → Settings → section Hub → Battery. States: Charged, OK, Low, Depleted, No data. The Hub battery icon is also on the apiary tile. Apisense PRO AI

The app does not show if the Hub is charging now. The Hub LED shows only the start of charging.

External DC power supply

You can charge the Hub from an external 12 V power supply. If the Hub charges slowly or discharges quickly, check the plug. The Hub needs a 2.1/5.5 mm DC plug, pushed in fully. A 2.5 mm plug does not give a good contact. Details: Troubleshooting: Hub.

When the Hub does not charge in the sun

  1. Check the temperature. In hot weather this is normal. Wait until it is cooler.
  2. Make sure that the panel is not in the shade.
  3. Check the panel tilt: at least 20°.
  4. Connect the Hub to a USB-C charger.

The problem continues? Write to bee@apisense.ai.

See also