Connecting your charger

Pair your charger once: copy one code from VictronConnect and paste it in.

---

📖 On this page

• Where to find the code
• Entering it
• How do I know it worked?

To read your charger, WinterDash needs its Bluetooth code — Victron calls this the encryption key, part of its "Instant Readout" feature.

Your charger needs Instant Readout — a fairly recent Victron feature (charger firmware 3.61 or newer). If you don't see it in VictronConnect, update the charger's firmware in the app first.

Where to find the code

In VictronConnect (a free Victron app, separate from WinterDash):

1. Connect to your Blue Smart charger and open its Settings (the gear icon).
2. Tap the ⋮ menu (top-right) and choose Product info.
3. Scroll to Instant readout via Bluetooth — make sure it's Enabled — then under Instant readout details → Encryption data, tap SHOW.
4. Copy the Encryption Key (and the MAC Address too, if WinterDash asks for it).

It should be 32 characters. If VictronConnect shows only 31, reset the charger's Bluetooth PIN in the app to get the full 32-character key — WinterDash needs all of it.

   

_{⋮ → Product info → Encryption data · SHOW → copy the Encryption Key. (The key and MAC are redacted in this screenshot.)}

This is a one-time step. WinterDash stores the code on the device itself and never sends it anywhere.

Entering it

• Open the WinterDash web page (see the web dashboard for how to find its address), go to Settings → Charger pairing, and paste the code (and the charger's Bluetooth address if it asks).
• Within a few seconds it should start showing live readings.

How do I know it worked?

• A device with a screen shows the voltage and a word like Charging or Charged.
• A screenless device: the status light settles into a slow "all good" heartbeat, and the web page shows readings.
• If it stays on Waiting for charger, double-check the code, and that the charger is powered on and nearby — more on that in Reading your WinterDash.

That's it — you're set for the winter. Glance whenever you like — on the device screen, your phone, or Home Assistant.

Related

• Reading your WinterDash — what the readings mean
• The web dashboard — the full view on your phone
• Home Assistant — optional