If I’m not mistaken, HA does not have more integration for the Wifi module. Thermostat control only.
I would like to know if the Wifi module cannot be modified in any way to send and receive MQTT.
The Balboa wifi module can’t reliably send wifi!
1 Like
Hi David, I am experiencing the same, connection drops without reason.
Were you able to fix this?
Hi Jurgen,
No its just a very poor product unfortunately. Turning off and on often resolves it, though it loses it again. Sorry I couldn’t help further.
1 Like
No problem, I asked if I could receive a new more recent WiFi module, fingers crossed 
I’ve found that a daily restart of the container re-initializes the connection. This has been working for me for about 10-months now.
crontab entry
0 2 * * * cronic /usr/local/bin/docker-compose -f /mnt/media/docker-configs/bwalink/docker-compose.yaml restart >/dev/null 2>&1
1 Like
Thanks Jim and Cody for your hard work. Got the system working relatively easily. Had some stumbles but that’s probably to do with my lack of python knowledge.
This is working with a balboa SIBP601X using a TP500 panel. I’m running it on a pi 3b.
Cheers
Icehouse
Awesome to hear and thanks for reporting back @IsaacDoo. I’m coming up on the 1-year anniversary of running this solution and it’s been pretty great. I get an alert when I lose connection to the tub. I had a heating element fail due to a leak in the gasket. I was able to get to it quickly and prevent any more damage to the tub.
Just wanted to chime in to say a huge thank you. I’ve yet to see how long this solution will last for, but I was able to easily replace the stock Balboa WiFi Module with the Elfin-EW11A-0 RS-485 adapter to get our Balboa spa talking over MQTT.
Right now I’m looking into setting up a templated generic_thermostat so I can get the spa reading as a proper climate control. I’ll see how well the entity select.bwa_link_hot_tub_heating_mode could work if made into a toggle for the heater config var in generic_thermostat. If that doesn’t work I might just shim it and have a templated input that does nothing.
Again, thanks for this. Our biggest use case will be a notification system if the water temperature drops too low. We had to replace our last spa due to the pipes freezing while we were away, so this is a much needed integration.
1 Like
Hi, this is amazing information. And there is no better power saving that automate the temperature of your spa. I have the Balbao BP6013G1 and want to connect it with my HA. I don’t have the wifi module of Balbao (too expensive and no fun at all)
I’m a bit confused of the choice I have: use the RS-485 to usb with a raspberry pi or use the rs-485 to wifi from eg Elfin EW11. In this topic you are explaining how to use the usb version with raspberry, but on the your github page “bwalink”, you are explaining the easier option with the Elfin module. Especially the flexible voltage input makes it easy.
I have a MQTT broker active on my HA. Can I just use the Elfin solution? And then auto discover the entities once the serial to IP is connected to my wifi?
Thank you very much. Great work, mister Shank!
Go with the Elfin solution if you can order one, you know how supply chain is. Once you have it, just follow the directions to turn up the docker container and the rest just works.
It was easier to write the first version in this post and then point to the github page for future improvements.
1 Like
Is there a way of running the docker container on a raspberry? In my (admittedly limited) understanding of docker this seems to only be built for AMD64?
I have the hardware with Elfin all wired up but stuck on the container
Sorry to say I have no experience running Docker on a RPi. However, if you look at the Dockerfile in my Github, you can see the “recipe” for how I create it and likely replicate with an RPI. I’m just installing ruby, balboa_worldwide_app and socat. You can then look at my docker-entrypoint.sh for how they are launched. You could create a bash script to launch or even create a service that automatically starts for you on boot-up.
1 Like
Followed your “recipe” and now I have a connection, thanks! 
Hi, I received the Eflink ew11a and the atx cable. I planned to install it. But I noticed that I have the GS510DZ Balboa, so no jumpers that fit an atx cable. I do see that the control panel is connected to J1, which is a RJ45 port. There is a free RJ45 port J2.
Should I try to create an UTP cable, cut the other sides, isolate all 8 wires and try to find out with the multimeter what could be the ground, voltage and the rs485±?
Looking at the manual it shows J1 for “IR Receiver Module”. If it’s an actual control panel, you might be in business but if it really is just and IR receiver and the spa has an IR remote, there may be problems. If you can get to the panel itself, take a look at what wires are terminated and if there is any labeling on the other side that would indicate if the connection is RS-485 based. Pictures would help if you can add them.
Hi Jim,
First of all, thank you so much for taking the effort to answer and help me out with this. It’s so much appreciated. It took some time to answer, since I wanted to investigate further and give more information. I contacted the supplier, the reseller… No answers from that side. I tried to take clear pictures, but the control panel is unreachable. You can see something on the pictures.
The control panel is a Balboa VL801D. balboa VL801D - Google Search
You can connect it to the J1 or J2 of the balboa controller GS510DZ unit. It seems like those jumpers are more than only a connection for IR. On the (bad) pictures, you can see that it uses all 8 cables in de RJ45 connector.
It’s probably a bad idea to connect a network cable from J2 to the Elfin and see what happens?
Imagine that it is that simple…
Thanks for sharing the pics. It would have been nice if they had only terminated 4 of the connections so we knew which wires to play with 
I wouldn’t try just plugging it in. It would be nice if it worked but dumping the 16VDC pin into anything other than the power input is likely to let out the magic smoke. I’d get an RJ-45 breakout board and a multimeter and start testing. Take a look at the WHAT IF I’M UNSURE? section of Balboa board protocol - Google Docs for the testing procedure. You should be able to track down a ground, V+ at around 15VDC and two other pins that read around 7-12VDC (they will flick on and off so you’ll have to watch closely). They will always be opposite of each other.
If you can find out power and data pins, it’s okay if you get the data pins wrong on the first pass. You can just swap them. Let me know how it goes!
1 Like
As you have the GS series, you should try using GitHub - MagnusPer/Balboa-GS510SZ: An Arduino/esp8266 library to direct interface Balboa Serie GS (GS510SZ) hot tube control system.
1 Like
Just received that RJ-45 breakout board and planned to read out the J1 port.
Damn, back to the drawing board. Thank you, netmindz for letting me know.
That looks quite complicating if you compare it with the Elfin RS485 solution.
I’m afraid it will be too difficult for me, using a OR-gate and a Wemos D1… 