The Onboarding Wizard (First Launch Setup)#

When you open GenDash for the first time, a setup wizard walks you through five steps. You can configure them immediately or skip them and adjust later from the Settings or Garage tabs.

1 Location & Environment#

  • Why it matters: Altitude and temperature drastically affect engine performance. A generator at 6,000 feet loses ~18% of its capacity, and extreme cold adds further thermal inefficiency.
  • Setup: Grant Location Access when prompted. GenDash automatically fetches your elevation and current local temperature from a public weather service (completely privately; your location is never saved or shared).
  • Manual Fallback: If skipped, you can toggle GPS off and manually enter these values in Settings > Environment. (Note: Elevation/temperature penalties do not apply to battery-powered stations).

2 Smart Home Bridge (Optional)#

  • Why it matters: If you use Home Assistant (HA), GenDash can automatically pull real-time energy sensor readings from your home network to calculate live fuel burn.
  • Setup:
    1. Enter your Local URL (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8123) and optionally a Remote URL for cellular data fallback.
    2. Paste a Long-Lived Access Token (generated from the very bottom of your Home Assistant Profile page).
  • Manual Fallback: Skip this step if you prefer manual entry using tactile sliders.

3 Add Your First Generator#

Access this step during onboarding, or anytime via the Garage tab -> + button.

Browse over 60 pre-configured models (Honda, Yamaha, Generac, Champion, Predator, EcoFlow, Jackery, etc.) to instantly load accurate engine curves and specifications.

3.2 Enter Custom Specs#

Fill in critical details for custom or unlisted models:

  • Technology Type: Inverter (variable speed/Eco Mode), Traditional (constant 3600 RPM), or Battery/Power Station.
  • Tank/Battery Capacity: Litres (for combustion engines) or Watt-hours (Wh) for power stations.
  • Watts: Continuous rated capacity and maximum peak surge capacity.

4 Notifications & Critical Alerts#

  • Why it matters: Outages are unpredictable. You need to know immediately if the fuel tank is empty or if the generator stalled unexpectedly, even if you are asleep.
  • Setup: Authorize standard notifications. Ensure you explicitly enable Critical Alerts so high-priority engine stalls or low-fuel warnings can bypass your iPhone’s mute switch and Focus/Do Not Disturb modes.

5 Planning Your Load (Appliances)#

  • Why it matters: Telling GenDash what you plan to run allows the engine to pre-calculate your load and provide an accurate initial Time to Empty (TTE) countdown from the second you start.
  • Setup: Select common household appliances from the templates (e.g., Kitchen Fridge, Chest Freezer, Sump Pump, CPAP, lighting). These loads are pre-filled with standard running wattages which you can edit at any time.

Active Outage Control (Your First Run)#

Once setup is complete, you are ready to start monitoring.

1 Launching the Run#

Tap the large green Start Run button on the dashboard. Choose one of three starting pathways:

1.1 Guided Start Wizard#

Walk through step-by-step to input precise starting fuel/battery level, verify which planned appliances are actively turned on, and toggle Eco Mode.

1.2 Quick Start (Full Capacity)#

Instantly starts a session assuming the tank or battery is at 100% capacity.

1.3 Use Saved Settings#

Starts instantly using the retained load and fuel metrics from your previous run.

⚠️ Safety Gate (The 110% Rule): If the total sum of your active Appliances and Manual Loads exceeds 110% of your generator’s rated capacity, the Start button will disable to prevent physical damage. Shed load to proceed.

2 Monitoring in Real-Time#

2.1 Live Activities#

Swipe to your Lock Screen or look at the Dynamic Island at the top of your screen to see your live Time to Empty (TTE) countdown and current wattage without opening the app.

2.2 Refuel Mid-Session#

If you pour gas or swap a propane tank, tap Fuel on the dashboard dock. Select a preset (e.g., 50%, 100%) or enter an exact volume. The TTE countdown adjusts instantly.

2.3 Adjust Loads#

Tap Watts on the dock to toggle appliances or slide manual wattages up and down using high-precision tactile sliders.

3 Stopping the Run#

Tap the red Stop button. Choose your resolution:

  • Stop Engine: Pauses the countdown timer (e.g., overnight shutdown) but keeps the run active for tomorrow.
  • Finish Run & Save: Saves duration, fuel used, and operating costs to your Logbook.
  • Finish Run and Delete: Discards the session data (best for tests).

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