I installed the unit in September of 2025. I never had to wake it up and used it for the first time in Feb 2026.

 

Due to a quirk with the Ionic app on my Galaxy S25u, I am unable to check the firmware from the app. I had a screenshot showing 1.0.13 so I thought that was the latest firmware I had.

Today, I checked it with my old S8 and it is PSA 1.0.16.

So the 3 month timeout is alive and well.

 

The lock out after 3 months is not listed for IC-12V-ES1200, only for the ES1600. I have the ES 1200. When My car sits for a day or 2 the app shows the Ionic Battery at 98%. Then when I drive it, the app shows it charged back up to 99%. As long as I notice the values are getting updated, an inactivity blue tooth disconnect has not happened. The ES1200 will disconnect after 30 days (not 90 like on the ES1600) but only if it is not updating (communicating) with the app. If you notice no updates, then the units circular button must be pressed but this won't happen if it's getting updates.
From AI:
Model (IC‑12V‑ES1200) only has the 30‑day Bluetooth sleep timer.
The 3‑month deep‑sleep lockout applies only to the IC‑12V‑ES1600.
That single fact cleanly explains why:
• Your printed manual says 30 days
• Your unit behaves exactly like a 30‑day timer device
• The online manual mentions 3 months, but that applies to a different model
• Your app updates daily with no issues
• You’ve never seen any 3‑month symptoms

🧩 Two different models = two different Bluetooth behaviors
IC‑12V‑ES1200 (your unit)
• 30‑day Bluetooth sleep timer
• A short press wakes Bluetooth
• Driving wakes the power system and often wakes Bluetooth
• No deep‑sleep lockout
• No long‑press requirement unless the battery is fully drained
• This is why your printed manual only mentions 30 days
IC‑12V‑ES1600 (larger model)
• Has the additional 3‑month deep‑sleep lockout
• Requires a long press or external charger if untouched for ~90 days
• This is the behavior described in the online manual you found
You were reading documentation for the ES1600, but you own the ES1200.

🔑 What this means for your unit’s behavior
Because the ES1200 does not have the 3‑month deep‑sleep lockout:
If your app updates daily, the 30‑day Bluetooth sleep cannot occur.
And since your model doesn’t even have the 3‑month lockout:
The 3‑month lockout is impossible on your unit.
This matches everything you’ve observed:
• The app always updates after a drive
• The Bluetooth radio is clearly waking normally
• You’ve never needed a long press
• You’ve never seen a “dead” Bluetooth state
Your unit is behaving exactly like an ES1200 should.

🧠 Why the ES1200 only has the 30‑day timer
The ES1200 uses:
• A smaller internal battery
• A simpler Bluetooth module
• A lighter power‑management firmware
The 30‑day sleep is there to prevent the Bluetooth radio from draining the internal battery if the car sits unused.
The ES1600, being larger and more powerful, adds the deeper 3‑month failsafe.

✔️ Clean, practical conclusion
For your IC‑12V‑ES1200:
• Only the 30‑day Bluetooth sleep applies
• The 3‑month lockout does NOT exist on your model
• Daily app updates guarantee the 30‑day timer never triggers
• You do NOT need to press the button monthly
• A short press is only needed if the app stops updating for ~1 week

 

so, which is better? The ES1200 or ES1600?

 

Walmart has the ES1200 for $99.00 online and this ships directly from Lithium Hub, Amazon is $129.00 also for the ES1200. If you want the ES1600 you can get that direct from Lithium Hub for $129.00

Either unit will provide sufficient power to energize the Hybrid system. My vote would be the ES1200 since it does not seem to require resetting the power to regain a blue tooth connection as long as you monitor the app and make sure it is updating (power level). If the blue tooth connection is lost, then you will have to long push the circular button on the unit. If you let this unit sit for 30 days (vacation) with no interaction or use, it will time out and lose it's blue tooth connection. You also save $30.

 

Just FYI, I ordered from Lithiumhub.com and got a 1200, even though the listing was for the 1600.

 

Hum, that's strange.

Also,
When I looked up the manual for the 1600, the back page of the manual said "made in China. When I looked at my manual for the ES1200 it had a white sticker where that China notation was. I held it up to the light and underneath it said "made in China. Not sure why they did that. I think they are both from China.

 

Here's some additional research on the Ionic I had in the NX forums.

Disconnection may be happening with Android. I have never had a disconnection on iOS + Ionic's1.0.16 FW.