OK - one last Q and I’ll leave you alone.
Ho do I send AT commands to the shield?
Normally via the Arduino Serial Monitor but any Terminal app like Putty will do.
OK, I’ve been trying the SER monitor but getting no response - will keep trying and find a tutorial.
THNX for your patience!!! I really like the Blynk App and concept and want to make it work for me!
thnx
again!
billd
Suggests a problem with the baud rates. Some ESP’s come set as 9600, some as 115200, some as 74400 etc.
Try all the different settings.
You need to learn the AT commands when using the shield and that is why many go for the much easier standalone mode. If you start to get Serial Monitor output let us know and we’ll dig out the AT command for checking the firmware version (@vshymanskyy should be in your guidance notes).
Edit: AT+GMR should show you the firmware version (when Serial Monitor is working) to check against the approved versions in the WiKi link. You will probably have an approved firmware version but if you don’t you will need to flash the ESP with firmware available on the internet (I would go with the newest one on the WiKi list, currently):
AT version:1.1.0.0(May 11 2016 18:09:56)
SDK version:1.5.4(baaeaebb)
@Bill_Donnelly just to add when I say try all the different baud settings I only mean in Serial Monitor / Terminal app, NOT the ESP. As per the WiKi the ESP must be set to 9600 from the current factory settings with:
AT+UART_DEF=9600,8,1,0,0
or, for some firmware versions:
AT+CIOBAUD=9600
An ESP13 WiFi Shield thread that is well worth a read can be found at ESP-13 Web Server Serial WiFi Shield
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Just updated this article: https://github.com/blynkkk/blynk-library/wiki/ESP8266-with-AT-firmware
I hope it is easier to understand now.
Still haven’t got this working with ESP13 shield (need to flash the firmware.)
I did have success with a WeMos D1 shield, Blynking away nicely! My next step is with standalone ESP8266 to learn basics, then try to decipher the additional variables in shields.
Thnx again for your help!
Ditch the shields mate! The ESP8266 (WeMos D1 Mini or NodeMCU clones) do everything by themselves! 
Yes, agree!
I’ve only been playing with these for about six weeks and have very quickly come to the conclusion that standalone ESPs are the way to go, the shields aren’t worth the hassle! Downside of the WeMos though is D outputs are only 3.3v, won’t drive relay modules. I’ve got some hardware on the way for first “standalone” project, Nano + ESP + Relay turn on coffee machine (it’s for my wife, have to justify all the time in the garage 
).
Says who? I drive my 5v relay’s just fine from the power supply… then the GPIO signal from the ESP is fine 
Similar project of mine "SONOFF Clone" - Mini-ESP8266 Power AC Relay Controller
Tried it yesterday, wouldn’t trigger the output of the relay. The red LED lights but the relay doesn’t trigger.
Will have a look again later.
Thnx.
Tried it again today, still no go. The red led on the relay module flickers but the 3.3v isn’t enough to throw the 5V relay. As soon as I put a level converter inline it worked perfect. (Tested on the coffee maker. The WeMos D1 shield may be limiting the current? I have some standalone ESPs on order, will try them without the shield).
Anyway, still learning as I go (a lot of this I knew 20-odd years ago … .re-learning is more apt 
cul
billd
You should really be powering it from a seperate power source and not USB.
Follow the power part of the wire diagram below
You need to split the power so the d1 and relay are powered in parallel
In your photo… is that a level shifter in the middle?
Yep, did it. no change. Your diag is how I have it connected.
(Its the trigger logic level, 3.3v isn’t high enough for the relay I have. The diode is onboard the module, separate 5V supply from the 3.3v trigger.) No probs now that i now what I’m looking for. I’ll either use level converters or 3.3v relays from now on.
The final project will be powered direct from the mains feed through a PSU module so that I need need an external DC source.
You havn’t followed the diagram because I cant see the ground from the breadboard power connected to the D1 (which is important for creating the circuit for the signal)
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I wouldn’t connect the power from the breadboard to the Wemos!!.. now you feeding 5v into a 3.3v board.
But the shared ground IS necessary to make the circuit work properly.
The Wemos can take up to 9V because it has a linear voltage regulator on the dev board.
@Jamin True, as long as he uses the VIN port… but someone might inadvertently use the wrong power port - I should have said “potentially feeding 5v into a 3.3v board” 
Besides in @Bill_Donnelly case, it is just adding extra troubleshooting issues. As long as he is tethered to the USB, all he needs is the shared ground.
I would also try different signal ports, just in case PIN13 has issues, or the internal LED circuit is somehow draining a bit of current (the Wemos D1 does have an LED on PIN13, right?).
I thought that would be obvious 
In saying that, I happily run my WeMos D1 mini from 5V plugged in to the 3.3V pin.
In his case yes, but best practice should mean that the power from the strongest source should be used… the usb being plugged in at the same time wont hurt anything.