bike computer wonkiness

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have a Cateye Enduro 2 bike computer (its a year and half old). When I went to get my bike out
of my house for a ride this morning I noticed that the display is missing parts of digits. Any
thoughts on whether this would be a problem with the computer itself or with a low battery? Don't
want to spring for a new battery if I need a new unit as they usually include the battery.

I've tried resetting the computer first (all clear operation) with no luck. The manual mentions
nothing about partial digits, it says when the battery is low the digits will fade (the parts of
digits I can see are quite bright)

Now the unit is supposed to be waterproof, but I know that nothing is ever completely waterproof
🙂 Could water have done this? My previous

ABsolutely. I would say this is probably your most like culprit. My suggestion would be to bring it
in, remove the battery cover and battery, and set it someplace warm and dry for a couple of days to
see if it comes back.

Quoted message said:

ride was in the pouring rain, and its doubtful I would have even looked at it when I came in last
to notice this.

Also I notice in the manual specs that the operating temperatures of the computer are 32F/0C and
above. If I use it below freezing will it just not display properly then, but be fine again once
it warms up? Or

Probably. LCD's tend to get very slow responding in the cold, and may not respond at all, but will
usually work find when they warm back up again.

Quoted message said:

should I avoid using it altogether below freezing? The last ride was above freezing as it was
raining (and not freezing rain) but I have been out below freezing in the last little while
as well.

Mine (different brand, though) sat out all winter last year in an unheated garage with a few
temperatures below zero (F), and was fine when it warmed up in the spring.

Quoted message said:

Finally, if I need a new computer, any recommendations? I like this one and its pretty cheap, but
I was thinking some new functionality

I like my Specialized SpeedZone Pro, but it's definitely not cheap (by my standards anyway - $90 or
so). It does have all the standard bike computer functions, including cadence and altitude. No heart
rate monitor, though, as some of he expensive ones have.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

[email hidden] (Tanya Quinn) spake thusly on or about Tue, 16 Dec 2003
18:07:20 UTC

-> Also I notice in the manual specs that the operating temperatures of -> the computer are 32F/0C
and above. If I use it below freezing will it -> just not display properly then, but be fine again
once it warms up?

mine has worked, slowly, down to -38 C. while the display is slow to update the trip distance is
always about right once it warms up again.

--
I hurt before the ride so fibro gives me a head start on the rest of the pack. silver lining?
[email hidden]

On 16 Dec 2003 10:07:20 -0800, [email hidden] (Tanya Quinn)

Quoted message said:

I have a Cateye Enduro 2 bike computer (its a year and half old). When I went to get my bike out of
my house for a ride this morning I noticed that the display is missing parts of digits. Any
thoughts on

Try pressing on the display. LCDs, IME, can get wonky and are then easily put into place by a little
pressure (too much damages them, though). Just press until you see it get colorful. If there's a
clear screen over the LCD preventing you from pressing on it, then (obviously) stop before you break
the cover.

Quoted message said:

whether this would be a problem with the computer itself or with a low battery? Don't want to
spring for a new battery if I need a new unit as they usually include the battery.

Could be a battery; try it on a voltmeter, or a battery meter. The battery will probably be labeled
with it's voltage, so you would just need to find a battery meter for that voltage.

Quoted message said:

ever completely waterproof 🙂 Could water have done this? My previous ride was in the pouring rain,
and its doubtful I would have even looked at it when I came in last to notice this.

As mentioned by David, that is likely to be the problem. He suggested taking the battery cover
off to dry it; I'd add that you may be able to easily disassemble the whole case and remove all
the guts, which should be all attached to eachother and just get sandwiched between the two
halves of the case.

Quoted message said:

the computer are 32F/0C and above. If I use it below freezing will it just not display properly
then, but be fine again once it warms up? Or

I think it won't compute properly at low temperatures, although the LCD could fail too.

Quoted message said:

should I avoid using it altogether below freezing? The last ride was

I don't think freezing temperature alone will damage anything. Does anybody know if the "Liquid" in
LCD is actually a liquid, and if so, if it will expand enough when it freezes to leak out or damage
it's container?

Quoted message said:

above freezing as it was raining (and not freezing rain) but I have been out below freezing in the
last little while as well.

If water got in and froze, it could damage something when it expands.

Quoted message said:

Finally, if I need a new computer, any recommendations? I like this one and its pretty cheap,
but I was thinking some new functionality like cadence or altitude might be interesting. Or
something fancy

You like Cateye; stick with that company. I love my Cateye Astrale, which does cadence. The cadence
registers much faster on it; I think it continues to measure cadence when I'm looking at some other
number, so when I switch to cadence, it's all ready for me. My Trek and Specialized computers with
cadence wait until you switch to cadence, and then need to register a couple seconds worth of
pedalling.

Quoted message said:

where I can download stats for a ride? Although something that would fit in the same harness would
be nice as I have a harness for this computer on two different bikes. Are most of the Cateye's
interchangeable this way, or would I need to get the same model?

I imagine that the new "8" series from Cateye, which seems to have replaced all their old models,
does not fit in their old harnesses. Further, your harness is probably not equipped for cadence.

Quoted message said:

Thanks! Tanya

--
Rick Onanian

Tanya Quinn said:

I have a Cateye Enduro 2 bike computer (its a year and half old). When I went to get my bike out
of my house for a ride this morning I noticed that the display is missing parts of digits. Any
thoughts on whether this would be a problem with the computer itself or with a low battery?

Probably not battery. Some LCDs in very compact electronics do not have permanent connections to the
rest of the circuitry. Contacts simply press against mating contacts of a circuit board. If pressure
that should keep the LCD against the PC board board is somehow releaved -
e.g. by a missing screw or broken screw stud - it is possible for one or more contacts not to touch
their mates, resulting in either a dead display or one or more missing segments. Depending on
the particular computer, it's also possible for heavy condensation inside it to interfere with
drive signals to the LCD. This final nasty is one reason why I don't ever unnecessarily leave
my computer outdoors, keep it indoors where it can stay warm and dry.

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message > Try pressing on the display. LCDs, IME, can get
wonky and are then

Quoted message said:

easily put into place by a little pressure (too much damages them, though). Just press until you
see it get colorful. If there's a clear screen over the LCD preventing you from pressing on it,
then (obviously) stop before you break the cover.

I tried this out both before (with cover) and after disassembly.

Quoted message said:

Could be a battery; try it on a voltmeter, or a battery meter. The battery will probably be
labeled with it's voltage, so you would just need to find a battery meter for that voltage.

I was able to find another device in my house with the same battery type (and a known working
battery) so I tried it out but doesn't seem to be the battery.

Quoted message said:

As mentioned by David, that is likely to be the problem. He suggested taking the battery cover off
to dry it; I'd add that you may be able to easily disassemble the whole case and remove all the
guts, which should be all attached to eachother and just get sandwiched between the two halves of
the case.

Well having already basically resigned that I'd probably need a new one I disassembled the whole
case. However the main two parts of the case were epoxyed together, so I'm not sure if I'm able to
fix it that it will go back together again properly. The contacts appear corroded on the main board.
I was going to try to clean them with a bit of rubbing alcohol and then I had no more thoughts past
that. (didn't get to it yet, couldn't find my rubbing alcohol)

It did work properly despite the display being wonky though. It added the right number of km to the
odometer when I went for a ride, fortunately I had some ideas of the readings to interpret the
partial digits 🙂

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

above freezing as it was raining (and not freezing rain) but I have been out below freezing in
the last little while as well.

If water got in and froze, it could damage something when it expands.

Makes sense, it just seems odd that it would freeze, as it wasn't that cold, the ride was fairly
short, and I brought the bike indoors when I came home. I'm curious why the device failed so I can
avoid similar failure in the future. Should I just take the computer off when the weather is not so
great? (I really like having all my mileage recorded though, its a good motivator)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Finally, if I need a new computer, any recommendations? I like this one and its pretty cheap,
but I was thinking some new functionality like cadence or altitude might be interesting. Or
something fancy

You like Cateye; stick with that company. I love my Cateye Astrale, which does cadence. The
cadence registers much faster on it; I

Well I don't like how fast it failed 🙂 Or is this just a strange fluke and all computers would be
similar in that regard?

Quoted message said:

I imagine that the new "8" series from Cateye, which seems to have replaced all their old models,
does not fit in their old harnesses. Further, your harness is probably not equipped for cadence.

Doh. Cateye seems to charge an exorbitant amount of money (relative to the whole unit) for a second
harness. I think last time I wondered when buying the harness and magnet why not just buy the unit
to get those plus a battery which I'll need eventually anyway, and a unit for like a buck or two
more than the three other items separate. But I thought why do I need a spare unit. Now I know 🙂

On 17 Dec 2003 09:17:41 -0800, [email hidden] (Tanya Quinn)

Quoted message said:

Well having already basically resigned that I'd probably need a new one I disassembled the whole
case. However the main two parts of the case were epoxyed together, so I'm not sure if I'm able to
fix it that it will go back together again properly. The contacts appear corroded

Cut the epoxy with a Dremel. Re-assemble with epoxy or silicone caulk or nearly anything else.

Quoted message said:

on the main board. I was going to try to clean them with a bit of rubbing alcohol and then I had no
more thoughts past that. (didn't get to it yet, couldn't find my rubbing alcohol)

If you're a heavy drinker, 190 proof grain alcohol that you probably have around is sufficient (for
this and many other cleaning tasks).

Quoted message said:

failure in the future. Should I just take the computer off when the weather is not so great? (I
really like having all my mileage recorded though, its a good motivator)

Just ride it and replace it when it breaks. Maybe put a sandwich bag or other clear food packaging
material over it in bad weather.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You like Cateye; stick with that company. I love my Cateye Astrale, which does cadence. The
cadence registers much faster on it; I

Well I don't like how fast it failed 🙂 Or is this just a strange fluke and all computers would be
similar in that regard?

My Cateye has been in the rain only once or twice, and never in heavy rain or cold weather. It
survived that well, though.

Quoted message said:

Doh. Cateye seems to charge an exorbitant amount of money (relative to the whole unit) for a second
harness. I think last time I wondered

That's not limited to Cateye. It's a rare computer I've found whose harness can be bought at
a reasonable price. I suspect that the unit itself may be less expensive to manufacture than
the harness.

Quoted message said:

when buying the harness and magnet why not just buy the unit to get those plus a battery which I'll
need eventually anyway, and a unit for like a buck or two more than the three other items separate.
But I thought why do I need a spare unit. Now I know 🙂

Sometimes I see computers with a second harness included or available cheaply, and that's their main
selling point.

Nashbar item NA-VLA, $14.41 computer with two harnesses. Nice features, but no cadence.

Nashbar item BC-371, $7.99 extra harness for Sigma Sport models. (lots of Sigma harnesses for
that price)

Nashbar item CE-9300, $9.99 Cateye Mity/Enduro harness. Hey, that's a reasonable price!
--
Rick Onanian

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Tanya Quinn
I have a Cateye Enduro 2 bike computer (its a year and half old). When I went to get my bike out of
my house for a ride this morning I noticed that the display is missing parts of digits. Any thoughts
on whether this would be a problem with the computer itself or with a low battery? Don't want to
spring for a new battery if I need a new unit as they usually include the battery.

I've tried resetting the computer first (all clear operation) with no luck. The manual mentions
nothing about partial digits, it says when the battery is low the digits will fade (the parts of
digits I can see are quite bright)

Now the unit is supposed to be waterproof, but I know that nothing is ever completely waterproof 🙂
Could water have done this? My previous ride was in the pouring rain, and its doubtful I would have
even looked at it when I came in last to notice this.

Also I notice in the manual specs that the operating temperatures of the computer are 32F/0C and
above. If I use it below freezing will it just not display properly then, but be fine again once
it warms up? Or should I avoid using it altogether below freezing? The last ride was above
freezing as it was raining (and not freezing rain) but I have been out below freezing in the last
little while as well.

Finally, if I need a new computer, any recommendations? I like this one and its pretty cheap, but I
was thinking some new functionality like cadence or altitude might be interesting. Or something
fancy where I can download stats for a ride? Although something that would fit in the same harness
would be nice as I have a harness for this computer on two different bikes. Are most of the Cateye's
interchangeable this way, or would I need to get the same model?

Thanks! Tanya

It doesn't matter what brand you buy in terms of temperature range because all are LCD displays. LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display and th Liquid Crystal is the important part. A liquid crystal has a unique property when it is within a certain temperature range (which is the stated operating range). When in that range, the liquid crystal will respond to an electrical current by lining it molecules up in a nice, neat line. Display designers use electricity to make the liquid crystal lineup its molecules where the designer wants then to appear, forming numbers, letters, graphics, etc.

Unfortunately, when the liquuid crystal becoms too hot or too cold, it no longer responds to electrical currents. Specifically when it gts too hot, the display will turn completely black. I honestly can't remember what happens when it gets too cold.

Now, as the temperature starts to reach the limits of the liquid crystal(either hot or cold), the LC starts to act erratic. A common sympton of this is partial numbers or letters. That is because some of the LC is still responsing to the electrical current and some of it is not.

Once the temperature returns to the appropriate temperature the display will start working correctly.

So the bottom line is you can spend $100 or you can spend $10. But if you ride the bike when it is 5 degrees outside or leave the computer in direct sunlight on a hot summer day, you are going to have a problem.

One final note. Continuous exposure to excessive heat can eventually ruin the display by damaging the LC substrate.