Cat/Eye Astrale 8

Marian said:

The rainy season has started.

The summer advantage to a tropical monsoon climate is the same as the
disadvantage. It rains, heavily, every afternoon at 3pm.

I rode in those rains yesterday afternoon.

I didn't exactly have much choice. Although I joined some 20 or 30
people sheltering in a very too small rather drippy wooden hut by the
side of the road during the worst of it (when you can't see the road
because the rain is so heavy you are having problems keeping your eyes
open) but, well, riding in the rain is soooo fun and even if I had
copped out and tried to bum a ride on the bike shop truck my bike
would have still gotten wet so it isn't like I'd've gained anything by
that manuever.

Besides which, bike speeds meant that by the time I got to the bike
shop the hot ginger drink was ready. Fresh ginger root chopped up and
boiled with lots of sugar. Ahhh....

Although my cyclocomputer was working fine during the rain (at least
once the rain had lessened enough that I could see my cyclocomputer)
it stopped working about two hours afterwards. I've already written a
letter to CatEye and they were fabulous 4 years ago with a replacement
set of wires but I suspect that replacing a whole computer is a whole
'nother matter.

Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.

Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

-M

I can't help much with the problem now that your computer has been
drowned (although I can sympathize, because I did wash one of my garage
door openers with a jersey a few years ago), but I would suggest you
carry a plastic bag and a rubber band so that you can cover the (new?)
computer.

Where do you live that you can get dependable rain?

Southern California had a single day (April 20, I think) that gave us
around 0.5 inch, and that was the heaviest rain of the whole "rain
year", which runs July 1 to June 30.

Naturally, this is very bad for getting days off the bike, especially if
you are retired as I am....

Marian said:

The rainy season has started.

The summer advantage to a tropical monsoon climate is the same as the
disadvantage. It rains, heavily, every afternoon at 3pm.

I rode in those rains yesterday afternoon.

I didn't exactly have much choice. Although I joined some 20 or 30
people sheltering in a very too small rather drippy wooden hut by the
side of the road during the worst of it (when you can't see the road
because the rain is so heavy you are having problems keeping your eyes
open) but, well, riding in the rain is soooo fun and even if I had
copped out and tried to bum a ride on the bike shop truck my bike
would have still gotten wet so it isn't like I'd've gained anything by
that manuever.

Besides which, bike speeds meant that by the time I got to the bike
shop the hot ginger drink was ready. Fresh ginger root chopped up and
boiled with lots of sugar. Ahhh....

Although my cyclocomputer was working fine during the rain (at least
once the rain had lessened enough that I could see my cyclocomputer)
it stopped working about two hours afterwards. I've already written a
letter to CatEye and they were fabulous 4 years ago with a replacement
set of wires but I suspect that replacing a whole computer is a whole
'nother matter.

Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.

Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

-M

Pop open the battery door and dry off the contacts and battery.
Put it back together. Dry off and clean off the contacts at the base of the computer and the contacts of the mount.
I use Caig Laboratories Cleaner (red) and Protector (blue) on both sets of contacts.
Riding in the rain is a real tester for bicycles, accessories, and riders.

On May 27, 6:09 pm, daveornee <daveornee.2r9...@no-

mx.forums.cyclingforums.com said:

Marian said:

The rainy season has started.

Quoted message said:

The summer advantage to a tropical monsoon climate is the same as the
disadvantage. It rains, heavily, every afternoon at 3pm.

Quoted message said:

I rode in those rains yesterday afternoon.

Quoted message said:

I didn't exactly have much choice. Although I joined some 20 or 30
people sheltering in a very too small rather drippy wooden hut by the
side of the road during the worst of it (when you can't see the road
because the rain is so heavy you are having problems keeping your eyes
open) but, well, riding in the rain is soooo fun and even if I had
copped out and tried to bum a ride on the bike shop truck my bike
would have still gotten wet so it isn't like I'd've gained anything by
that manuever.

Quoted message said:

Besides which, bike speeds meant that by the time I got to the bike
shop the hot ginger drink was ready. Fresh ginger root chopped up and
boiled with lots of sugar. Ahhh....

Quoted message said:

Although my cyclocomputer was working fine during the rain (at least
once the rain had lessened enough that I could see my cyclocomputer)
it stopped working about two hours afterwards. I've already written a
letter to CatEye and they were fabulous 4 years ago with a replacement
set of wires but I suspect that replacing a whole computer is a whole
'nother matter.

Quoted message said:

Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.

Quoted message said:

Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

Quoted message said:

-M

Pop open the battery door and dry off the contacts and battery.
Put it back together. Dry off and clean off the contacts at the base
of the computer and the contacts of the mount.
I use Caig Laboratories Cleaner (red) and Protector (blue) on both sets
of contacts.
Riding in the rain is a real tester for bicycles, accessories, and
riders.

--
daveornee

This advice is good, also, just opening the battery compartment and
letting it air dry for a few days is likely to fix it. BTDT with
various equipment, including a phone I dropped in a bucket of water.

Colin Campbell said:

Marian said:

The rainy season has started.

Quoted message said:

The summer advantage to a tropical monsoon climate is the same as the
disadvantage. It rains, heavily, every afternoon at 3pm.

Quoted message said:

I rode in those rains yesterday afternoon.

Quoted message said:

I didn't exactly have much choice. Although I joined some 20 or 30
people sheltering in a very too small rather drippy wooden hut by the
side of the road during the worst of it (when you can't see the road
because the rain is so heavy you are having problems keeping your eyes
open) but, well, riding in the rain is soooo fun and even if I had
copped out and tried to bum a ride on the bike shop truck my bike
would have still gotten wet so it isn't like I'd've gained anything by
that manuever.

Quoted message said:

Besides which, bike speeds meant that by the time I got to the bike
shop the hot ginger drink was ready. Fresh ginger root chopped up and
boiled with lots of sugar. Ahhh....

Quoted message said:

Although my cyclocomputer was working fine during the rain (at least
once the rain had lessened enough that I could see my cyclocomputer)
it stopped working about two hours afterwards. I've already written a
letter to CatEye and they were fabulous 4 years ago with a replacement
set of wires but I suspect that replacing a whole computer is a whole
'nother matter.

Quoted message said:

Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.

Quoted message said:

Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

Quoted message said:

-M

I can't help much with the problem now that your computer has been
drowned (although I can sympathize, because I did wash one of my garage
door openers with a jersey a few years ago), but I would suggest you
carry a plastic bag and a rubber band so that you can cover the (new?)
computer.

And one for my phone too. Learned that a couple rainy seasons ago.
But I hadn't realized the rainy season had started and it isn't
necessary for the occasional drizzle one might otherwise encounter.

Quoted message said:

Where do you live that you can get dependable rain?

Sanya City, Hainan Island, China.

Actually I'm not sure the dependable afternoon rainstorm happens in
Sanya. I was in Haikou (at the north end of the island) at the time
of the rain and have been living in Haikou for the last three years.
Only just moved to Sanya.

Quoted message said:

Southern California had a single day (April 20, I think) that gave us
around 0.5 inch, and that was the heaviest rain of the whole "rain
year", which runs July 1 to June 30.

Naturally, this is very bad for getting days off the bike, especially if
you are retired as I am....

Who needs days off the bike?

-M

Quoted message said:

Marian said:

The rainy season has started.

-snip nice rainy ride story-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Although my cyclocomputer was working fine during the rain (at least
once the rain had lessened enough that I could see my cyclocomputer)
it stopped working about two hours afterwards. I've already written a
letter to CatEye and they were fabulous 4 years ago with a replacement
set of wires but I suspect that replacing a whole computer is a whole
'nother matter.
Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.
Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

Colin Campbell said:

I can't help much with the problem now that your computer has been
drowned (although I can sympathize, because I did wash one of my garage
door openers with a jersey a few years ago), but I would suggest you
carry a plastic bag and a rubber band so that you can cover the (new?)
computer.

-snip lack of rain story-

While generally 'waterproof' to a point, inundation is hard on
electronics. 'Dead' Cateyes can sometimes go Lazarus with the cover off
and battery out for a few days in a dry place.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Marian said:

The rainy season has started.

The summer advantage to a tropical monsoon climate is the same as the
disadvantage. It rains, heavily, every afternoon at 3pm.

I rode in those rains yesterday afternoon.

I didn't exactly have much choice. Although I joined some 20 or 30
people sheltering in a very too small rather drippy wooden hut by the
side of the road during the worst of it (when you can't see the road
because the rain is so heavy you are having problems keeping your eyes
open) but, well, riding in the rain is soooo fun and even if I had
copped out and tried to bum a ride on the bike shop truck my bike
would have still gotten wet so it isn't like I'd've gained anything by
that manuever.

Besides which, bike speeds meant that by the time I got to the bike
shop the hot ginger drink was ready. Fresh ginger root chopped up and
boiled with lots of sugar. Ahhh....

Although my cyclocomputer was working fine during the rain (at least
once the rain had lessened enough that I could see my cyclocomputer)
it stopped working about two hours afterwards. I've already written a
letter to CatEye and they were fabulous 4 years ago with a replacement
set of wires but I suspect that replacing a whole computer is a whole
'nother matter.

Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.

Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

-M

If you think it may have got salty sweat into it you should rinse it in
fresh water.

1. Remove batteries.
2. Rinse in clean fresh water.
3. Leave open in a warmish dry place until dry.
4. Re-assemble and try it out.

Marian said:

Although my cyclocomputer was working fine during the rain (at least
once the rain had lessened enough that I could see my cyclocomputer)
it stopped working about two hours afterwards. I've already written a
letter to CatEye and they were fabulous 4 years ago with a replacement
set of wires but I suspect that replacing a whole computer is a whole
'nother matter.

Hmmm, is the Astrale noticably different than the Enduro and Mity
versions (in terms of construction)? I've put them to the inundation
test many times and they've always been fine.

Quoted message said:

Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.

Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

Really, other than drying it out (which others have already suggested),
I don't really have any. Maybe use some silicone sealant on it if it
works after drying out.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
That's the thing about people who think they hate computers. What they
really hate is lousy programmers.
-- Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle in "Oath of Fealty"

"Marian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The rainy season has started.
Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.

Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

The other guys have given you sound advice on trying to recover your
Astrale. I have the same model and the problem is water getting between the
unit and the bike mount. Mine used to fail I guess by the water shorting out
the connections during the rain and then corrosion of the contacts
afterwards even it I had taken the time to dry everything off. Assuming you
can get it to work again the trick is to stop the water from getting between
the unit and the mount in the first place. I find black insulating tape to
be the best bet as I leave the unit in place all the time. If you swap it
between bikes or take it off for any reason then I guess a wide rubber band
of the right size might work. Anything to seal that gap and stop the water
being driven in should stop it happening again. This is clearly a design
fault which a bit of forthought should have prevented.

Graham.

graham said:

"Marian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The rainy season has started.
Which means I now have a likely dead Astrale 8 that I can likely
perform surgery on without fear.

Quoted message said:

Any suggestions of ways that I can take it apart and put it back
together that might make it work again?

The other guys have given you sound advice on trying to recover your
Astrale. I have the same model and the problem is water getting between the
unit and the bike mount. Mine used to fail I guess by the water shorting out
the connections during the rain and then corrosion of the contacts
afterwards even it I had taken the time to dry everything off. Assuming you
can get it to work again the trick is to stop the water from getting between
the unit and the mount in the first place. I find black insulating tape to
be the best bet as I leave the unit in place all the time. If you swap it
between bikes or take it off for any reason then I guess a wide rubber band
of the right size might work. Anything to seal that gap and stop the water
being driven in should stop it happening again. This is clearly a design
fault which a bit of forthought should have prevented.

Graham.

It's done a lazarus and appears to be working now.

I prefer to leave it in place all the time but it has a particularly
easy disengage mechanism and they've had problems with handlebar cruft
going missing from bikes parked outside the bike shop.

-M