Cylce computer not working

Dan said:

Recently got a Schwinn SW500T cycle computer. Put it on the bike,
does nothing (no auto start, & when I do start it, doesn't record
distance/speed/time). Clock works, display works, can be set to wheel
size etc. So I checked the resistance of the magnetic pickup,
measures infinite (> 20 meg, anyway). Am I correct to assume the
pickup is simply a coil of wire, and this infinite reading indicates
an open circuit?

No. It is a reed switch. Infinite is normal. The switch closes when
near the magnet.

Dan said:

Recently got a Schwinn SW500T cycle computer. Put it on the bike,
does nothing (no auto start, & when I do start it, doesn't record
distance/speed/time). Clock works, display works, can be set to wheel
size etc.

Hate to ask this, but did you try rotating the pickup a little closer to the
magnet?

(Also, if wireless, then check the p-u's battery.)

Obviously Yours, BS

Bill Sornson said:

Dan said:

Recently got a Schwinn SW500T cycle computer. Put it on the bike,
does nothing (no auto start, & when I do start it, doesn't record
distance/speed/time). Clock works, display works, can be set to wheel
size etc.

Hate to ask this, but did you try rotating the pickup a little closer to the
magnet?

(Also, if wireless, then check the p-u's battery.)

Obviously Yours, BS

Bill-Thanks for the reply. It's a wired type (which I THOUGHT might be
more trouble free ;-( I did rotate the pickup as close as I dare, still
nogo. The instructions show it pretty much right on the rear facing
edge of the fork. Magnet itself seems strong. It occurs to my another
possibility is the pickup is a reed switch which closes when the magnet
passes, but again per my DMM this isn't happening. Best thing would be
to just RETURN the POS, but NATURALLY I can't find the bloddy receipt!!!

Dan

Dan said:

Bill Sornson said:

Dan said:

Recently got a Schwinn SW500T cycle computer. Put it on the bike,
does nothing (no auto start, & when I do start it, doesn't record
distance/speed/time). Clock works, display works, can be set to
wheel size etc.

Hate to ask this, but did you try rotating the pickup a little
closer to the magnet?

(Also, if wireless, then check the p-u's battery.)

Obviously Yours, BS

Bill-Thanks for the reply. It's a wired type (which I THOUGHT might
be more trouble free ;-( I did rotate the pickup as close as I dare,
still nogo. The instructions show it pretty much right on the rear
facing edge of the fork. Magnet itself seems strong. It occurs to
my another possibility is the pickup is a reed switch which closes
when the magnet passes, but again per my DMM this isn't happening.
Best thing would be to just RETURN the POS, but NATURALLY I can't
find the bloddy receipt!!!

Try moving it (the P-U) up a little, down a little, in a little more (even
if it hits the magnet), etc. If still no go, then it's either just plain
defective OR the wire got damaged during installation somehow.

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a wired pickup make a little
click sound when the magnet passes?)

Good luck, Bill S.

Jim Smith said:

Dan said:

Recently got a Schwinn SW500T cycle computer. Put it on the bike,
does nothing (no auto start, & when I do start it, doesn't record
distance/speed/time). Clock works, display works, can be set to wheel
size etc. So I checked the resistance of the magnetic pickup,
measures infinite (> 20 meg, anyway). Am I correct to assume the
pickup is simply a coil of wire, and this infinite reading indicates
an open circuit?

No. It is a reed switch. Infinite is normal. The switch closes when
near the magnet.

Jim-Thanks, that was my 2nd guess. Contacts don't appear to close w/the
magnet, either.

Dan

"Bill Sornson" wrote: Try moving it (the P-U) up a little, down a little,
in a little more (even if it hits the magnet), etc(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I usually have better luck testing with a different magnet, like the one you
use for picking up screws, etc. Wave it over the pickup in various
directions and positions. Sometimes the location of the magnet wrt the reed
switch can be very touchy, and you may not get it right at first. Once you
see the switch closing and opening with a hand-held magnet, you can spend
all the time you need to get it working with the wheel magnet.

And, of course, if you see it not working, I would still go back to the LBS,
even without a receipt. They will recognize it if they sold it to you, and
I have found that most of the time they're pretty decent about exchanging
defective merchandise. Lot of times the guy behind the counter is also a
cyclist, who has gone through the same kind of thing you are going through.

It's too late for you, but I have installed three non wireless computers
in the last few months and make sure the computer is working before
cinching up the parts in their permanent location. You probably already
have checked the recommended distance between the pickup and the magnet,
but once I got that right, all of mine worked.

Bill Sornson said:

Dan said:

Bill Sornson said:

Dan wrote:

> Recently got a Schwinn SW500T cycle computer. Put it on the bike,
> does nothing (no auto start, & when I do start it, doesn't record
> distance/speed/time). Clock works, display works, can be set to
> wheel size etc.

Hate to ask this, but did you try rotating the pickup a little
closer to the magnet?

(Also, if wireless, then check the p-u's battery.)

Obviously Yours, BS

Bill-Thanks for the reply. It's a wired type (which I THOUGHT might
be more trouble free ;-( I did rotate the pickup as close as I dare,
still nogo. The instructions show it pretty much right on the rear
facing edge of the fork. Magnet itself seems strong. It occurs to
my another possibility is the pickup is a reed switch which closes
when the magnet passes, but again per my DMM this isn't happening.
Best thing would be to just RETURN the POS, but NATURALLY I can't
find the bloddy receipt!!!

Try moving it (the P-U) up a little, down a little, in a little more (even
if it hits the magnet), etc. If still no go, then it's either just plain
defective OR the wire got damaged during installation somehow.

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't a wired pickup make a little
click sound when the magnet passes?)

Good luck, Bill S.

Yes. BUT ... the contacts inside a reed switch are very, very small. The sound
is very "little". Use a meter.

Dan said:

Bill-Thanks for the reply. It's a wired type (which I THOUGHT might be
more trouble free ;-( I did rotate the pickup as close as I dare, still
nogo. The instructions show it pretty much right on the rear facing
edge of the fork. Magnet itself seems strong. It occurs to my another
possibility is the pickup is a reed switch which closes when the magnet
passes, but again per my DMM this isn't happening. Best thing would be
to just RETURN the POS, but NATURALLY I can't find the bloddy receipt!!!

Dan

I had a friend who thought his battery was out, until I looked and
realized his head unit was not fully engaged in the mounting braket.
Maybe?

--
Craig Brossman, Durango Colorado
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"Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation."
Edward R. Murrow