Question to Cat Eye computer users - especially CD300DW Model

I use the same exact setup. the CD300DW with the Polar S520. For the most part, everything works well, however, if I'm riding around above ground power lines, the speed and/or cadence gets out of whack. I like the setup because everyting is connected to the rear wheel, which allows me to keep stats when I'm on a trainer but I do have the same types of problems that you have. One more thing; I've had the computer for about 2-and-a-half months (roughly 1500 miles) and I've had to replace the batteries twice. My riding partner has the same set-up and experiences the same problems. Good luck.

skydive69 said:

I have a new Cat-eye CD300DW bicycle computer (rear mounted - reads cadence and normal items from same unit).

I know that computers can be affected by electro-magnetic fields, but this unit is seemingly displaying erroneous data too often. As I am riding along in the 20's mph, the computer will suddenly show some low number - say 3 mph for a few seconds. Same thing with the cadence - it will suddenly start showing a very low, inaccurate cadence. I have used it in diverse geographical locations (125 apart) with the same results. It is difficult to believe that Cat-eye does not build a computer a bit more impervious to outside interference.

This happens, BTW, whether I am riding solo or in a group, so it is not necessarily interference from other computers. Having said that, I do wear a Polar S520 HRM, but again, in that the HRM is such a universally used item, it is difficult to believe that Cat-eye engineers did not take that into consideration in the design. I am going to try riding tomorrow sans Polar to see if there is any change.

Any others with experience with this rather new computer?

akamrkent said:

I use the same exact setup. the CD300DW with the Polar S520. For the most part, everything works well, however, if I'm riding around above ground power lines, the speed and/or cadence gets out of whack. I like the setup because everyting is connected to the rear wheel, which allows me to keep stats when I'm on a trainer but I do have the same types of problems that you have. One more thing; I've had the computer for about 2-and-a-half months (roughly 1500 miles) and I've had to replace the batteries twice. My riding partner has the same set-up and experiences the same problems. Good luck.

Just out of curiosity, have you ridden it without the Polar to see if there was any interference issues there? I'm sorry to hear about the battery issue - I would say that is unacceptable performance for such a low power consuming device. I do love the setup and the display however.

The thing that got me going today was that at the end of a club ride, I indicated over four miles less distance travelled than the rest of the group. For such an expensive computer, that is not good.

I've not ridden without my HR monitor. For the past couple of months, I've only been interested in HR, cadence and time of the ride. In those instances when my cyclo-computer isn't working properly, I just pay attention to my HR zone.

skydive69 said:

Just out of curiosity, have you ridden it without the Polar to see if there was any interference issues there? I'm sorry to hear about the battery issue - I would say that is unacceptable performance for such a low power consuming device. I do love the setup and the display however.

The thing that got me going today was that at the end of a club ride, I indicated over four miles less distance travelled than the rest of the group. For such an expensive computer, that is not good.

akamrkent said:

I've not ridden without my HR monitor. For the past couple of months, I've only been interested in HR, cadence and time of the ride. In those instances when my cyclo-computer isn't working properly, I just pay attention to my HR zone.

That brings up another issue that I am not happy with in regards to this expensive computer - the cadence. For example, the cadence sensor on the Polar averages in only pedaling time, where the Cat-Eye averages cadence for all wheel rolling. I like to know my average cadence when pedaling. If I take a long downhill without pedaling, I don't like averaging in the long zero time. I want to know what I average when I pedal. I try to maintain a 90 cadence, and the Polar usually registers in the upper 80's. The Cat-Eye looking at the same info, usually averages me in the low 70's.

Had a Cateye 7 wireless and it fritz'd on me after a couple of months - same symptoms you describe. A LBS told me Cateye had a bad production run on some of their units. I contacted Cateye directly, but they never responded. You may want to have it replaced.

dmac said:

Had a Cateye 7 wireless and it fritz'd on me after a couple of months - same symptoms you describe. A LBS told me Cateye had a bad production run on some of their units. I contacted Cateye directly, but they never responded. You may want to have it replaced.

I discovered yesterday that if I do not wear my Polar S520, the unit works perfectly well. Considering the fact that the 300 is a rather expensive, upscale computer, the odds are that many users will be wearing Polar watches so I guess Cat-Eye failed in their design. I am going to call them and discuss it.

I use the CD300DW with a Huger or Sports Instruments HRM and have had no interferance issues at all.
Also riding in a group has not resulted in anyone elses monitor affecting my comp. Power lines etc do affect the hrm but have not affected the comp.

Your problem may be that your Polar has an encoded transmission signal?
Most hrm's don't and the signal is quite different. The encoded signal is a digital one and very similar to whats coming out of the computes transmitter. Have you tried altering the computers link settings?
In the manual somewhere it tells you how to change the link in case you are having problems with another nearby CD300DW - think there's about 13 choices. Might be worth changing it in case its too close to the Polars transmission code.

cheers
Malcom

By the way does anyone have trouble resetting the displayed data?

I have to push the two mode buttons and the start/enter button a hell of a lot of times before it resets. All the buttons work normally so they aren't faulty.
Just wondered if my comps faulty...

malcomm said:

I use the CD300DW with a Huger or Sports Instruments HRM and have had no interferance issues at all.
Also riding in a group has not resulted in anyone elses monitor affecting my comp. Power lines etc do affect the hrm but have not affected the comp.

Your problem may be that your Polar has an encoded transmission signal?
Most hrm's don't and the signal is quite different. The encoded signal is a digital one and very similar to whats coming out of the computes transmitter. Have you tried altering the computers link settings?
In the manual somewhere it tells you how to change the link in case you are having problems with another nearby CD300DW - think there's about 13 choices. Might be worth changing it in case its too close to the Polars transmission code.

cheers
Malcom

Thanks Malcom, I will look into that.

malcomm said:

By the way does anyone have trouble resetting the displayed data?

I have to push the two mode buttons and the start/enter button a hell of a lot of times before it resets. All the buttons work normally so they aren't faulty.
Just wondered if my comps faulty...

The secret, I have discovered after struggling is to simultaneously depress the two mode buttons, and while they are depressed, push and release the start/stop button, and it will immediately reset to zero. The issue is pushing the two mode buttons a fraction of a second out of sequence. My method works everytime rather than the frustraing efforts I heretofore suffered.

skydive69 said:

The secret, I have discovered after struggling is to simultaneously depress the two mode buttons, and while they are depressed, push and release the start/stop button, and it will immediately reset to zero. The issue is pushing the two mode buttons a fraction of a second out of sequence. My method works everytime rather than the frustraing efforts I heretofore suffered.

Many thanks skydive69. I'll try that out today. Sent Cateye an email about it and am very disapointed to say theu haven't bothered to reply.

cheers
Malcom

malcomm said:

Many thanks skydive69. I'll try that out today. Sent Cateye an email about it and am very disapointed to say theu haven't bothered to reply.

cheers
Malcom

The reason they have not replied (assuming you very recently sent the email), is that they are totally closed down attending the bicycle trade show in Las Vegas. I think you will find my technique will work. It was driving me nuts trying to reset the readout until I tried the technique I alluded to, and have not missed since.