"thefathippy" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:b25b933f-f5eb-4d90-9e20-e7131474b344@z24g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
On May 8, 11:17 am, TimC <
[email protected]
astro.swin.edu.au> wrote:
> On 2008-05-08, [email protected] (aka Bruce)
> was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>
> > Hi all,
>
> > my computer has died and I was considering getting a wireless
> > computer. I don't want to spend too much and I was thinking about the
> > Echowell Echo W2. It has all the functions I want and isn't too
> > expensive.
>
> > So how much of a problem is interference and drop-out with the
> > wireless models? Riding is usually a sole effort for me, so no need to
> > worry about "cross-talk." Pros, cons, all comments gratefully
> > received.
>
> What's the point of wireless? I doangeddit.
>
> Pros:
>
> 7 Clean lines?
>
> Cons:
>
> 7 But you don't notice the "lines" anyway, because you could just wrap
> the cable around your front brake cable.
>
> 7 You have to turn your computer on in the morning, otherwise it
> doesn't record anything. You can't just start rolling, and the reed
> switch causes the computer to turn itself on, because if it was
> running the receiver permanently, it would drain the battery more.
>
> 7 Extra batteries. Twice the chance of failure in any given ride.
> Except more, because transmitters aren't exactly light weight on
> batteries.
>
> 7 There's a transmitter involved, and usually some metal in the
> sightline. Constantly, they're as unreliable as buggery.
>
> 7 And for the roadies, they weigh an extra 0.3 nanograms over the
> cabled version.
>
> In summary. Why?
They're cool?
Seriously, for mtbs, they're brilliant. No wires to get ripped off by
stray foliage.
Except my Aldi one sucked big time. I was doing 99 kmh regularly (max
reading), managing incredible speed uphills, and covered some
incredible distances - even when I wasn't moving. Strangely, my wife's
Aldi wireless computer works perfectly - luckily for me!
Tony F
Ha! I'm glad you mentioned the Aldi. Mine did the 99kph bit, and random
speed readings in between - all even when standing still. I communicated
with the suppliers, a place in Switzerland (yes! Not in China!). A
distinguished gentleman (at least I pictured him that way) informed me that
the meter can pick up interference from many sources. On further
investigation I found that the random speeds were being generated by a
blinking LED front light. I moved the light and the meter away from each
other, and that fixed the fault - or so I thought. unfortunately there was
still the odd burst of random speed here and there, with the odometer
advancing in time. Basically the unit can pick interference from a variety
of sources.
I haven't returned the meter. I'm using the speedo in conjunction,
currently, with the temperature meter. I've yet to see if the temperature
meter is picking up any readings from a nearby stove.... or volcano
somehwre in the world.....
Henry.