How to get the cycle computer magnet closer to the sensor

[Malc1975]

Ebay link not working mattsccm.

Yes just checked not working

[simonhill]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... kw=magnets

[freiston]

I saw a Youtube video of a Boardman computer sensor and magnet (https://youtu.be/_xzPK4xI_fo?t=13) and it doesn't look too different to a Cateye wireless sensor mounting that, as per simonhill's first post, can be angled in to get closer to the wheel/magnet. Is yours the same type?

Yes that's the one

Can you angle it any closer to the wheel? If I recall correctly, my Cateye wireless sensor could be angled until it was just about pointing at the other fork blade. I've just taken a picture of my Cateye sensor (it's now on my folding bike) - as I recall it, before the cable ties were tightened up, the sensor could be rotated in its bracket to bring it closer to the wheel.

[Cunobelin]

Stick another magnet to the one on the wheel. One of those super strong little ones on ebay.

+1

Recumbent frames are notoriously difficult to fit, and I have a range of longer magnets for. this purpose.

[simonhill]

Malc, I asked the following question in my reply at post 2:

"What is your minimum distance between inside fork edge an spokes?"

Any chance of an answer as it will give us an idea of the problem.

[Malc1975]

Malc, I asked the following question in my reply at post 2:

"What is your minimum distance between inside fork edge an spokes?"

Any chance of an answer as it will give us an idea of the problem.

Sorry I was at work

At the top of the fork it's about 20/25mm down at the bottom approx 10mm

I'm going to order another and try angling the bracket in and I'll post back If this does not work

Thank you very much everyone for the replies

[simonhill]

Thanks. If you were at work you were probably doing something more useful than me.

The distance is from wheel magnet to the tip of the sensor. Looking at that YouTube video, I would think the Boardman sensor is 40 - 50 mm long (as I said mine is 50). Just angle it in till its the right distance away, then tighten the zip ties. Note it doesn't have to be square on.

[mattsccm]

If that was mine in the pic above I would be thinking about just slapping another magnet on top of the one there after finding the sweet spot for the sensor.

[Malc1975]

Thanks everyone

[freiston]

If that was mine in the pic above I would be thinking about just slapping another magnet on top of the one there after finding the sweet spot for the sensor.

Eh? That is mine in the picture above and there's no issue with the magnet triggering the sensor - I posted the picture to show how the sensor can be angled in towards the wheel to reduce the gap.

[hemo]

Stick another magnet on top.

[Manc33]

Bits of old inner tube under the sensor.

[GranvilleThomas]

I had problems getting an Aldi wireless computer to work because the spoke magnet was too far away from the sensor and angling the sensor in was not an option as this just caused the speed reading to jump erratically all over the place.

The forks are Spinner cro-mo on an old Raleigh Dyna-tech (1993) mountain bike and this was the first magnet sensor combination that I had any problem with and the first wireless computer I have owned, but maybe the wireless ones are all like this on this type of fork?

I purchased a Neodymium Disc Magnet 10mm dia x 5mm from the following supplier on ebay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10x5-mm-N52- ... 2749.l2649

The Aldi supplied spoke magnet is of a very poor design and I could not securely fasten it to the spoke and the extra weight of the magnet was not helping matters.

I eventually used an old spoke magnet from a Vetta HR1000 computer that I had spare, but it was slightly thinner than the Aldi magnet so I rummaged around in my bits box and found an old metal washer/ferrule that fitted perfectly between the Neodymium Disc Magnet and the original spoke magnet. Obviously I could have bought a thicker magnet or a couple of the 5mm to make up the gap.

I also had to mount the sensor flat on the inside face of the forks instead of on the edge like in the instructions supplied by Aldi and mount it high up on the forks to ensure the maximum RF field strength is being radiated to the head unit on the handlebars and so more confidently predict a consistent reading with less chance of stray interference corrupting the signal

I have uploaded a couple of photos to make it easier to to see what eventually worked for me and maybe save someone a lot of head scratching, as it took me a while to eventually get everything installed to my satisfaction and consequently the computer working perfectly!

[Rmr25]

Thanks the replies

I'll have a look for a cateye one
They seem to get better reviews

+1 For a Cateye, had mine 6yrs, works perfectly well.

[sailorp]

One thing to check Is the vertical alignment of the magnet with sensor, as well as the horizontal distance.
I recently changed to a new wireless computer (BBB) having used Cateyes previously.
I could not get the BBB computer to work, even with a spacing of 2mm from magnet to sensor, (with sensor angled in towards the spokes to achieve minimum spacing).
That is until I noticed that the sensor had a small white dot on the side.
This dot turned out to be the position of the magnetic pick-up inside the sensor plastic housing.
Once the dot and the magnet were in vertical alignment, rather than vertically displaced, everything worked fine, even with the magnet at more than 5mm horizontally from the sensor.
So try moving the sensor (or magnet) up and down a few mm?
Moral: RTFM, as we say at sea.
For those not adept at sea-talk: RTFM = Read The <FFE> Manual.