Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Vitara
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by Vitara »

When training last year I was logging stats from each ride I did. On time instead of writing on a piece of paper I decided to take my netbook out to the garage and enter the stats direct. The moment my netbook came close to the cycle computer the speed display started showing speeds to 30-40 mph.
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Mick F
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by Mick F »

Interesting .........

Is your NetBook cell-phone enabled? Was it transmitting?
I wonder if mobile phones do this too?
Mick F. Cornwall
Vitara
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by Vitara »

My guess is that is the netbooks wifi transmitter that caused the interference

I've also had a couple of instances where the cycle computer has said my maximum speed has been 50mph during my ride. There are some military installations I cycle past & I know they send out some strong signals as I've had interference come through my cars blue tooth speaker while driving past, so I think that is probably the cause.
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Mick F
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by Mick F »

WiFi?
There's tons of it about if you cycle through a town centre. Surely those would play havoc with a cycle computer?

I reckon it could be the screen emitting RF that interferes, but not WiFi.
Sounds like an experiment is in order! :D
Mick F. Cornwall
chocjohn9
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by chocjohn9 »

Mine does this from time to time when the battery is on its last legs. I can be stopped at a traffic light going "78.9mph"..... :)
I change the battery in the "computer bit" and all goes back to normal (perfect working order - I've not had any trouble with my Cateye's)
Psamathe
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by Psamathe »

chocjohn9 wrote:Mine does this from time to time when the battery is on its last legs. I can be stopped at a traffic light going "78.9mph"..... :)
I change the battery in the "computer bit" and all goes back to normal (perfect working order - I've not had any trouble with my Cateye's)

My digital one recorded me going at 38 mph the other day. I only noticed it as I was standing at a junction waiting for the continual steam of traffic to pass !! (magnet well clear of the sensor as well). and it's a new one so I hope the battery is not nearing it's "best before" date.

Ian
JohnW
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by JohnW »

I read the original post with great interest, and the subsequent posts are quite amazing.

It's about 5 years ago that I noticed something similar. I have Cat-Eye 'Strada' Wireless computers on two of my bikes, and I'd put my bike in the cloakroom at church. At the end of the morning service, the reading had increased by 4 miles. I explained it to myself as some of the youngsters having a prank and thought no more about it. It didn't happen again - the bike I normally use for short local journeys has a different computer. I suppose that if I had thought more about it, the ridiculousness of the idea that someone had lifted the bike and turned the front wheel through four miles would have occurred to me. The thing that does occur to me is that the bike was leaning up against the main electrical distribution board and the control board for the sound system.

Now jump forward to the last couple of weeks. The two bikes with Strada computers have three lights on the handlebars - a Hope 'Vision 1', a Cat-Eye 'EL-130' and a Cat-Eye 'Uno'. All three lights have flashing modes. The two 'Uno's flash at different speeds - I don't know why because I bought them together, suggesting that one isn't a newer model than the other.

The 'Vision 1' and the 'EL 130' lights are mounted on the bars, and the computer and the 'Uno' and the computer are mounted on an 'Acor' accessory bar, that mounts on the bars.

When the 'Uno' lights are in flashing mode, the computers cease to register - they either read zero, if I've put the 'Uno' lights on before starting, or if I switch the 'Uno' light on whilst in motion, the MPH reading remains at the figure it was before switching the light on.

Neither of the other lights affect the computer. I have tried exchanging positions between the 'EL-30' and the 'Uno' but the 'Uno' still interferes with the computer.
JohnW
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by JohnW »

JohnW wrote:I read the original post with great interest, and the subsequent posts are quite amazing.

It's about 5 years ago that I noticed something similar. I have Cat-Eye 'Strada' Wireless computers on two of my bikes, and I'd put my bike in the cloakroom at church. At the end of the morning service, the reading had increased by 4 miles. I explained it to myself as some of the youngsters having a prank and thought no more about it. It didn't happen again - the bike I normally use for short local journeys has a different computer. I suppose that if I had thought more about it, the ridiculousness of the idea that someone had lifted the bike and turned the front wheel through four miles would have occurred to me. The thing that does occur to me is that the bike was leaning up against the main electrical distribution board and the control board for the sound system.

Now jump forward to the last couple of weeks. The two bikes with Strada computers have three lights on the handlebars - a Hope 'Vision 1', a Cat-Eye 'EL-130' and a Cat-Eye 'Uno'. All three lights have flashing modes. The two 'Uno's flash at different speeds - I don't know why because I bought them together, suggesting that one isn't a newer model than the other.

The 'Vision 1' and the 'EL 130' lights are mounted on the bars, and the computer and the 'Uno' and the computer are mounted on an 'Acor' accessory bar, that mounts on the bars.

When the 'Uno' lights are in flashing mode, the computers cease to register - they either read zero, if I've put the 'Uno' lights on before starting, or if I switch the 'Uno' light on whilst in motion, the MPH reading remains at the figure it was before switching the light on.

Neither of the other lights affect the computer. I have tried exchanging positions between the 'EL-30' and the 'Uno' but the 'Uno' still interferes with the computer.


Following up on this thread, and just out of interest, I contacted the main importers for Cat-Eye products, and they replied :

"With regards to you light and computer situation it is something which all light and computer manufactures are aware off. Lights when in flashing mode or dipped mode can emit a low level radio signal which can interfere with some wireless computers. The only way round this is to use a computer which has 2.4ghz signal technology or used the ANT+ signal frequency. These are a lot less susceptible to low level RF interference".


That covers my experience, but not various experiences noted by other posters above. I have recently been talking to someone who says that his wireless computer shuts down when passing a certain point locally, but he can't find any electronic equipment close by - (e.g. an electr. sub-station or major junction of overhead power lines) - which would explain it. I don't know what make his computer is, but I don't think it's a Cat-Eye.
Brucey
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by Brucey »

could it be a mobile phone mast that is causing your friend's issues? Or an especially powerful wireless network perhaps?

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JohnW
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by JohnW »

Brucey wrote:could it be a mobile phone mast that is causing your friend's issues? Or an especially powerful wireless network perhaps?

cheers


Ah - thanks Brucey - he says that he's looked around at everything and can't see a possible cause, but I know where it is and I'll have a look - I'll look for a mobile 'phone mast, but I don't know how I'd identify an "especially powerful wireless network". My computers aren't affected at the location.

Watch this space.
Brucey
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by Brucey »

I suspect if you have a wireless network enabled device, you can see which networks are in range at a given location (there will be a menu with an option to 'connect' if you know the password etc.) If you are still in range at a given distance away from the 'bad spot' then you can gauge the strength of the network signal. Bluetooth can cause interference too.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JohnW
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by JohnW »

Brucey wrote:I suspect if you have a wireless network enabled device, you can see which networks are in range at a given location (there will be a menu with an option to 'connect' if you know the password etc.) If you are still in range at a given distance away from the 'bad spot' then you can gauge the strength of the network signal. Bluetooth can cause interference too.

cheers


Thanks again Brucey - you know more than I do and even if I had a "wireless network enabled device" I wouldn't know how to switch it on! Anyway, I'll have a look again and see what I can see. It's no big thing, I can live with it......it's just interesting.
jgurney
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by jgurney »

I got rid of a wireless computer because railway overhead power lines interfered with it whenever I took the bike on a train.

When waiting at platforms or on board trains on lines with overhead power supplies I would often notice the device showing a current speed of 99kmph. This did not occur on railway lines without overhead wiring so I was confident that the cause was the overhead supply.
I did not notice whether high-voltage pylon lines had the same effect as there are few of them in my area.
You may have a high-voltage power line running somewhere near your shed.
AlaninWales
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by AlaninWales »

mercalia wrote:do u have some fairies at the bottom of your garden who are into cycling , maybe? well they have to keep fit also?

SSHHHhhhh!!!! They don't like being named!

Let the humans continue to try to find a technological explanation :wink: - both sides are pleased then :P .
JohnW
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Re: Cateye Computer Adds Miles Overnight Mystery

Post by JohnW »

This thread is proving to be very entertaining, as well as educational :D :D :D !
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