Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Incite 8i sensor position

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Port
02-04-08, 08:15 AM
This past weekend I bought an Incite 8i computer for my bike. The diagrams in the instructions for placing the sensor seemed to only mention the Incite 6 and 8 and not the 8i that I have. But even if it did mention the correct product, the diagrams were less than useful. I understand the concept behind the spoke magnet and transmitter, but I don't know exactly how to orient the sensor or where on the fork the sensor should go for best performance.

Currently I have it very low on the fork, near the wheel hub. However, the readings I got while riding my bike to work this morning were very inaccurate. I am pretty certain I didn't travel 36 miles, nor did I achieve a speed of 97 mph at any time. Now it was pretty wet this morning, but I don't think a little moisture should have caused the problems I witnessed.

Does anyone have any experience with this problem or any pictures showing correct positioning of the sensor and magnet on a bike?


dekindy
02-04-08, 02:00 PM
Is the wheel size set correctly?

The sensor and magnet placement should not matter as long as it is registering every revolution. Do you have it set so close to the hub that it is sensing the hub, too.

Port
02-04-08, 02:13 PM
The wheel/tire size is set correctly at 700x25.

It's about one inch away from the part of the hub that the spokes insert into. I was wondering about interference from the small diameter of the path of the sensor, but I'm starting to think it was due to the rain. The reason I believe this is that it seemed to work fine for about a mile or so before my bike and I started getting very wet. For that first mile, I did not witness much spray coming up from the front tire, so it seemed more dry than later on.

But I don't know if/why water would cause those problems with a magnetic induction device.


Port
02-04-08, 05:47 PM
Update: On the way home today, the weather was perfectly dry. Again, the computer worked for roughly a mile, and then it started going crazy again, typically registering somewhere between 60 and 90 mph. So I believe this effectively rules out wetness as the cause.

Right now I have no idea what is wrong. I'm going to try moving it higher on the fork, I think, but I still don't know how the sensor should be oriented for maximum effectiveness. If it still acts up after moving it, I'm going to return it.

familyguy
02-04-08, 06:23 PM
I had to change the batteries for mine right out of the box. Sorted out a glitch similar to yours.

Mine is mounted high, with the magnet running very close (something like 1mm, as near as possible to not actually contact the sensor with the magnet).

EDIT: It also depends where you mount the main unit, too. It seems VERY sensitive. If I mount mine on the bars on the SAME side as the sensor, everything is tickety-boo. When I had the main unit on the OPPOSITE side of the bars, it was very hit and miss. I guess thats why they were selling them cheap. I used mine in a 2 hour wet ride without problem, so its not the water.

Hope this helps.

Jim