Rox 9 Questions
 

Would like a bit of feedback on this unit. Have read some comments on here but would like a bit more info.

1) How many heart rate zones can you track and record?
2) Anyone experience interference or loss of signals, either HR or bike functions, on more than just a very occasional occurrence?
3) I read the cadence functions were not graphable...but can you get your average and max at the end of the ride?
4) Would you say the HR monitor is accurate as compared to a good Polar unit?
5) What specific problems have you had with this unit?

Thanks all,
John Marrocco

I've had the Rox 9.0 since early August. I've logged more than 35 rides and 1,200 miles without a major hitch.

1. Three, I'm not sure if you can adjust them, but I think you can.
2. I lost my cadence readout yesterday and couldn't figure out why. It came back about 20 miles into the ride. Other than that, no.
3. True, cadence is not graphable, but you do get average and max.
4. Not sure, but it is very consistent. My max rate is somewhere around 175 and I consistently get 170 to 175 max readings on 3 or 4 hour rides.
5. None. I really like it.

Yes, you can adjust the heartrate zones. ANd ... you can do it on your PC and download the values to the bike computer. No intereference issues here. But sometimes you have to manually sync the pickups to the the bike computer.

Also, you have to get used to the concept that there are logs and trips. They are two different things. Logs have to be started and stopped in order for you to graph the data. And no logged data points do not contain cadence. But it will keep, min, max and average.

Sigma ROX 9.0 is one of the best non-mapping computers out there. My main gripe is the slope inaccuracies in the graphing software. It will not calculate the correct average grade over a specific climb. Otherwise the ROX rocks!

Have the slope inaccuracies been fixed? Has there been a firmware update to do this?

Slope inaccuracies are a result of a bug in converting metric to american measurements. Just use it in metric units till the new firmware and data center come out this spring.

If you need to convert the erroneous slope to the correct number, just divide by 5.280. Another problem with the Sigma Data Center software involves the "zoom" feature that allows close inspection of a ride segment within a graph. When zooming, the vertical scale numbers (such as % or bpm) of the graph are not viewable, only the horizontal scale. This renders the graph less informative when displaying to others.

Hopefully, this too will be corrected with the new software after my many emails to customer service.

I noticed some loss of signal earlier in the year so I replaced the batteries in the display unit and the two sensors in February. I know from prior experience with a Vetta v100 that fresh batteries are important for wireless computers. Things were ok until a month ago I started to see loss of signal again. On one ride the speed didn't register for the first 30 minutes and on another it cut out for several miles in the middle of a ride and then suddenly worked again. I also had a ride where the cadence stopped working halfway through. I would try to force a re-synch by removing the display unit from the cradle and reinstalling it but no luck.

I replaced all three batteries again and the system worked flawless on both my Saturday and Sunday rides. I would expect that the batteries would last longer than 2 months. Or is there something else I should be doing if I'm experiencing signal loss?

The Sigma Rox 9.0 has a finicky personality that requires lots of pampering. With its triple wireless STS architecture, much can go awry. I nearly always see a "Cadence transmitter weak/soon empty" caution on my system, but after burning through several batteries I realized that the message is bogus.

When speed, heartrate, or cadence zero out, something has interfered with the signal. Aside from changing batteries, also try to reduce transmitter distance by placing magnets/sensors closer to the computer. Some regulated P7 bike lights can also block signal transmission as current is boosted to maintain wattage with declining light voltage.

Other indicators of a weak main battery: backlight inop, erratic flashing display, and nearly silent heart rate zone alarm. Weak heart rate strap battery is indicated by unstable heart rate indications as well as a weak zone alarm.

The battery status function of the Sigma Data Center software does not seem to work correctly. Better to use tell tale signs to determine when to change batteries.

Despite all these comments, I too am not really sure why the batteries don't last a year as advertised.

I lost cadence readout last week. I checked the sensor and had no green light flashing as the magnet passed by. Changed the battery in the cadence sensor and it works fine. The Sigma Data Center still reported the batteries as good. I'm not sure how it knows when a sensor battery is low, but it didn't work on mine.

I was climbing a hill the other day when my computer went to zero. Then it mysteriously started working about with no additional intervention. I suspect the power lines near the road.

When I noticed I DID have to replace the batteries, the software didn't tell me I should. Again, maybe this is an issue of the signal fading just below the background interference (power lines ... radar guns ... ????). As far as the year goes ???? It's a hell of a lot better than a Garmin. If you're worried about cost, you can buy a pack of ten batteries online for about what it costs to buy 2 or 3 at a local store. I have multiple computers that use CR2032, so I now have a copious quantity of those batteries. I also have a copious quantity of whatever number goes into the Nite-Ize LED spoke lights. I figure I'm set on those batteries for 3-4 years.

FYI to all. The new data center 2.0 software is available. I haven't downloaded it yet but may try it over the weekend.
http://www.sigma-rox.com/upgrade/en/

Thanks for the heads up. I downloaded and installed it last night. It took LONG time to convert my earlier data. I opened it this morning and it appears to be full of problems. The speed, altitude and temperature data all disagrees with the data in version 1.1b. I'm pretty sure the earler data is correct. For example, last night I rode a relatively flat 28.04 mile route that my Rox 9.0 reported had 1308 uphill feet, rode it in 01:32:34 at 18.21 mph with an average temperature of 81.3. Data Center 2.0 reports the same ride as 28.09 miles in 01:32:38 at 11.27 mph with an average temperature of 178.4. Obviously, something is wrong with 2.0. It's not divisible by 3, so it's not the same problem of feet to meters, is it?

Staying with 1.1b for now.

Looks like they are applying the metric conversion formulas twice when doing the conversions. Based on your ride data, the metric values are approx. 29.31 kph and 27.39C.

Converting speed from kph to mph: 29.31*.621=18.2. But then they apply the formula again: 18.2*.621=11.3

Converting the temp from C to F: 27.39*(9/5)+32=81.3. Applying the formula again: 81.3*(9/5)+32=178.3

I guess the software people didn't check their work.

Thanks for the analysis. Not sure why they can't get it right. It's too bad. The new version has some features that I think will be useful, like being able to look at all data for certain time periods, etc. Maybe by version 2.1b they'll get it closer.

By the way, my version 1.1b does not find the automatic update. I also couldn't get to the update by going to the main website. I had to use your link to get to the update. Maybe that's because they aren't ready to distribute it to the US yet.

Bugs:

1) Importing data from Data Center 1.1b takes forever!!! ON mine, they did not finish.
2) GIANT discrepencies between logs and trip mileage values makes me think that metric/English conversion isn't happening correctly.


Issues:
1) Mathematically ... it is correct to start a scale at zero. However, it does little value to show us a giant block of static elevation. Please give us the choice to start the vertical altitude scale at the minimum or zero at our discretion.

I messed around a little bit with 2.0. It looks like the bad conversions only affect data originally stored with 1.1 software as it thinks the numbers are metric and then reapplies the conversion factor. New data downloaded from the computer appear to be ok.
I also noticed that on the inital data import, the total miles field was converted incorrectly. I ended up deleted the computer and then reimporting the data, this time with the program already set to miles instead of the default km. Now the total miles shows correctly.

I took your suggestion and it worked for the mileage and time readings. However, the average speed, total uphill and downhill and temperature are still way off. The speed is .61 of the correct speed, so it's converting mph to kph. The temperature must be a C to F conversion problem. Not sure what causes the problem for altitude. Very frustrating. I really like some of the new features included in 2.0.

There's a 2.01 update to the software. I re-imported my data from version 1 and it looks like the units are now converting correctly.

Check out the 2.02 software update, just released recently. It corrects the altitude scale problem. Can't see any other improvements just yet. Please post if you find any. Software is getting better, albeit slowly.

Still can't understand why the Sigma Rox would be better than a Garmin Forerunner 305 + cadence sensor, which will do everything the Sigma does, plus give you GPS mapping and very robust integration with various online and offline programs, which have been tested by hundreds of thousands of people. For equivalent money, and possibly less. (A LOT less if you decide you don't need cadence.)

Plus, the Garmin305 Forerunner can be used for running as well.

Well, you make some valid points. The Rox 9.0 is only marginally supported by on line third party. As a watch type BC, the Forerunner 305 looks good, but I'll stick with my ugly duckling here. At least the software upgrades are free. Also, the Sigma provides altitude info with incline.

I know that this is somewhat of an old thread but I'm considering getting a Rox 9.0 and was wondering if you guys still liked it. Have you found any more problems/issues or things that bug you now that you've had it for longer? Have you switched to something else, if so why?

Funny you should ask after I just rode last night through a hail storm on a high speed descent. Yes, the dreaded inside the case condensation appeared; I lost most of my data, plus incurred BC to PC connection problems. But after drying things out, replacing batteries, and cleaning contacts I successfully restored data from my PC and all appears well.

It's a very good computer, but has lots of quirks. When you understand all of these features, you can do amazing things. Using the rise rate/min function, for example, you can quickly compute watts/kilogram on the fly and compare yourself to the pros.

Make no mistake, though, it's a poor man's Garmin and lacks a strong community of followers.

Strong points: light weight, hundredths of a mile/km precision, baro altimetry with slope, heart rate, and cadence, all in one package with replaceable (relatively) long lasting watch batteries.

Weak points: pseudo chrome finish wears off quickly, long, shallow learning curve, and the software graphs lose vertical axis nomenclature when zoomed. Plus, watertight integrity is compromised in hailstorms.

Here's how I mount mine now. You can see that it's dwarfed by the Android phone which replaces some of its functions.


Bottomline, the ROX 9.0 will hold its own as a light weight wireless BC needing neither GPS nor frequent battery recharging to provide/record tons of data. But in two years time, it may well be obsolete.

I'm interested in it specifically because its cheaper than a garmin (I don't care about GPS), and it seems to give me all of the data I want, cadence, speed, distance, and heart rate all at once. Why do you think it may be obsolete in a couple of years?