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Newton as PowerTap head unit without speed sensor?
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:42 am
by kondrag
I'm trying to setup a Newton to act as a head unit for a latest-gen PowerTap hub. I would like to not have to use the speed/cadence sensor with the setup and rely solely on the PT hub. But the ANT+ does not seem to find the PT hub if I the speed sensor is not active. With the speed sensor, the scan ends with "SPD fail". With the speed sensor, it also finds the PT hub.
If it is suppose to work with just the PT hub, will the head unit display speed and cadence info from just the PT hub?
Thanks!
Re: Newton as PowerTap head unit without speed sensor?
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2014 10:30 am
by kondrag
I called to check on this and the speed/cadence sensor is required and would be recommended regardless, as the PT hub apparently can sometimes not accurately calculate cadence.
Re: Newton as PowerTap head unit without speed sensor?
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:58 am
by Davis6022
It would be a nice feature if the Newton could at least use the cadence data from the PowerTap hub like the Garmin 500 does. I've had rides where the cadence sensor shifted slightly and suddenly the Newton is showing zero watts for the rest of the ride. This can be later fixed in Isaac (a nice feature!), but you can't stop and fix it in the middle of a time trail.
Re: Newton as PowerTap head unit without speed sensor?
Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 12:32 pm
by Velocomp
Though I won't guarantee it, I suspect that if you use an ANT+ speed sensor only (not the combined speed/cadence sensor we ship with the Newton), then the Newton will use the cadence data provided by the PT hub.
Re: Newton as PowerTap head unit without speed sensor?
Posted: Fri May 16, 2014 2:17 pm
by Davis6022
Velocomp wrote:Though I won't guarantee it, I suspect that if you use an ANT+ speed sensor only (not the combined speed/cadence sensor we ship with the Newton), then the Newton will use the cadence data provided by the PT hub.
Yep, It works!
Re: Newton as PowerTap head unit without speed sensor?
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 11:21 pm
by Zoltan
Velocomp wrote:Though I won't guarantee it, I suspect that if you use an ANT+ speed sensor only (not the combined speed/cadence sensor we ship with the Newton), then the Newton will use the cadence data provided by the PT hub.
Just out of curiosity? Why does Newton insist on having on standalone speed or cad/spd combo sensors, and why not can it receive the speed data broadcasted by a Powertap hub? May it come from that Newton needs a sensor ID for identifying/pairing a speed sensor, which has to be different from the sensor ID of the identified/paired DFPM?
My question is from wondering why Newton can collect cadence data from Powertap and not speed data. Either both use a separated ANT channels without having IDs (do they?), or they are broadcasted in the same channel with power data...
Sorry, I am not familiar with the logics of ANT channels