V3 adventures

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Parallelfish
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:34 pm

V3 adventures

Post by Parallelfish »

Did the trade-in deal for the V3 PowerPod and had a few issues switching over.

First, I am not at all enamored with the new mount with the mounting bolts inserted from the bottom. Access is hampered by cables and stem. The unit itself obstructs access to the bolts, making adjustment a pain. Either dismount the unit or find a very short wrench. Once all is tightened down, the bolts protrude out the top waiting to snag clothing or flesh.

I considered using my existing mount, but it appears that the fitment differs slightly.

Spent an inordinate amount of time attempting to pair sensors per the instructions included in the box. Just could not get the yellow light to display. The package also contained a card containing a link to “Comprehensive Instructions”. Hoping to find further help I went to the link. The “Basic installation instructions” were the same as those included in the box. So I continued in my attempts to get that yellow light to appear to indicate a good pairing.

Frustrated, I finally gave up and just went for a ride, three hours late. Eventually power numbers started appearing. Magic?

Back to the comprehensive instructions I discovered the link for the out and back calibration instruction contained slightly different pairing instructions, indicating a green light instead of yellow. Hmmmm... Also consulted the various firmware and general questions links which seemed to confirm ”green”. So, I had a proper pair all along. Arrrgh!

Providing outdated instruction with a product is a disservice to customers.

Not meaning to pile on - I have been happy with the V2 PowerPod, and expect I will be with V3 as well. Just a bit miffed at losing a morning right now.
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
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Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: V3 adventures

Post by Velocomp »

I'm sorry to hear about your "adventures". Sounds like "mis-adventures" is more appropriate... :(

The status light has two LEDs combined in a single chip: red and green. When both LEDs are turned on simultaneously, the color displayed will be yellow to amber (the eye sees red/green as yellow).

This LED combination has been unchanged since 2015.

In the original PowerPod there is a clouded cover over the LED; this cover tends to blend the colors of the two LEDs.

In V3 the cover is not as cloudy, so when both LEDs are on the yellow combination is there but, perhaps, not as obvious. Some people see red-and-green colors separately, not yellow.

I looked at the Out-and-back calibration instructions, and they show that, during calibration, the light should be flashing yellow. I'm not sure where you are seeing any different instruction.
John Hamann
Parallelfish
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:34 pm

Re: V3 adventures

Post by Parallelfish »

Both the PowerPod instructions included in the box, and PP 649_EN__071618.PDF state:

“AFTER successful pairing light is SOLID YELLOW”


PP O&B 6.41+.PDF states:

“AFTER successful pairing the light is SOLID GREEN”

I never saw yellow after any pairing attempt - it was always green, so finally assumed “green” was the correct answer. Very clearly saw yellow when starting the O&B, so it was not a matter of incorrectly identifying color.

This morning I performed the O&B calibration and then went for a ride. My initial perception is that the wattage readout is more stable than I experienced previously. I was able to maintain +/-2 Watts of a target wattage for extensive periods. Any excursions outside of this range I could relate to a change in inclination, direction of travel, or gusts of wind. This with the same smoothing functions employed on the previous unit.

Again, my impression is based on only a single ride. Do not know if this is the result of improvements to the new unit, or if I was just uber-smooth this morning.
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
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Re: V3 adventures

Post by Velocomp »

Actually, both statements are correct...

1) When you first set up PP (both V3 and previous versions), after sensor pairing but BEFORE the calibration ride is completed, light goes from solid RED (out-of-the box, pairing required) to solid YELLOW (paired but calibration ride is needed). After pairing and until calibration ride is completed, any time PP is awakened, the light will show solid yellow.

2) During the calibration ride, the light flashes yellow. At the end of the ride, the light goes out

3) AFTER CALIBRATION, any time PP is awakened the light is solid green.

This is not unique to V3; this has been the way PowerPod has functioned since 2015.

I can see how the O&B instructions might be a bit confusing so we have updated them a bit. Thanks for your input!

A. At the end of a successful pairing the light shows solid green for a moment and then goes out.

B. The instructions then say that, after pairing, when you click next the button again the light shows solid yellow. This is also correct!

C. At the end of a successful cal ride, if your sensors are awake, whenever you click the button the light will show solid green. The instructions say that, too! :D

I'm relieved you were able to see the light combination.
John Hamann
Parallelfish
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:34 pm

Re: V3 adventures

Post by Parallelfish »

I am going to assume that the reason I never saw a yellow light following pairing attempts is a result of loading the profiles from my previous unit first?
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
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Re: V3 adventures

Post by Velocomp »

Correct; if you load older profiles, the unit will not ask for a calibration ride (solid yellow), because your profile has information in it that says you already have done a calibration. The unit will show solid green...
John Hamann
Parallelfish
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:34 pm

Re: V3 adventures

Post by Parallelfish »

And so my repeated hard resets, trying to get a yellow light was never going to get me the yellow light I thought I needed. If I had set the active profile to one of the empty profiles before pairing, then yellow?

Perhaps the instruction set needs to present the two conditions together in one place:

If pairing to an empty profile - yellow
If pairing to an existing profile - green


Thanks for the responses John - I apologize for the tone of my original post.
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
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Re: V3 adventures

Post by Velocomp »

Parallelfish wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2019 7:03 pm And so my repeated hard resets, trying to get a yellow light was never going to get me the yellow light I thought I needed. If I had set the active profile to one of the empty profiles before pairing, then yellow?

Perhaps the instruction set needs to present the two conditions together in one place:

If pairing to an empty profile - yellow
If pairing to an existing profile - green


Thanks for the responses John - I apologize for the tone of my original post.
Profiles not only store your sensor IDs and calibration measurements, but they also store whether or not a calibration has been done. A solid yellow light indicates that a calibration ride is needed. So, if you have loaded a profile from a previous ride, you won't get the solid yellow light... (TECH NOTE: the "Tilt Cal" box in the "advanced" tab of your profile will say "****" if a cal ride has been completed; it will say "Empty" if a cal ride is needed)

Note that whenever you do a new sensor pairing (press-hold button for 4 seconds and then release) a calibration ride is forced (solid yellow light).
John Hamann
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