Cateye not working in low temperatures

AMcD

Hi everyone, not been on the forum for a while, just wanting an answer to my Cateye not working in low temperatures. Is this normal?

I have a Cateye Cordless 7; this is the 2nd model I have had as I put the first one through the wash in my pocket. I like the model but noticed last year that it would work at 3pm on the way to work and not on the way home at 10pm when the temperature had cooled. I mean totally not work - not work intermittently.

I put up with this and, perhaps stupidly, bought another thinking the 1st model was perhaps just wearing out but the new one does exactly the same. I don't know exactly how cold it was when I used it but it was 7am so one of the colder times of day and it didn't work - I was gutted as I was on my new road bike for the first time and wanted to see how much faster I was going .

So, do all computers act this way? Or is it just my particular model or some models. Are any computers designed to work below zero?

Thanks a lot!

ride_whenever

is it recording the distance on the odo still?

I know some screens stop working in the cold, even if the thing is still chugging away!

Paul 8v

Yeah my Cateye never used to like the cold, the LCD doesn't like being too cold, it should be fine

Aggieboy

Are you sure it just doesn't need a new battery, rather than it being the computer?

AMcD

Hi, and good point!

I didn't think to check the odometer the last time I went out in the cold - doh! However, I'm fairly sure that my night commutes weren't being added to the odometer last year as I was enjoying 'clocking up' the miles and was annoyed that all my rides weren't being counted.

I could check for certain tomorrow as it's likely to be a sub zero ride. However even if the odometer is working I would still like to be able to get the readings so would like a model that is guaranteed to show on the screen when it's cold.

ride_whenever

i doubt very many are, it's an inherent problem with the technology and the cold!

AMcD

ride_whenever wrote:

i doubt very many are, it's an inherent problem with the technology and the cold!

That's a real shame :x . I was hoping it was just my luck or the model, and by spending more I could get one that worked all the time.

Paul 8v

What did used to make a difference was taking the computer unit in at night rather than leave it in the shed/garage, it's generally much colder at night, could help a bit

antfly

My Sigma works fine in the cold.

wombler

I've had the same thing. Bringing it indoors and letting it warm up sorted it out. I now keep it indoors and have been out in the cold recently without problems. Not saying it wouldn't stop again if was really cold though...

AMcD

I've always brought the computer in at night so I can write the info into my 'training' diary (that's how it ended up in the wash).

Mmmmm, Antfly do you recommend the Sigma then? Have you had others that didn't work in the cold and this one always does?

Aggieboy, you do have a point about the batteries but usually when they are going the display fades away until it stops working. However these are new batteries and there's no fading when it's wamer than zero. It is 2nd hand though, but works just as my old one did (ie perfectly when it's not cold) so I think it must be the inherent cold problem.

rvokes

I had a couple of sigma 2006 that used to freeze up at -2... polar cs200 work a little better in the cold but just as bad at about -8. the sigmas in general are quite good, cheap and cheerful, but they seem to have a limited life expectancy (1year-ish)

thats my 2 cents.. :-D

plowmar

How cold is cold.?

So far, cross fingers, touch wood, cliché after cliché my Garmin has been ok.

+1 though to bring it in overnight as the cold does have a crap effect on the charge available in the battery, it does seem to run down quicker.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Some batteries die horribly in bitter spells... I effectively lost power for my Aldi wireless odometer and my two spokelits during the evil cold snap at the end of December.

antfly

AMcD wrote:

I've always brought the computer in at night so I can write the info into my 'training' diary (that's how it ended up in the wash).

Mmmmm, Antfly do you recommend the Sigma then? Have you had others that didn't work in the cold and this one always does?

Aggieboy, you do have a point about the batteries but usually when they are going the display fades away until it stops working. However these are new batteries and there's no fading when it's wamer than zero. It is 2nd hand though, but works just as my old one did (ie perfectly when it's not cold) so I think it must be the inherent cold problem.

I haven`t used one for ages as I have a garmin but I put the wired sigma on recently, it`s about 10 years old and was my dad`s, and it`s worked perfectly in the cold.

magliaceleste

The problem may not be the unit but the battery technology. Lithium batteries (e.g. CR2032) just don't hold a voltage in low (freezing) temperatures. Bring them back into a warm environment and they'll be fine again.

Rechargables generally don't suffer as much (in fact I believe Li-ions prefer slightly cool temperatures).

Some tech is more reliant on high voltages than others, depends how demanding the item is.

AMcD

magliaceleste wrote:

The problem may not be the unit but the battery technology. Lithium batteries (e.g. CR2032) just don't hold a voltage in low (freezing) temperatures. Bring them back into a warm environment and they'll be fine again.

Rechargables generally don't suffer as much (in fact I believe Li-ions prefer slightly cool temperatures).

Some tech is more reliant on high voltages than others, depends how demanding the item is.

Can you buy the round CR2032 batteries in a rechargeable version? I'd be happy to try this but presume you need a charging unit too? I've never used rechargeable batteries.

magliaceleste

I think you can (not seen them in the UK) but they aren't as good as far as I know. I think that's down to the size of the battery.

I've also seen some people rig up larger batteries and place them inside the drop out of a handlebar.

To be honest I just buy CR2032s and other batteries in bulk (10 packs) they work out pretty cheap then and will see you through winter easily. I get mine from here but I expect there are plenty of other places.

http://www.battery-force.co.uk/

You can of course get unbranded CR2032s, even in bulk from pound shops and the like. Some are fine others are a bit rubbish.