Bluetooth interference?
11-20-22, 06:43 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,444
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4231 Post(s)
Liked 2,947 Times
in
1,806 Posts
Bluetooth interference?
Has anyone heard of a garage door opener remote causing interference that killed a Bluetooth signal? I've never had a BT dropout before in 8 or so months of riding my Elite Direto XRT on Zwift. Internet dropouts, a couple of times (led to me redoing my wireless network after 3 times in 4 races it happened as I crossed the finish line).
In today's World ICR race, I completely lost bluetooth (and couldn't get it back) with 6 k m left in a 53.5 km race (was cruising at the back of the lead pack waiting for the final bunch sprint and then nothing). Trying to figure out what might have caused it. The only 2 new electromagnetic signals that appeared at that time were my kids firing up Netflix on the TV (done tons of time without affecting my bluetooth) and my wife heading to the grocery store (think that's happened before too). Could also be just some weird fluky thing that there is no explanation for, but I got so frustrated after putting so much time in for nothing that I want to prevent it from happening again.
In today's World ICR race, I completely lost bluetooth (and couldn't get it back) with 6 k m left in a 53.5 km race (was cruising at the back of the lead pack waiting for the final bunch sprint and then nothing). Trying to figure out what might have caused it. The only 2 new electromagnetic signals that appeared at that time were my kids firing up Netflix on the TV (done tons of time without affecting my bluetooth) and my wife heading to the grocery store (think that's happened before too). Could also be just some weird fluky thing that there is no explanation for, but I got so frustrated after putting so much time in for nothing that I want to prevent it from happening again.
11-20-22, 06:45 PM
#2
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,444
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4231 Post(s)
Liked 2,947 Times
in
1,806 Posts
Hear my cries of despair here:
11-20-22, 10:55 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: reno, nv
Posts: 2,299
Bikes: yes, i have one
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1136 Post(s)
Liked 1,181 Times
in
687 Posts
No, but a quick search shows that some door openers operate around 300 mhz and 2.4 ghz is a harmonic (Bluetooth range), but a pretty low power I'd expect. Doubt it's related.
11-21-22, 05:44 AM
#4
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,393
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,693 Times
in
2,515 Posts
You could get the kids to run the garage door up and down while you are on zwift and see if the problem happens again. I'm not sure what you would do about the garage door opener other than getting a newer one with a different radio band. I got tired of bluetooth and went to ant+. Now I only get dropouts during nearby thunderstorms, which actually seem to be on the network end and not inside my house.
I'm still traumatized enough by all the bluetooth dropouts that I wanted to get a new kickr with wired ethernet when it came out. But ant+ has fixed my problems.
I'm still traumatized enough by all the bluetooth dropouts that I wanted to get a new kickr with wired ethernet when it came out. But ant+ has fixed my problems.
11-21-22, 06:47 AM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,444
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4231 Post(s)
Liked 2,947 Times
in
1,806 Posts
I agree with that garage door is unlikely and the only solution would be to leave the door open if someone leaves while I'm riding.
I have also thought about going to Kickr for hard wired (or wifi) connection if my current trainer goes down. There's a part of me that wants to stay in the Elite universe if that happens because I like the idea of the Rizer with its combination of steering and incline simulation, but I have the little steering wheelblock now and don't think I've ever had an event that uses it. I get the feeling that steering was an interesting idea, but something that they've decided to abandon. I do like trying to use it on Repack Ridge, but that's more because I like the scenery and constant profile change of the route than because I like steering.
I have also thought about going to Kickr for hard wired (or wifi) connection if my current trainer goes down. There's a part of me that wants to stay in the Elite universe if that happens because I like the idea of the Rizer with its combination of steering and incline simulation, but I have the little steering wheelblock now and don't think I've ever had an event that uses it. I get the feeling that steering was an interesting idea, but something that they've decided to abandon. I do like trying to use it on Repack Ridge, but that's more because I like the scenery and constant profile change of the route than because I like steering.
11-21-22, 07:53 AM
#6
Senior Member
How old is the Bluetooth dongle (?) or computer's built in Bluetooth? Try a new Bluetooth dongle, they are not too expensive or switch to an ANT+ dongle.
11-21-22, 08:05 AM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,444
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4231 Post(s)
Liked 2,947 Times
in
1,806 Posts
It's built in to a computer that's maybe 3 years old. If it happens again, I might try a new dongle (put on an extender to be near my ANT+ dongle, but Bluetooth has been rock solid for me so far except yesterday.
